On Saturday, Apr. 18, Global Citizen, an organization committed to creating a “movement of engaged citizens who are using their collective voice to end extreme poverty by 2030,” helped organize “One World: Together At Home,” a benefit concert to raise money for The World Health Organization (WHO) and other charities. This event was organized by Global Citizen, Lady Gaga, and WHO. This event raised a total of $127 million for coronavirus relief efforts.

There were performances by many global music stars, like The Rolling Stones, Taylor Swift, and Billie Eilish, and messages from actors such as Matthew McConaughey and Lupita Nyong’o, and other prominent figures like Former First Ladies, Laura Bush and Michelle Obama. This event was broadcasted for two hours on NBC, CBS, and ABC and demonstrated to people around the world the best of us. 

“Together At Home” allowed millions of people to watch performances by some of their favorite singers, hear messages from their favorite actors, and laugh with Jimmy Fallon, Jimmy Kimmel, and Stephen Colbert.  

Beyoncé spoke during the concert and addressed the statistics that show that African Americans are being disproportionately affected and honored essential workers. Beyoncé said, “Black Americans disproportionately belong to these essential parts of the workforce that do not have the luxury of working from home, African American communities at large have been severely affected in this crisis. Those with pre-existing conditions are at an even higher risk. This virus is killing black people at an alarmingly high rate here in America.” She urged them to protect themselves and stay safe.

 The most important thing that “Together At Home” allowed us to do was to connect with each other and see the strength of the human spirit around the world. Taylor Swift’s performance of her song “Soon You’ll Get Better,” a song written about her mother’s long battle with cancer, reminded us of music’s power to reflect and heal our pain. During performances, people around the world were seen drawing images of rainbows on sidewalks, hanging signs of hope on their balconies, singing opera from their open windows in Italy, and a man playing jazz on his balcony in New Orleans. 

The human spirit and human connection were seen when health care workers worked with a photo of themselves on their protective gear so patients could see who was taking care of them. Sanam Ahmed, a doctor in the surgical critical care unit at Mt. Sinai hospital in New York, was interviewed on-air during the benefit concert and said, “I want people to know that if you can’t hold your mom’s hand, I am there to hold her hand. The nurses and doctors were all there to tell your mom, dad, loved one that you love them and that we’re there for them.” This doctor reminded us of how important it is to care for those we may not know, remind each other that we are loved, and most importantly remember that we will always be connected by the human experience. 

Image courtesy of 6abc.com