Megan Thee Stallion sends powerful Breonna Taylor message on 'SNL': 'Protect Black women'
Megan Thee Stallion's solo debut on "Saturday Night Live" spoke volumes.
The rapper, who performed her songs "Savage" and "Don't Stop" as the musical guest for the Chris Rock-hosted Season 46 premiere, made a powerful Black Lives Matter statement during her first performance.
Midway through "Savage," the screens behind the rapper flashed messages including "Protect Black women" as she paused the song entirely for audio from activists. She then appealed for the protection of Black women and Black men, and harshly criticized Kentucky Attorney General Daniel Cameron over his handling of the Breonna Taylor case.
Taylor was killed in her apartment by Louisville police earlier this year, and a grand jury did not charge any of the officers involved for actions related to her death.
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The message "Daniel Cameron is no different than the sellout negroes that sold our people into slavery" flashed on the screen.
“We need to protect our Black women and love our Black women ... because at the end of the day we need our Black women," Megan said during the performance.
Last month, a Kentucky grand jury indicted former police officer Brett Hankison on three counts of wanton endangerment for firing bullets that went into the apartment next to Taylor's during the attempted March 13 search that went awry.
But no indictment was returned against Jonathan Mattingly and Myles Cosgrove, who fired the bullets that struck and killed the 26-year-old unarmed Black woman in her hallway that night.
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The decision of the grand jury sparked protests and outrage across the nation, including from prominent celebrities.
Megan wasn't the only "SNL" performer to speak out during the season premiere. Host Chris Rock spoke out about the pandemic, the election and the very nature of government during his monologue.
“We’ve got to take this serious, man,” he said. “Everything going on right now, we can lick this – we can beat this – if we face it together.”
Contributing: Darcy Costello and Jonathan Bullington, Louisville Courier-Journal
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: SNL: Megan Thee Stallion invokes Breonna Taylor, BLM on 'Savage'
