In August, a clip of Lizzo’s TED Talk detailing the connection between twerking and Black culture was released.
Now, the three-time Grammy award winner’s speech at the “The Case for Optimism” conference in Monterey has been released in full.
“My a— has been the topic of conversation, my ass has been in magazines, Rihanna gave my a— a standing ovation,” said Lizzo at the beginning of the clip. “Yes, my booty. My least favorite part of my body. How did this happen? Twerking. Through the movement of twerking, I discovered my a— is my greatest asset. Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to TED Twerk.”
Lizzo explained that the roots of the somewhat controversial dance trace back to a traditional West African dance called Mapouka.
“Black people carry the origins of this dance through our DNA, through our blood, through our bones. We made twerking the global cultural phenomenon it has become today,” she continues.
The singer has faced heavy criticism for twerking in nothing but her underwear on her Instagram and TikTok pages. She has often been the target of body-shamers.
“I want to add to the classical etymology of this dance because it matters. From TikTok trends to songs and humor, we see so much erasure of what Black people have created. I’m not trying to gatekeep, but I’m definitely trying to let you know who built the damn gate.”
She adds, “I twerk because I’m talented. Because I’m sexual, but not to be sexualized. I twerk to own my power, to reclaim my Blackness, my culture. I twerk for fat, Black women because being fat and Black is a beautiful thing.”
