We were on the scene for United Nations’ “One Humanity” event for World Humanitarian Day on Friday, Aug. 19 at the UN General Assembly Hall.
We spoke with Natalie Dormer, Leslie Odom Jr. and Alisan Porter on the red carpet.
Leslie Odom Jr.
What embodies a humanitarian?
I think generosity, creativity, and connection. You want to connect with people in ways that are new and effective.
What are you most looking forward to post-Hamilton?
Stuff like this! You know, when you’re doing eight shows a week, you’re chained to that theater, you’re not really doing much of anything else. And now I get to bounce all over the world and meet people, who the show has affected – and the message of the show has touched. So this is like, the best.
How excited are you to perform with Phil Collins at the US Open?
Going over my words, again and again. I just don’t want to mess anything up. But yeah, to get the chance to stand up on stage with someone like that, who has played stadiums, who has spent his career playing stadiums and doing big anthemic songs. I’m just looking forward to the education. Yeah, I’m gonna do “Easy Lover.” And try not to make a fool of myself.
Why was it important to be here today?
Well, they said World Humanitarian Day and I said point me to the room! That there are people here using their lives in ways I could never imagine. There are people here that have made sacrifices that I could never imagine. And so, just the chance to be in a room with so much energy; to be in a room with this kind of mission is the room where it happens.
Singer @leslieodomjr performs @un #sharehumanity #WorldHumanitarianDay pic.twitter.com/KAfFzAF189
— The Knockturnal (@_TheKnockturnal) August 20, 2016
Natalie Dormer
Speak about why it was important for you to be here today?
It’s a great privilege to be here. I’m here to ask the UN leaders to do more in protecting and responding to women and girls who suffer sexual and gender-based violence. I want to live in a world where girls and women don’t live in fear of assault. I want them to be educated; I want them to have the healthcare that they need; the counseling services they need; the funding that they need. So that they can be leaders and community leaders just as much as the men are.
Speak about your work with the Because I Am A Girl Campaign.
Yeah, I assume that’s one of the reasons I’m here, because, obviously, that ties into – I reference forced early marriage in my speech tonight. And genital mutilation would also be a part of gender-based violence. And, you know, I think collectively as an international community, as one humanity to use the word today, we need to realize that those practices are archaic. And it’s time to give girls the equal security, protection and safety and opportunity that their male counterparts have.
Alisan Porter
How excited are you to be here?
I’m just honored to be here. It’s so important for all of us to really learn what being a humanitarian is. And to be able to have a focus; to be able to have my voice and sing for someone like Hala, who fled her country and is here tonight. It means so much to me. And I really think that it’s something that we don’t think about every day – how to be a good humanitarian. So, to be here and have a day dedicated to it – and keep it in the forefront of my brain is really amazing.
What song represents today for you?
I think that “Somewhere Over The Rainbow” is, maybe, one of the most hopeful songs there is. And I chose to sing that tonight because I think it kind of does embody hope and happiness and living in a dream and not a harsh reality.
What’s next for you?
I’m doing an album. Doing it every day, working real hard on getting that together, and getting it out. And hopefully by November, we’ll have a single.
Read our full event report here.
