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11 Gloriously Black Moments From The 2017 Grammys

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Taryn Finley
By 

Black Voices Editor, HuffPost

Black artists without a doubt shined at the Grammys this year.

From Beyoncé’s perfectly regal performance while carrying her twins to A Tribe Called Quest’s call for America to resist when it comes to injustice, there were plenty of moments that made us proud. Even Blue Ivy made a political statement, donning a black panther on the back of her Prince-inspired Gucci suit.

Throughout this year’s show, our voices, music and influence were amplified. Here are 11 amazing moments worth celebrating.

Chance The Rapper's black boy joy
Kevork Djansezian via Getty Images
Chance the Rapper was overflowing with joy when he won his first three Grammy awards ever. He thanked everybody from God (several times) to Chicago and had an utter disregard for the wrap music while accepting his award for Best New Artist. "Oh, I’ma talk. Y'all can play the music if you want," he said.
Jennifer Lopez's shoutout to Toni Morrison
Jeff Kravitz via Getty Images
Nobel Prize winning-author Toni Morrison may have not been at the Grammys, but her presence was definitely felt, thanks to Jennifer Lopez. While presenting the award for Best New Artist, Lopez paraphrased Morrison's words to issue a call to action to artists. "As Toni Morrison once said, 'This is precisely the time when artists go to work. There is no time for despair, no place for self pity, no need for silence, and no room for fear. We do language. That is how civilizations heal,'" she said.
Tina Knowles was the ultimate proud mama when introducing Beyoncé.
Tina Knowles Lawson pulled the ultimate mama card when she went off script while introducing Beyoncé. She reminded everyone that she raised not one, but two Grammy-winning boss ass daughters. She continued to brag on Bey's nine nominations for the evening and briefly paused and motioned to welcome the audience's applause. Now that's a proud mom.
Beyoncé's jaw-dropping performance
Beyoncé defied gravity (sort of) and blew our minds when she took the stage for what was arguably the best performance of the night. Bearing her twins and donning gold from head to toe, the queen performed "Love Drought" and "Sandcastles." She glowed, she sounded great and she reminded black women and girls of how much power they possess. Even Jay-Z was a little teary-eyed afterwards.
Blue Ivy's Prince-inspired suit
Kevin Mazur via Getty Images
Beyoncé's first born donned a $3,000 pink Gucci suit and ruffled blouse as a tribute to Prince. Blue Ivy's blazer included an embroidered black panther on its back (*raises fist*). This five-year-old is making fashion statements already.
Gary Clark Jr. and William Bell's soulful performance
Gary Clark Jr. and William Bell's performed "Born Under a Bad Sign" was as smooth as some good whiskey. Not only did the duo brought the blues and we couldn't help but feel it.
Solange's victory and overall presence at the Grammys
Jason LaVeris via Getty Images
Solange won her first Grammy ever for her song "Cranes In The Sky." And she did it wearing her beautiful afro and carefree black girl spirit. She just oozes black girl magic.
Bruno Mars and The Time's tribute to Prince
Bruno Mars and The Time brought some serious funk to The Purple One's Grammy tribute. The group, assembled by Prince, performed "Jungle Love" and "The Bird," both produced by the artist. Mars, wearing a sequin, purple blazer and ruffled blouse, performed his rendition of "Let's Go Crazy."
When Beyoncé reaffirmed that "Lemonade" was for black women
Lester Cohen via Getty Images
During her acceptance speech for Best Urban Contemporary Album, Beyoncé highlighted the importance of representation. She told the audience why it was important for her to make "Lemonade" a narrative for black women. "My intention for the film and album was to create a body of work that would give a voice to our pain, our struggles, our darkness and our history. To confront issues that make us uncomfortable," she said.
A Tribe Called Quest's powerfully political performance
A Tribe Called Quest didn't disappoint when they took the stage. The group seized the moment to honor the late member Phife Dawg and address the injustices of the current White House administration. Joined by Anderson.Paak and Busta Rhymes, who coined Trump "President Agent Orange," Tribe called out the Muslim ban and the proposed wall during their performance of "We The People." They brought a diverse group of people, including Muslims and Hispanics, to join them onstage. At the end of their performance, they urged America to "resist."
When Chance the Rapper took us to church
When Chance the Rapper brought Kirk Franklin and Tamela Mann onstage to perform "How Great" backed by a choir, the Staples Center turned into a southern Baptist church. There's no way you can watch this performance and not feel blessed and highly favored.

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Taryn Finley - Black Voices Editor, HuffPost

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