00:00This is a celebration, not of the promise of America, but that we kept moving America toward
00:15keeping its promise to us. And every step we took, we got there because we were stronger
00:22than the forces that were trying to hold us down. Black women represents the strength that
00:30no one thought we had. From slavery to reconstruction to Jim Crow to right now dealing with racism,
00:40our women not only had our back, they've been our back and have never backed up.
00:48We come to New Orleans every year to celebrate our strength. Yes, we have parties. To be
00:56able to party through our pain shows our strength. Yes, we have entertainment. Because even though
01:04we were denied, our artistry and our creativity and our innovation could not be suppressed.
01:13And in fact, it has been so genius that the whole world imitates us now. Even though we
01:22didn't have the right to vote until 50 years ago in every state. And even today, they're
01:29trying to ship away at our rights. We still have when the world is looking from Greece defaulting,
01:38to Iran with nuclear weapons, to all over the world wars and rumors of worlds. There's a black
01:45man raised in a single parent home on food stamps. That's the president of the United States and
01:53the head of the free world. We celebrate that despite the ugliness of America's treatment of
02:00us, we've been able to rise and be beautiful anyway. Look at essence and see how beautiful we are.
02:11I did the eulogy six years ago at Michael Jackson's funeral. When I left the cemetery that night,
02:18a well-known artist said to me, Red Mal, I said, yes. He said, you touched me with that eulogy. I said,
02:25well, thank you. He said, no, I'm serious. I said, well, thank you. He said, and if I die first,
02:31I want you to do one just like that for me. I told him, well, you're going to have to give me something
02:36to work with.
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