“I reckon folks want to know about the last year,” Jonathan Majors began at the Hollywood Unlocked Impact Awards on Friday, where he was honored with the Perseverance Award, before beginning a tear-filled, 17-minute long speech about his much-publicized trial and misdemeanor conviction for domestic assault in April.

“As a Black man in the criminal justice system, I felt anger, I felt sadness, hurt, surprise. When they snatched me up out of my apartment in handcuffs, I didn’t feel like all that,” the actor said, gesturing to the screen that had just played a highlight reel of his onscreen performances. “I didn’t feel like Jonathan Majors, Mr. Creed, Mr. Kang; I felt like a little scared, weak boy, despite the support and evidence that was in my favor, I knew shit was bad. And it was bad because of who I was and what I am. This is...