Which is interesting, considering that the Grammys were held in rather White Los Angeles (9.2% Black) in rather White California (6.6% Black)
(Mediaite) Pharrell‘s performance of “Happy†at Sunday evening’s 57th Annual Grammy Awards included a tribute to the “Hands up, don’t shoot†mantra that emerged late last year following the shooting death of Michael Brown by Ferguson police officer Darren Wilson.
Midway through the song, his dancers donning black hoodies and jeans threw their hands up in an obvious nod to the demonstrators who turned out following the deaths of Brown (and Eric Garner).
Here’s what that looked like.
Was that a “Hands Up, Don’t Shoot” moment during @Pharrell ’s performance? pic.twitter.com/7LeUpr8E8i
— BuzzFeedMusic (@BuzzFeedMusic) February 9, 2015
I wonder if Pharrell will take back the assertion that Mike Brown was a bully.
Video if you’re interested.
https://twitter.com/katienelson/status/564622109125918720
Great comment at Mediaite: “Not only did he perpetuate a myth…even if it happened he trivialized it.” It didn’t happen. And Pharrell and his dancers are extolling a thug who assaulted a clerk, stole cigars, assaulted a police officer, attempted to take the officers gun, ran away when the gun went off, then came back and charged the officer.
As far as the demonstrators go, people who riot and loot multiple times, call for violence, and make death threats are not “demonstrators”.
