Christian Rapper Lecrae Preaches On Racial Injustice At The BET Hip Hop Awards

If you missed Lecrae preaching wisdom at the 2016 BET Hip Hop Awards , you need to take a second.

The Grammy Award-winning  Christian rapper, who has been outspoken about racial injustice , took to the stage at Tuesday’s event for a performance that highlighted the experiences of black people in America. Lecrae looked back at the racism that brought Africans to this country in chains and at the racism that still exists today, calling out the fatal police shooting of Minnesota resident Philando Castile  in July. 

“Being silent is pitiful, it’s something I never do. After Philando, man, I’m wondering where was you?”

Watch Lecrae’s performance below.

Lecrae has gotten pushback from his largely white evangelical fan base for speaking out about race. His critics accuse him of teaching a divisive message and taking attention away from heavenly things, and from the message of the gospel. 

He responded to those critiques in the piece, saying that he’d never stop speaking up. 

“I know you like, ‘Is this rap or is this gospel?’ Look all you need to know is I was blind, now I’m not.”

On Facebook , Lecrae followed up by thanking the fans who supported his performance and pointing out that justice isn’t just a political issue it’s also a religious issue. For this rapper, fighting for justice and equality is part of the work God calls Christians to do in the world.