An individual who has a platform — be it a large fan base, a huge social media following or even a small group of people who look up to them — must be wise with the messages or perspectives they promote because words have the ability to influence.
Rapper Kanye West recently made an incredibly ill-informed and ignorant statement last week when he said 400 years of slavery was a “choice.” His words essentially blamed slaves for not freeing themselves. West made it seem as if slavery was something that Blacks could opt-in or opt-out of. Anyone who understands the basics of this country’s history and the maltreatment of Blacks particularly during slavery knows that opting for one thing or another was not an option for slaves. If that were the case, I am sure they would have opted-out of generations of hard labor, generations of abuse, generations of being separated from their families — never to know what their children would look like or even the name they would be given. I am sure if slaves had a choice they would have refused the sexual assaults on all of them because history proves that men, women and children were often raped. If slaves had a choice, they most likely would have never left their native lands, but instead they were kidnapped and stolen in the dark of night as well as the light of day.
Last week wasn’t the first time West made deplorable statements about history or the present-day experiences of Blacks. In 2015 West said racism was “dated” and “silly.”
“It’s like a silly concept that people try to touch on … to separate, to alienate, to pinpoint anything. It’s stupid.” He continued by saying, “It’s like bouncing a ball in a room with two cats, or something, when you don’t feel like playing with a cat. Let them literally fight over the bouncing ball. And the bouncing ball has nothing, no purpose, anything other than that: it bounces. That’s racism, it’s not an actual thing that even means anything. (Racism is) played out like a style from the 1800s.”
West is certainly entitled to his opinion. He prides himself on being a “free thinker,” and I truly believe people can think however they choose to, however, being responsible with his words is imperative. Denying the realities of slavery and undermining racism — two very significant aspects of this county’s past and present — empowers those who aren’t inclusive and fair. Off the wall statements like West has said time and time again make some people think the discriminatory things they do are indeed OK when in actuality they are very dangerous and harmful.
West’s perspective is also that of someone who has lost touch with reality. He is fortunate to have a career that spans nearly two decades. He earns millions of dollars and people throughout the world know him. That type of lifestyle comes with privileges. While West is still susceptible to racism and discrimination, he is less likely to experience it because of the bubble that he lives in. His day-to-day experiences are not the same as the average man’s daily walk, and certainly not the same as the average Black man’s day-to-day experience. Let’s be clear: West’s blessings in life don’t make him bad person. I am proud of all he has accomplished throughout his career. However, West’s statements are a classic example of someone who has forgotten where they have come from. There is no way an African-American male who was raised by a single mother on Chicago’s Southside — an area that has been plagued by inequities for decades — should believe racism is a thing of the past.
West should know better and to be honest, he probably did at one point in his life … before the fame and fortune. The rapper’s mother was an accomplished college professor who, among other things taught African-American studies and English. His father, who he would spend summers with, was a photojournalist and was involved with the Black Panther Party. I am confident West’s parents taught him history and shared the Black experience with him, but somewhere along the way, West lost sight of those teachings. It is unfortunate that West uses his platform to spew ignorance and falsehoods. While he is entitled to do whatever he likes, he shouldn’t do so if what he says and does causes harm to other individuals. Unfortunately, West’s most recent comments have already done the latter.
