Panorama 2017 Gallery: A Tribe Called Quest, Solange, Frank Ocean & More
Panorama 2017 Gallery: A Tribe Called Quest, Solange, Frank Ocean & More
Photo Credit: Vickey Ford for Okayplayer

'Black Women Make Me Feel Invincible': Solange Honored At 'Black Girls Rock!' Ceremony

Photo Credit: Vickey Ford for Okayplayer

Solange was honored alongside Maxine Waters, Issa Rae, and others during BET's airing of the annualBlack Girls Rock!award show.

Hosted by actress Taraji P. Henson, the award show honored a number of notable black women including California Congresswoman Maxine Waters, Solange, Issa Rae, Yara Shahidi, Roberta Flack, and others. Waters, who received the Social Humanitarian Award for the evening's festivities, gave an inspirational speech about the solidarity between black women.

"I want you to know, if it was not for the love and respect shown to me by black women, those right-wing ultra conservativesthey would have me believe Im too black, Im too confrontational, Im too tough, and Im too disrespectful of them," she said to the audience. "But now I know I'm simply a strong, black woman."

Upon receiving her award Solange started off her speech by saying that black women make her feel invincible.

"When I was a young girl, I was searching and searching and searching for languageto articulate who I was and what I felt like inside, and I want to tell the young black girls who might be watching out here that I'm still searching and I don't always have it," Solange said. "Don't always have it figured out. There are days when I feel very insecure and I feel like I failed...but I get up, and I want you to know that you can and will too. Just know that you can always rise."

Flack, who is now 78-years-old, was wheelchair bound but recited an incredible speech on love.

"Love is a song. Each of you has a song in your heart," Flack said. "You keep singing that song."

In honor of Flack,R&B singersIndia.ArieandTyrese sang Flack and Donny Hathaway's popular 1970s duet, "Where Is the Love." The night also included performances from Ledisi, Anthony Hamilton, Tasha Cobb, and SZA (a performance which Waters seemed to really enjoy).

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