On the first night of the 2020 Democratic National Convention, Leon Bridges appeared to perform his single “Sweeter” in honor of George Floyd and the countless other lives lost to racial profiling and police brutality.
Bridges and his band set up the sad song on a roof overlooking a metropolitan area as the singer pinned his hopes on a better feature through the moving lyrics. “Hoping for a life sweeter, instead I’m just a story that repeats,” he crowned. “Why am I afraid of skin dark as night? Can not feel peace with those judgmental eyes.”
The performance came just after George Floyd’s brothers appeared to pay homage to their late brother, and to call for justice and peace. “It is up to us to continue the fight for justice – our actions will be their legacy,” said Floyd’s brother Philonise. “We must always find ourselves in what John Lewis called ‘good trouble.'”
Bridges originally published the song after Floyd’s death and when the Black Lives Matter movement took steam around the country in June. The singer told Billboard that he had written the song a year earlier, and was sad to see that it was still relevant. “It’s an eternal story … but at the same time I’m still optimistic because it’s been great to get everyone together to fight for equality.”
The 2020 Democratic National Convention, which takes place online August 17 – August 20, will feature performances and performances from stars such as John Legend, Jennifer Hudson, Billie Eilish and more. Watch the full stream of the first day of the Democratic National Convention below:
