Queen Latifah Celebrates Pride While Receiving Lifetime Achievement Award at BET Awards 2021 - Watch!

Queen Latifah is being honored for her incredible career!

The 51-year-old entertainer received the Lifetime Achievement Award during the 2021 BET Awards on Sunday night (June 27) at the Microsoft Theater in Los Angeles.

Before being presented with the award, fellow female rappers Rapsody, Monie Love, Lil Kim, and MC Lyte paid tribute to Queen Latifah with a medley of “Ladies First” and “U-N-I-T-Y.”

After their performance, Queen Latifah took to the mic to give an emotional and empowering speech.

Click inside to find out what Queen Latifah said…

“Thank you so much, everyone. Thank you, my sisters – y’all my sisters in the name of rap,” Queen Latifah started. “You always have been. I’m so extremely moved that I don’t even know what to say. Let me just say that I want to thank God because God designed this whole thing to be this way.”

“There is no way that I could have had the parents that I was born to – my father, my mother [who died in 2018], who is still so much in me – my family, I love you – my siblings,” she continued. “My best friends who ride or die with me whether my face is on the dirt or I’m flying in the skies – they know me. And they’re there for me.”

Queen Latifah continued, “I want to thank BET for creating an outlet for beautiful blackness to thrive, to shine. When we couldn’t get played on the radio and other places; we couldn’t get our videos played. There was BET, that allowed us to be in our fullness and to shine. To this night, right now, right here – bless everybody and everyone in the audience for all your support. Black is beautiful. I was raised by strong black women. We can’t live without each other. Celebrate. Celebrate us so together we stand stronger.”

Queen Latifah ended her speech by thanking her fans for all their support throughout the years, before giving a special shout-out during gay pride month.

“I’m gonna get off this stage, but I thank you so much for all of you, the fans for supporting every crazy-ass thing I’ve done through the years,” Queen Latifah concluded. “And thank you for making [her show] Equalizer No. 1. Eboni, my love. Rebel, my love. Peace. Happy Pride!”