The Billboard Music Awards are set to honor Killer Mike in a huge way.
The Run The Jewels emcee will receive the first-ever Change Maker Award at the 2020 Billboard Music Awards, which is set to take place at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles on Wednesday (Oct. 14) at 8 pm ET on NBC. Mike will be honored as a leader in activism, civil rights and social justice.
“This award highlights and recognizes the attributes of a true social justice warrior in the field of music who has made exemplary strides to lead the community in positive changemaking advocacy,” said Datwon Thomas, cultural media and consulting producer of the Billboard Music Awards.
“In partnership with a diverse committee of colleagues at MRC and our cultural inclusion committee, BLAC, we selected Killer Mike for his contributions to the current movement and culture and his tangible efforts to make national and grassroots change,” he continued.
Mike has always used his platform to create opportunities for Black people in this country. The “Black Power. White Powder.” rapper recently partnered with former Atlanta mayor Andrew Young and Bounce TV founder Ryan Glover to start a digital bank for Black and Latinx individuals and businesses.
The bank, Greenwood, is named after a neighborhood in Tulsa, Oklahoma, which is also known as Black Wall Street. This area had some of the highest-performing Black businesses in the country before it was burned down in 1921 by a white mob.
“We needed to create a new financial platform that understands our history and our needs going forward, a banking platform built by us and for us, a platform that helps us build a stronger future for our communities,” Glover said. “This is our time to take back control of our lives and our financial future. That is why we launched Greenwood, modern banking for the culture.”
Congrats to Killer Mike on his award!