NBC’s ‘Today’ Cuts Off Singer During Police Brutality Rant

Singer Janelle Monae was delivering an impassioned speech about police brutality in America at the end of the performance of her new #BlackLivesMatter-inspired song on NBC’s Today Show on Friday when the network abruptly cut her off.

Monae was wrapping up the performance of her song “Hell You Talmbout” when she added some of her thoughts at the end.

“God bless America,” the singer said. “God bless all the lives lost to police brutality. We want white America to know that we stand tall today. We want black America to know that we stand tall today. We will not be silenced!”

But Monae was silenced after an NBC anchor quickly began talking over the singer’s closing narration. The network then broke for commercials and television viewers didn’t get to hear the rest of Monae’s thoughts on police brutality.

Last week, Monae explained the inspiration for her new song, which name-checks Michael Brown, Trayvon Martin, Eric Garner, and others who have been the inspiration for the #BlackLivesMatter movement.

“This song is a vessel. It carries the unbearable anguish of millions,” the singer explained in a post on social media. “We recorded it to channel the pain, fear, and trauma caused by the ongoing slaughter of our brothers and sisters. We recorded it to challenge the indifference disregard and negligence of all who remain quiet about this issue. Silence is our enemy. Sound is our weapon. They say a question lives forever until it gets the answer it deserves… Won’t you say their names?”

Check out a clip of the cut-off above.