For the acclaimed R&B artist H.E.R., being on the Oscars stage with a trophy in her hands sends a message to young Black and Filipino people that they “can be up there, too.”

“Me just being up there is a message... What you say matters. What you sing matters. What you play, what you write... it matters because it’s a reflection of who we are. And I’m just happy to represent, ” said the Filipino-American singer who took home the best original song award for her song Fight for You, from the movie Judas and the Black Messiah.