Whether you watched it live or did something else (anything) in an effort to preserve your sanity, you probably couldn’t unsee CNN’s presidential debate speech between President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump which took place on Thursday (June 27). It’s such a saturated culture that even BET Awards host Taraji P. Henson got in on the action during the awards ceremony’s broadcast on Sunday, June 30.
While Biden’s widely criticized presentation consumed much of the post-debate narrative, much was also made about Trump’s many outright lies and continued demonization of immigrants during the debate. One such comment came when he claimed that immigrants coming to America “take black jobs.”
“They’re taking away black jobs now and it could be 18, 19, 20 million people,” Trump said. “They’re taking away black jobs and they’re taking away Hispanic jobs and you haven’t seen it yet, but you’re going to see something that’s going to be the worst in our history.” Economists from across the political spectrum have said there is no data to support the claim that immigrants are taking jobs that would otherwise have gone to American citizens.
Opening the BET Awards with a parody of Kendrick Lamar’s Drake-bashing single “Not Like Us,” which topped the Billboard Hot 100, Henson changed the lyrics to “It’s About Us” and sported a hoodie red in homage to K.Dot. After that, she responded to Trump’s comment about “black jobs” during her opening monologue.
“It’s a star-filled show with black jobs. Whatever that means,” she added, dryly. “But we clearly know there is a difference – thanks for the information, but we already knew that. »
Later in the show, Henson made an impassioned appeal to participants and viewers to go to the polls in next November’s election. “I tell you, you better show up and show yourself with your ballots. This is a serious time. It’s not just about the presidential election,” Henson said. “Did you know it’s now a crime to be homeless? Pay attention. They are targeting our most vulnerable citizens. The 2025 project is not a game. Find out. They are trying to reinstate conscription. Who do you think they will recruit first?! I’m not trying to scare us, I’m trying to inform us. We have three Supreme Court seats on the line, guys – we need these seats or we have no protection. »
Elsewhere on the show, comedian/actor B. Simone had fun with Trump’s “black jobs” comment, asking people in the audience if jobs as a TSA agent, TV judge and hairdresser were “black jobs”. (The answers: Yes, yes and yes.)
Watch Taraji P. Henson open the BET Awards:
