The Real Reason JoJo Is Speaking Out About Race

JoJo candidly revealed to Demi Lovato on "4D" that she was instructed to move carefully in the music industry because she straddled the line as a pop/R&B artist. "I am a guest in the culture, in R&B culture, in Black music. I agree with that," she stated. "This is a tradition that I'm a part of, but it's not mine, and they're like, 'You know you got to really walk this careful line. You shouldn't talk about race, you shouldn't talk about, you know, social injustice and things like that,” she explained.

However, JoJo finally realized it was time to speak up once the Black Lives Matter movement reignited in 2020. "When 2020 happened ... that was unacceptable to me and I didn't care about any advice that I had retained over the years. It was just, I can't live for other people and I can't be silent on things that matter to me," she said.

JoJo was very vocal about the Black Lives Movement in 2020 and took to Instagram to raise awareness of and offer support to the cause. Her "dedication to empowerment and social justice" (per Global Citizen) landed her a performance at the Global Citizen Prize award ceremony, which was meant to celebrate those who "go above and beyond to make the world a better place."

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