Even when targeted by internet trolls, Lizzo [1] manages to have a positive outlook — and it trickles down into her music. As the cover star of Vogue's October issue, the 32-year-old singer spoke candidly [2] about the role she hopes her music plays, police violence, Senator Kamala Harris's nomination [3] for vice president, and voting as a form of protest.
This isn't the first time Lizzo [4] has spoken out about police violence. In response to the death of George Floyd, she posted a message on Instagram urging white people to speak up and be actively antiracist, adding that it isn't the responsibility of Black people to educate people on racism or white privilege. "It is exhausting [5], and if they don't see it or believe it by now, they don't want to. There's Google, there are books, and they can do that for themselves," she stated in the video. Ahead, read some of her best quotes from her interview, and get a little inspiration for the 2020 election.
- Her thoughts on police violence: "They don't actually care. And 'they' — I don't know who 'they' are. But I know that they don't care, because if shit like this is still happening, there has to be a 'they.' They don't care about somebody's actual life."
- What she hopes her music does for others: "I want to make music that helps. 'Cause that's the way that I help. I'm not a doctor, I'm not a lawyer, I don't work in the government. I make music."
- Her thoughts on Kamala Harris [7]'s nomination: "Having a Black woman as vice president would be great because I'm just always rooting for Black people. But I want actual change to happen . . . in the laws. And not just on the outside, you know? Not a temporary fix to a deep-rooted, systemic issue. A lot of times I feel like we get distracted by the veneer of things. If things appear to be better, but they're not actually better, we lose our sense of protest."
- Her views on the importance of voting: "I just want to encourage people to register to vote. That is the most important thing to me. Because there's a lot of upset people, and there's a lot of people who have power. There's a lot of voter suppression in Black communities. But there's a lot of angry white kids now. And I'm like, 'Yo, register to vote. Go out. You won't get suppressed if you try to go to your ballot box.' You know? I think it's important to remind people of what they can do. My job isn't to tell you how to vote. But my job is hopefully to inspire you to vote . . . to activate you, so that you can take your protest to the ballot box."