“The year 2020 has come to be a defining period that has impacted all of us around the world in ways we could have never imagined, host Dwayne Johnson said, explaining the intertwined forces that inspired Saturday’s “Global Goal: Unite for Our Future – The Concert”: coronavirus and systemic racism.
“As we’re doing our very best to process the unprecedented hardships this new virus can cause, we also continue to witness another ongoing disease that plagues our world for decades – centuries even: oppression and inequality,” Johnson said, calling George Floyd’s death at the hands of a Minneapolis police officer a “flashpoint.”
He continued, “In the face of both of these ongoing fights, we must recognize that the people living in poverty are the ones whose health is at greatest risk. It’s no surprise that they’re also the ones who suffer most when economies fail. Our Black Americans and people of color all around the world have been hit the hardest during these unprecedented times. Access to help is a fundamental right and we cannot and will not allow it to be dictated by income or race. Equality is a fundamental right that we cannot allow to be dictated by income or race. The future depends on what we do today. And today, we unite for our future.”
Like other benefit shows conducted during the coronavirus pandemic such as March’s “Living Room Concert,” the “Unite for our Future” concert took place remotely, with the participants beaming in from all over the country and world.
The leadoff performer, Jennifer Hudson, sang“Where Peaceful Waters Flow” from the deck of a boat floating down the Chicago River, while the For Love Choir performed an a capella rendition of Beyoncé’s “Freedom” from a hilltop in Santa Clarita County, California.
“The power of women creates change. So let’s keep coming together to create that change – good change,” the Oscar winner said before launching into her stirring cover of the Gladys Knight and the Pips classic.
Other performers for the two-hour NBC broadcast include Shakira, Coldplay, Justin Bieber and Quavo, Miley Cyrus, J Balvin, Yemi Alade and Christine and the Queens.
Celebrities also pitched in: “Westworld” star Thandie Newton narrated a documentary segment on the search for a COVID-19 vaccine – and the eventual challenges of distributing it to 190 countries worldwide.
“We must protect the groups that are most at risk like healthcare workers or people with existing health conditions,” Newton said. “Or those in refugee camps around the world where more than 70 million displaced people don’t have the option to socially distance.”
“We can’t do this as isolated countries or isolated systems,” Dr. Zolelwa Sifumba said. “It’s going to take the whole world.”
Miley Cyrus, performing a countryfied version of The Beatles’ “Help” from the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, California, dedicated her set to “those who are tirelessly working on testing, treatment and vaccines so all of us can come together in places like this empty stadium again.”
The original Broadway cast of “Hamilton,” whose final performances will premiere on Disney+ on Friday, contributed their virtual “Tonight Show” performance of the Schuyler Sisters-led “Helpless” with the help of star/creator Lin-Manuel Miranda and the “Tonight Show” house band The Roots and Tony winner Daveed Diggs.
“The Masked Singer” judge Ken Jeong, a licensed physician, urged viewers to “keep updated, keep informed” and “don’t deny the science.”
“COVID-19 has laid bare the inequities of our broken social systems in our communities – especially the Black community and our communities of color,” supermodel-turned-actress Naomi Campbell said. “We are in this for the long haul and getting to the other side will require an ongoing and collective effort. There are no quick fixes. But if everyone of us steps up to help our brothers and sisters, we will all be the better for it.”
Other stars slated to make appearances include Chris Rock, Hugh Jackman, Kerry Washington, Charlize Theron, Forest Whitaker, David Beckham, Salma Hayek Pinault, Diane Kruger, Billy Porter, Antoni Porowski, Nikolaj Coster-Waldau and Olivia Colman.
