Award-winning singer Mary J. Blige had a special guest on her Apple Music show, “The 411,” and it was none other than Democratic presidential candidate, Hillary Clinton.
“I wanted this to be my first interview for the show because I’ve represented for so long in my music career a movement of women who are trying to stay strong, and be strong, and be beautiful, healthy, and represent leadership,” MJB said.
Earlier this week, the “Real Love” artist shared a clip of her and Secretary Clinton’s sit-down, which was met with mixed reactions. Now, the entire interview is here for you to get the real scope of what the Q&A entails.
After singing Bruce Springsteen’s 2001 track, “American Skin,” Blige asked Clinton what is the first thing she would do if elected president to begin the healing process in the black community?
“I have been so heartbroken over what’s been going because it’s fundamentally at odds with and wrong that African American parents have to sit their children down and deliver the message you just sang,” Clinton said. “‘Be careful,’ and yet we still have so many terrible deaths, some at the hands of the police, many at the hands of others like Trayvon Martin, whose mother I’ve gotten to know so well. I think we’ve got to be honest that there needs to be a greater opening of our hearts to one another. We have to put ourselves in each other’s shoes. Feel the pain that a mother and a father feel when their son and daughter can go out the door and they don’t know what’s going to happen to them. I particularly want white people to understand what that’s like and to feel that they must be part of the solution.”
Clinton also said that she wants police officers to “learn better ways to de-escalate tension and violence rather than to escalate and perhaps cause a death.”
During an event with top media professionals earlier this week, Blige went into detail on Clinton’s personality. “I was completely blown away by how organic and real she was, and that wasn’t the first time I met her,” she said. “I met her at the DNC. My meeting with her at the DNC inspired the interview because when I met her she was genuinely concerned about how I was doing, she hugged me like a grandma (laughs), and I needed that hug at the moment I was about to sing that day.”
View the entire sit-down below.
https://embed.itunes.apple.com/us/embedded-player/idsa.49b40ebf-86ad-11e6-a743-e41fe36ae2c3