November 17, 2005 @ 2:11 am

VIBE Awards: Statement From Chris "Ludacris" Bridges Re: The Confederate Flag

The discussions that have been sparked after my performance of "Georgia" at the 2005 VIBE Awards is my exact reason for wearing a depiction of the Confederate Flag. This flag represents the oppression that we as African Americans have endured for years; this is a symbol of segregation and the racism that reigned not only throughout the South but throughout the entire United States. I wore it to represent where we came from, to remind people that Ray Charles' original "Georgia" was written because of that racism. At the end of the performance, I removed and stomped on the flag to reveal my version of the flag; a flag comprised of black, red and green. Those are the colors of Africa. It is a representation and my interpretation of where we were and where we need to go. Racism is just as prevelant now and if we are not constantly mindful of our history and take charge of it; history is destined to repeat itself because of ignorance. In order to move forward, we must never forget where we were. I hope people continue to question and challenge authority, media and themselves because questioning and challenging can only lead to enlightenment. Chris "Ludacris" Bridges Watch Ludacris perform when MTV2 replays the third annual VIBE Awards on January 8. Read more vibe.com news headlines.

Article tags: Vibe Awards, Ludacris 

del.icio.us digg Furl Reddit YahooMyWeb

Page printed from:
http://www.vibe.com/news/news_headlines/2005/11/ludacris_confederate_flag_vbe_awards/

Return to previous page