Jamie Foxx’s decision to wear his Travyon Martin and Sandy Hook children t-shirt to the 2013 MTV Movie Awards proved that he took Harry Belafonte’s advice to heart and is ready to do so much more as a black entertainer in the spotlight.
With so many wacky fashions strutting down MTV’s red carpet Sunday night, it’s a bit surprising to know that it’s a simple t-shirt that is getting all the attention – that is until you realize what is on the t-shirt.
Jamie wore a black t-shirt that honored Trayvon Martin and the 20 people who were killed in the Sandy Hook shooting to the MTV Movie Awards and it proved to be quite an effective way to get an important message out.
Foxx, who worked the red carpet with his “Django” co-star Kerry Washington and lovely 19-year-old daughter Corinne, donned a t-shirt honoring Trayvon Martin and the Sandy Hook victims. The black shirt included the words “Know Justice, Know Peace” (with an emphasis on “No”) along with a photo of 17-year-old Martin and the 20 people who were killed during the Newtown massacre.
“We’re just thinking about the children… we’re just protecting our kids,” Foxx told MTV’s red carpet hosts, Josh Horowitz and Karlie Kloss, when asked if the shirt was meant to be a political statement.
His powerful t-shirt just reassured why he was the right choice for MTV’s Generation award. Back in 2012 he wore a red t-shirt with Trayvon Martin’s face on it to the BET Awards.
Of course, his decision to repeat the bold t-shirt fashion trend isn’t surprising after his emotional speech at the NAACP Image wards earlier this year.
Foxx admitted that Harry Belafonte’s speech truly touched him and reminded him about all the work he has left as a black entertainer:
“All I can say is I’m so humbled tonight. I was thinking of all the stuff I could say personally about myself, and I was gonna be all about me and how I did it, and how me and I and I and me, then you watch Harry Belafonte and Sidney Poitier come out. Then you say, it’s really not a big of a deal of what you are doing just yet. I had so many things I wanted to say but after watching and listening to Harry Belafonte speak, sometimes I feel like somehow I failed in being caught up in what I do but I guarantee you that I’m going to work a lot harder man.”
While Foxx may have been disappointed in himself, the NAACP and many others couldn’t have been more proud of all the strides he has made not just for African Americans, but for a better society overall.
