American R&B singer H.E.R. will perform the U.S. national anthem at the Olympics closing ceremony in Paris on Sunday. The star will join Billie Eilish, Snoop Dogg and Red Hot Chili Peppers at the Stade de France as the handover to Los Angeles 2028 begins.
The Grammy, Oscar and Emmy winner added an award from former Golden Globe Foundation grantee Get Lit to her mantel in 2022 when she was presented with the Ignite Artist Award.
Get Lit’s poetry and film curriculum engages young people by providing a creative outlet, community, and real-life work experience, transforming students into activists, scholars, and stars!
H.E.R. was a former student of the Get Lit program, participating in the first Get Lit Classic Slam in 2012. While receiving her award, she thanked her former teacher and her dad, who were in attendance, as well as Diane Luby Lane, founder and executive director of Get Lit and the Get Lit organization, for providing a platform that, in her words, gave her a different kind of confidence that made her the artist that she is today. Moved by the introduction video they created in her honor, she said, “I look back on my journey, and when I see videos like that and when I remember what was happening during that time, it’s a reminder to me to stay true to myself, to stay authentic, to keep using my voice.”
As for receiving the Ignite Artist award, she said, “I’ve received some awards in the past few years in my career, but I have to say, this one – it might be the most special one to me. And it’s because those full-circle moments are the ones that mean the most to me.”
Visit www.getlit.org to find out more about upcoming poetry and literacy programs!
Don’t want the Olympics to end? Click here to check out Film Independent’s list of the best Summer Olympics documentaries!
