The 1999 Essence Awards Ms. Lauryn Hill

This was Lauryn Hills Essence Award acceptance speech from 1999.  

She shortly disappeared from the spotlight after this to go on her journey and she was only 23 years old. She had just a baby and the media were giving her tons of shit about it because she was a Christian and how could she have a baby out of wedlock.   That bullshit.   I could feel her pain watching this and even Rohan Marley, her partner, was looking at her with such admiration.    She is so brave to be so vulnerable and raw about her emotions.   

I was just telling a friend of mine this morning that I don't know when I strayed from God.   He was such a big part of my life, I have diaries from my teens that all my entries started with, Dear God, and they would end with Thank You.    He's never left me, but I haven't been tuned into his source for a long time and lately I've been feeling him a lot.  My spirituality is not an ugly word and something I need to hide to be cool.   She's right, it shouldn't be a burden to love him.   I don't want to be a contradiction either but sometimes I feel the devil more at work and those are the times my light starts to flicker, and I stumble but never for too long long long.. 

She's 49 now and she seems so happy.    Her babies are all thriving, and she is still the Goat because these verses she spit is what I've been waiting to hear.   Lauryn Hill is a really big Bob Marley fan like me, in her case that's family.   I think she might be my equal in our admiration for him.   Bob, The Messenger of Love and Peace.    Praise God, Praise Jah.. Praise the Universe.  I couldn't handle life on this earth plane without my spirituality and faith.   How bland to believe there is nothing greater than us out there.   I've felt him many times so I can attest to the existence of this energy, that consist of only love...