The events in Ferguson, Missouri, became a focal point at the MTV Video Music Awards on Sunday night at The Forum in Inglewood, California.
Prior to the show MTV President Stephen Friedman said the network would air a 15-second PSA in hopes of sparking a discussion about the Aug. 9 police shooting death of 18-year-old Michael Brown, who was unarmed when he was killed in Ferguson.
'It's a call to action to our audience that we have to confront our own bias head-on before we can truly create change,' Friedman said.
About an hour into the show, actor/rapper Common took the stage, saying, 'The people in the Ferguson...in St. Louis have used their voices to call for justice and change -- to let everyone know that each and every one of our lives matters.'
Common then talked about how hip-hop music has always strove to tell 'the truth,' noting, 'Hip-hop ... has always been a powerful instrument of social change.'
He then asked for a 'moment of silence for Mike Brown and for peace in the country and the world.'
Entities 0 Name: Ferguson Count: 2 1 Name: St. Louis Count: 1 2 Name: Inglewood Count: 1 3 Name: Mike Brown Count: 1 4 Name: Michael Brown Count: 1 5 Name: MTV Count: 1 6 Name: California Count: 1 7 Name: Missouri Count: 1 8 Name: MTV Video Music Awards Count: 1 9 Name: Stephen Friedman Count: 1 10 Name: Friedman Count: 1 Related 0 Url: http://ift.tt/1qdccet Title: MTV to Air #Ferguson PSAs During Video Music Awards (Videos) Description: Ferguson, Missouri was destroyed by looters after robber Mike Brown was shot dead by an injured police officer. MTV is pushing the media narrative that Brown was shot because of his color and not his actions.
