MTV showed two 15-second public service announcements about the civil rights protests in Ferguson, Missouri, in conjunction with the VMAs on Sunday night. During the broadcast, rapper Common led the audience in a moment of silence for Michael Brown, the unarmed Missouri teen who was killed by a police officer on Aug. 9.
Snoop Dogg shown during the moment of silence.
The videos are part of the Look Different campaign, which was developed by MTV, the Anti-Defamation League, the NAACP, the National Council of La Raza and the Southern Poverty Law Center, and are simple in message. The first one, which will air during the pre-show, shows young people calling out stereotypes about them.
The second one will be shown during the ceremony and is more deliberate in its focus. Chants of "Hands up! Don't Shoot!" are set behind the Ferguson sign and a James Baldwin quote appears: "Not everything that is faced can be changed; but nothing can be changed until it is faced."
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