Rihanna calls on friends and allies to ‘pull up’ during powerful speech at 2020 NAACP Image Awards

Rihanna received thunderous applause following her stirring speech at the 2020 NAACP Image Awards.

The musician, business mogul and philanthropist received the prestigious President’s Award at Saturday’s ceremony.

During her acceptance speech, Rihanna spoke of the importance of unifying communities and encouraged people of color to tell friends of different races to “pull up.”

“I’m lucky I was able to start the Clara Lionel Foundation in 2012,” Rihanna said during her speech. The nonprofit organization funds education and emergency response programs around the world.

“If there’s anything I’ve learned, it’s that we can fix this world together. We can’t do it divided. I can’t emphasize that enough.”

“How many of us in this room have colleagues and partners and friends from other races, sexes, religions?,” the singer asked.

“Well then, they want to break bread with you, right? They like you? Well then, this is their problem too. So when we’re marching and protesting and posting about the Michael Brown Jr.s and the Atatiana Jeffersons of the world, tell your friends to pull up.”

Rihanna also thanked the NAACP for celebrating the “strength and tenacity” of people of color who have been “denied opportunities since the beginning of time.”

Derrick Johnson, President and CEO of the NAACP, said in a statement that Rihanna had received the award for not only her “groundbreaking career as an artist and musician,” but also for being a “stellar public servant.”

“From her business achievements through Fenty, to her tremendous record as an activist and philanthropist, Rihanna epitomizes the type of character, grace, and devotion to justice that we seek to highlight in our President’s Award,” he said.