MTV used the Video Music Awards this year to highlight the ongoing civil rights struggles in Ferguson, Missouri and around the country. Common came out on stage to talk about the situation, ask those watching to be part of making a change and call for a moment of silence for "for Mike Brown and for peace in this country and in the world."
The PSA reads: "Not everything that is faced can be changed; but nothing can be changed until it is faced," a quote from James Baldwin, against the chant, "Hands up, don't shoot," which became the hallmark of the protests against policies that ended in Michael Brown's fatal shooting.
Earlier in the night, another PSA aired that featured a variety of young people being hit by sheets of shattered glass with the motto: "Look. Listen. Change."
According to the Washington Post, both 15-second spots were part of a larger campaign called Look Different. MTV partnered with organizations including the NAACP, the National Council of La Raza, the Southern Poverty Law Center and the Anti-Defamation League.
"Eighty percent of our audience believes that bias is at the root of racism and prejudice," MTV President Stephen Friedman told the Post. "But when cultural explosions like Trayvon Martin, or the recent death on Staten Island, or what is now happening in Ferguson occur, our audience often feels paralyzed to discuss the issues."
Watch the PSAs and Common's introduction below, and let us know what you think in the comment section!
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