D'Angelo And Band Wear 'Black Lives Matter' Shirts In 'SNL' Performance

D'Angelo And Band Wear 'Black Lives Matter' Shirts In 'SNL' Performance

D'Angelo used his debut "SNL" performance -- and first live TV appearance since releasing his surprise album "Black Messiah" in December 2014 -- to make a powerful statement.

On Saturday, D'Angelo and his band, The Vanguard, started things off slow with their performance of the ballad "Really Love" from "Black Messiah." They used their second song, "Charade," to acknowledge the deaths of Michael Brown and Eric Garner, two unarmed black men who were killed by police officers last year, spawning the #BlackLivesMatter protests.

There were recent grand jury decisions to not indict the officers in either case.

The Vanguards wore "Black Lives Matter" and "I Can't Breathe" T-shirts, the latter in reference to Garner's last words, while D'Angelo wore a hooded sweatshirt for half of his performance in what seemed to be a tribute to Trayvon Martin, an unarmed teen who was killed in Florida by a neighborhood watch volunteer in 2012.

A chalk outline also covered the stage in a possible ode to Brown.

Watch the full performance of "Charade" above and of "Really Love" below.

Before You Go

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A protester stands in Freedom Plaza in Washington, DC before a march agains police violence on Saturday, Dec. 13, 2014.
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Young protesters hold signs in Freedom plaza on Saturday Dec. 13, 2014.
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A protestor in Freedom Plaza in Washington, DC on Saturday, Dec. 13, 2014.
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Protestors in Freedom Plaza in Washington, DC on Saturday Dec. 13, 2014.
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Protesters gather in Freedom Plaza for a march to the capitol in Washington, DC on Saturday, Dec. 13, 2014.
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Protesters gather in Freedom Plaza before a march to the U.S. Capitol building in Washington, DC on Saturday, Dec. 13, 2014.
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Protestors in Freedom Plaza in Washington, DC on Saturday, Dec. 13, 2014.
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Protesters march towards the U.S. Capitol in Washington, DC on Saturday Dec. 13, 2014
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Protesters march towards the U.S. Capitol in Washington, DC on Saturday Dec. 13, 2014
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Protestors pose for a photo in Freedom Plaza in Washington, DC on Saturday, Dec. 13, 2014.
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Protesters march towards the U.S. Capitol in Washington, DC on Saturday Dec. 13, 2014
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Protesters march towards the U.S. Capitol in Washington, DC on Saturday Dec. 13, 2014
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Protesters march towards the U.S. Capitol in Washington, DC on Saturday Dec. 13, 2014
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Protesters march towards the U.S. Capitol in Washington, DC on Saturday Dec. 13, 2014
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Protesters march towards the U.S. Capitol in Washington, DC on Saturday Dec. 13, 2014
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Protesters march towards the U.S. Capitol in Washington, DC on Saturday Dec. 13, 2014
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Protestors in Freedom Plaza in Washington, DC on Saturday, Dec, 13, 2014.
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Protesters march towards the U.S. Capitol in Washington, DC on Saturday Dec. 13, 2014
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Protesters march towards the U.S. Capitol in Washington, DC on Saturday Dec. 13, 2014
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Georgetown Law students protest at Freedom Plaza in Washington, DC on Saturday, Dec. 13, 2014.
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Protesters in Freedom Plaza in Washigton, DC on Saturday, Dec. 13, 2014.
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Protestors gather in Freedom Plaza in Washington, DC on Saturday, Dec. 13, 2014
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Protestors gather in Freedom Plaza before marching to the U.S. Capitol on Saturday Dec. 13, 2014 in Washington, DC.
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Al Sharpton speaking to protesters gathered in Freedom Plaza in Washington, DC on Saturday, Dec. 13, 2014.
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Samaria Rice, mother of Tamir Rice speaks to people gathered in Freedom Plaza in Washington, DC on Saturday Dec. 13, 2014.
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Protesters march towards the U.S Capitol building on Saturday Dec. 13, 2014 in Washington, DC.
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Filmmaker Spike Lee participates in a march in the U.S. Capitol building on Saturday, Dec. 13, 204 in Washington, DC.
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Protestors march down Pennsylvania Ave. in Washington, DC on Saturday, Dec. 13, 2014.

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