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Logic’s Powerful Performance at VMAs Draws Attention to Separated Families

by Americas's Voice on

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Last night at the MTV Video Music Awards, rapper and music producer Logic took the stage with One Republic’s Ryan Tedder for a powerful performance of Logic’s song “One Day”, that highlighted the Trump Administration’s immigration policies and the separation of children and families.

Logic and Tedder were joined on stage by hundreds of children and their families, who were kept apart during the beginning of the song but reunited halfway through the performance. Logic wore a shirt that said “F— the wall” while the families wore white shirts saying “we are all human beings.” Members of United We Dream, Make the Road New York, and Families Belong Together participated in the performance, and at the end everyone held up candles.

As Logic said, “Bring us your tired, your poor, and any immigrant who seeks refuge. Together, we can build not just a better country, but a world that is destined to be united.”

Among those onstage last night was 15-year-old Jefferson Arpi, a member of United We Dream, whose father has been detained for nine months. As he said in a statement, “I’m so excited to have performed with Logic tonight. It meant a lot to me to be able to represent my family because my dad, Manuel Arpi, is in a detention camp. Logic’s music video showed that even though our families face a lot of pain, we are strong, we are fighters, and we are human.”

Last year, the Latin Grammys dedicated their Person of the Year award to Dreamers, with a performance from Alejandro Sanz, in a similarly moving tribute.

Watch Logic’s powerful, full performance with Ryan Tedder and immigrant families below: