At Hollywood's biggest night for film, artist H.E.R. gave fellow Filipinos and Black Americans a special shoutout after she won her first Oscar for her song “Fight For You" from the movie “Judas and the Black Messiah".
Born to Filipina mother and a Black American father, the 23-year-old singer who bested four other nominees said backstage that her just being up there meant a great deal for two of her communities.
"Oh my god. Me just being up there is a message. It's a message to all the young Black and Filipino girls. Black or Filipino—that you can be up here too. What you say matters. What you sing matters, what you play what you write, it matters. It's a reflection of who we are," she said.
"I'm just happy to represent. I can't believe I'm here so I just hope there's another little girl out there, whoever, you know, going, I can do that too. I can be up there, one day," she added.
H.E.R. made music history earlier year, winning "Song of the Year" at the Grammys for "I Can't Breathe", which she dedicated to the Black Lives Matter movement.
In her acceptance speech, H.E.R. said she did not expect to win and was “just grateful to be part of such an important story.”
“Musicians, filmmakers, I believe we have an opportunity and a responsibility, to me, to tell the truth and to write history the way that it was and how it connects us to today and what we see going on in the world today,” she said.
“Knowledge is power. Music is power. As long as I’m standing, I am always going to fight for us, I am always going to fight for my people and what’s right. I think that’s what music does. That’s what storytelling does,” she added.
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