A common accessory to everyone’s ensembles at the 60th GRAMMY Awards was a white rose. Worn in solidarity with the Time’s Up movement and in support of victims of sexual harassment, artists across all genres took the silent call to action upon themselves to help spread a wider message of hope and change.
Among the artists sporting the white rose was country’s own Little Big Town, who took home an award for Best Country Duo/Group Performance. The quartet admitted that the message struck close to home as parents of young, impressionable children.
“We have children at home and we want to raise them to know that they can always speak out and take care of themselves and stick up for themselves,” the band’s Kimberly Schlapman explained to E!‘s Guiliana Rancic. “It’s so important.”
Schlapman’s bandmate Jimi Westbrook agreed and offered a similar message when asked what advice he has for up and coming artists in the industry.
“Love and respect. We’ve been together for a really long time and that’s what our relationship is based on,” Westbrook shared. “Men and women: equal and respect. That’s the main thing. We have to respect and love each other. That’s what being a human being is about.”
Fellow country star and GRAMMY winner Reba agreed with the foursome, sharing her own reasoning for wearing the accessory to the night’s festivities.
“My message is, I want to treat you like I want to be treated,” relayed Reba during the pre-telecast. “I want to treat you like I want to be treated. It’s the golden rule. If we did that more often, more of these problems would be non-existent. Let’s just treat people kindly.”
The white rose movement comes just after many in the entertainment industry wore black to the 2018 Golden Globes in support of sexual misconduct victims. As women emerged with their stories of harassment, a larger movement came about and led to the creation of the Time’s Up Defense Fund, which helps victims of sexual assault, harassment and inequality in the workplace afford legal representation. For more information about Time’s Up, visit timesupnow.com.
