Joker star Joaquin Phoenix calls for action against injustice in his Oscar acceptance speech and Grammy-winning rapper Lecrae speaks about using his platform as an artist, entrepreneur, and philanthropist to serve Black American communities.
Joaquin Phoenix’s Oscar acceptance speech
This week, movie-lovers everywhere saw their favourite stars grace the red carpet and take home the top prizes in the film industry at the 92nd Academy Awards.
One of the most talked-about moments came from Jaoquin Phoenix, who gave a bold speech after winning the award for Best Actor in a Leading Role for his performance in Joker.
Contrary to the dark and villainous agenda of the comic-book character he plays on screen, Joaquin is known in Hollywood as a passionate advocate for human and animal rights.
Instead of giving a traditional acceptance speech for the prestigious award, Joaquin used his moment on the centre stage to deliver a message of unity in the fight against injustice.
“We’re talking about the fight against the belief that one nation, one people, one race, one gender or one species has the right to dominate, control and use and exploit another with impunity,”
As someone who has lived a vegan lifestyle for over 40 years, Joaquin also shared some challenging thoughts about the societal norm of people using animals for meat and milk.
The director of Joker has shared in previous interviews that the film was intended to put up a mirror to the way society handles social and ethical issues, which makes Joaquin’s speech all the more fitting.
Whether or not you share his position on human-animal relations, Joaquin’s words can be a challenge to each of us to think about our role in combating injustice in the world around us.
Lecrae talks Black American communities
And speaking of the fight for justice, hip-hop veteran Lecrae recently shared his passion for using his platform to serve the Black American community.
In an interview with Black Enterprise, which was fittingly published during Black History Month, Lecrae shared that he is working on his ninth studio album and new book, both telling the story of how his faith has helped him experience restoration.
But he shared that his vision for restoration extends beyond his own life, as he hopes to play a role in bringing hope and healing to people in the Black community who need it most.
He said, “I want to restore the view the black community has of itself. We can change the narrative, empower the disenfranchised, and close wealth gaps. We can restore the dignity that was stripped from us. We can lean on God to restore our sense of purpose and worth.”
From a culturally-centred film studio, a new school with a faith-centred curriculum, and a startup fund for black business-owners, Lecrae is certainly doing his part to equip Atlanta’s black community with resources for success.
Also, in honour of Black History Month, Hollie Taylor and I had a great conversation on Good Company about how we can all acknowledge and celebrate black history and heritage.