Hilary Roberts believes it is “so important” to call out “blind ignorance, hate [and] prejudice”.
The ‘There For You’ singer has recalled how she called out her grandfather after he refused to let her infant cousin into his house because of his dual heritage and insisted they deserved to be valued just as much as she was.
She told BANG Showbiz: “I was 10 years old and my cousin was a little baby only two months old.
“My aunt flew with my cousin to Pittsburgh in the middle of a snowstorm with 2 feet of snow on the ground and my grandfather would not let my cousin – the baby – in the house. That baffled my mind because I loved my cousin so much and just could not understand that thinking at all.
“Fast-forward years later, and I was in my 20s and at that time I have two beautiful biracial cousins who are amazing young men.
“I was visiting granddad and he claimed to be getting to know God better I asked him, ‘How can you say that you’re getting to know God when you won’t even acknowledge your own grandchildren because of the melanin in their skin?’
“He said, ‘Well, in my day… ‘. I said it’s not your day anymore, granddaddy.
“I begin to tell him my story about alcohol and drug addiction, being trafficked, acting out in ways that were demoralizing and all the things I had done to wear possibly I didn’t deserve the love. And how my cousins had achieved so much and had taken the right roads in their lives. I could say things to him that no one else could.
“He ended up inviting both of my cousins to the next two family reunions we had. Grandma passed away after that and we didn’t have [the reunions] again.
“It is so important to call people out when they’re blind with ignorance, or hate or prejudice.”
Last month, Hilary teamed up with gospel singer Brenda Ellis to commemorate Martin Luther King Day with their ballad ‘Better Than This’, and they have now shared a follow-up music day to mark Black History Month.
Speaking about the track, Hilary said: “Singing this song with the beautiful Brenda Ellis, is such an honour.
“We hope that we can affect peoples hearts to where they’ll make a change to love more , to see the heart and character of a person, rather than judging their race.
“Also the message of our song can apply to so many places where there is division….
“We pray that it inspires you to make any changes necessary within your minds, hearts and souls, and by doing that we all make changes to help heal humanity.”
Watch the ‘Better Than This’ video at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s4rg2lp9K1k