BET Awards 2025: Moments of Protest, Power & Purpose at the BET Awards

“Just because we’re magic doesn’t mean we’re not real.” That line echoed through living rooms across the country—and lit the internet on fire. Williams took his time on stage to speak out against police brutality, white appropriation, and the commodification of Black pain.

It wasn’t a thank-you speech. It was a thesis on being Black in America.

With chain-link fences, upside-down American flags, and bars delivered like sermons, Kendrick transformed the stage into a protest. The performance came during the rise of the Black Lives Matter movement—and cemented “We gon’ be alright” as a cultural mantra.

While accepting her Lifetime Achievement Award, Latifah used her time to say “Happy Pride” and publicly acknowledge her longtime partner and their son. It was brief. Beautiful. And deeply powerful.

For a rapper who had always kept her private life under wraps, this was a personal and political moment of pride.

During the height of the pandemic and nationwide protests, DaBaby recreated the image of a knee on his neck in a performance that echoed the murder of George Floyd. It was jarring, raw, and delivered at a time when most award shows were still pretending it was business as usual.

Whether addressing Roe v. Wade, voting rights, or simply reminding viewers to “protect Black women,” Taraji used her hosting duties to educate and entertain. Her opening monologues often slipped in hard truths between punchlines—and that balance? Only she could do it.

Minimal staging. Maximum emotion. Solange delivered a delicate but defiant set that spoke to Black women’s interior lives—the pain, the pressure, the peace we fight for. It was less protest, more spiritual resistance. But the message landed all the same.

From her virtual hosting set, Amanda Seales wore masks, cracked jokes about racial hypocrisy, and kept the focus on Black resilience in a year of global trauma. It wasn’t a night off from the fight—it was a tribute to surviving it.

His win for Album of the Year wasn’t just about beats and bars. It was about substance. About an album that addressed generational trauma, Southern Black masculinity, spirituality, and the legacy of political resistance in hip hop. And his speech? Pure fire.

BET’s gospel moments have always been protest by way of praise. From tributes to Trayvon Martin to songs delivered in the wake of community tragedies, gospel segments—especially from Yolanda Adams—have reminded viewers that Black grief is holy, too.

Ending his “Montero” performance with a passionate kiss between two men, Lil Nas X made history—and headlines. In a space that doesn’t always know how to hold queerness, he forced the culture to look at it, honor it, and respect it.

The BET Awards have never just been about applause—they’ve been about accountability. From protest anthems to pointed speeches, this stage continues to be one of the few places in entertainment where Black truth is spoken without a filter—and with full intention.

Watch the BET Awards 2025 on June 9th at 8 PM on BET.