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Home • News

Alicia Keys Honors Anniversary Of Dr. King's 'I Have A Dream' Speech With Powerful Poem At The VMAs

Alicia Keys brings Black history to the VMAs stage.
Alicia Keys Continues To Stun With #NoMakeup At The 2016 VMAs
Photo Credit: Jamie McCarthy
By Essence · Updated October 26, 2020
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Today marks the 53rd anniversary of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s iconic “I Have A Dream” speech and songstress Alicia Keys made sure to remind the world of the ocassion on the VMAs stage.

Just ahead of presenting the award for Best Male Video, Mrs. Swizz Beatz launced into a brief poem about humanityand unity. “If war is holy and sex is obscene, then we got it twisted in this lucid dream,” she said from the VMAs stage. “Baptized in boundaries, schooled in sin. Divided by difference, sexuality and skin.” Midway through the breif speech, A.Keys moved from spoken word to song, before closing out the moment with a statement about equality among all.  

Hear the full tribute in the video clip below.

.@aliciakeys shares a poem on the #VMA stage in honor of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.'s "I Have a Dream" speech https://t.co/qpaY4415xT

— MTV (@MTV) August 29, 2016