Janelle Monae is a forced to be reckoned on and off the stage. Looking as sharp as ever in her signature black and white, our cameras got a chance to catch the outspoken beauty after her appearance at BET's Genius Talks event in downtown Los Angeles.

In light of the recent national uproar over the removal of all Confederate flags sparked by the tragedy in Charleston, South Carolina, Monae was asked for her thoughts on Bree Newsome, the woman who took matters into her own hands and scaled the flagpole to remove the Confederate flag flying in front of the South Carolina State House. Check out the video for her poignant advice on the issue.