MTV aired a somber 15 second video tonight during the commercials of the Video Music Awards to recognize the events in Ferguson, Missouri this month. The PSA features a quote from James Baldwin that reads "Not everything that is faced can be changed; but nothing can be changed until it is faced." The quote runs on top of "Hands Up" chanting, and a sign welcoming you to Ferguson, a city since 1894.
The video is a part of a larger MTV campaign called Look Different that MTV President Stephen Friedman told The Washington Post was created to create discussions about race among MTV viewers. The PSA is a great reminder that though the VMAs is one of the most fun nights of television, there have been more important things happening in the world this week.
We're here to shed some clarity
One of our core beliefs here at Vox is that everyone needs and deserves access to the information that helps them understand the world, regardless of whether they can pay for a subscription. With the 2024 election on the horizon, more people are turning to us for clear and balanced explanations of the issues and policies at stake. We’re so grateful that we’re on track to hit 85,000 contributions to the Vox Contributions program before the end of the year, which in turn helps us keep this work free. We need to add 2,500 contributions this month to hit that goal.
Will you make a contribution today to help us hit this goal and support our policy coverage? Any amount helps.
Yes, I'll give $5/month
Yes, I'll give $5/month
We accept credit card, Apple Pay, and
Google Pay. You can also contribute via
