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Janet Jackson Becomes First Black Female to Receive Billboard's Icon Award

Chris Pizzello/Invision/AP
Chris Pizzello/Invision/AP

She also performed on the BBMAs stage.

Janet Jackson made history last night as the first black female artist to receive the Icon Award from the Billboard Music Awards ceremony.

In a moving acceptance speech, Jackson called out her appreciation for hte #MeToo movement, saying:

"I believe that for all the challenges, for all our challenges, we live at a glorious moment in history," she said in the clip above. "It's a moment when at long last women have made it clear that we will no longer be controlled, manipulated or abused. I stand with those women and with those men equally outraged by discrimination who support us in heart and mind.

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"This is also a moment when our public discourse is loud and harsh," she added. "My prayer is that, weary of such noise, we turn back to the source of all calmness. That source -- that source is God. Everything we lack, God has in abundance, compassion, sensitivity, patience and a boundless love."

Take a look:

Jackson also performed her hits "Nasty," "If," and "Throb" on the BBMAs stage--see below:

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