Rapper Kanye West ignited a firestorm on Twitter on Sept. 30 with a picture of him wearing his “Make America Great Again” hat and some interesting comments:
“This represents good and America becoming whole again. We will no longer outsource to other countries. We build factories here in America and create jobs. We will provide jobs for all who are free from prisons as we abolish the 13th amendment. Message sent with love,” West said.
West’s call to abolish the 13th amendment were outlandish. Besides the fact that the 13th Amendment, which abolished slavery following the Civil War, has nothing to do with national employment issues or the economy, these comments were even more unbelievable coming from the mouth of an African American man. Like the many celebrities on Twitter who responded to this asinine tweet, I was stunned, incredulous, disappointed, angry, confused, and all types of other emotions.
“There’s nothing more maddening than debating someone who doesn’t know history, doesn’t read books, and frames their myopia as virtue. The level of unapologetic conjecture I’ve encountered lately isn’t just frustrating, it’s retrogressive, unprecedented and absolutely terrifying,” Chris Evans said, known for playing Captain America in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Lana Del Rey also shared her thoughts via Instagram.
“Trump becoming our president was a loss for the country, but your support of him is a loss for the culture. I can only assume you relate to his personality on some level. Delusions of Grandeur, extreme issues with narcissism — none of which would be a talking point if we weren’t speaking about the man leading our country,” Del Rey said.
West did clarify his tweet on TMZ LIve, stating that he meant to say “amend,” not “abolish.” He was specifically referencing the “exemption for involuntary servitude as punishment for a crime,” according to the Huffington Post, making his interview a commentary on the American prison system. He also noted that there should be more representation in the federal government.
“We need people to amend the 13th amendment that look like the people that the 13th amendment are talking about,” West said. The point still stands — you disrespected the black community with two issues that have nothing to do with each other. Even in your clarification, which has a valid point, you failed to connect the original tweet’s message about the economy and how it relates to incarceration of African Americans. So, what was the real message, Kanye?
While his clarification was insightful, the initial tweet could be an attention grab. Celebrities tend to do this every so often to keep themselves relevant. I’m not sure why since West’s collaborative single “I Love It” with Lil Pump still has people talking, but the tweet comes at a rather tense moment in America. People all over the world are talking about Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh’s sexual assault allegations from Christine Blasey Ford and FBI probe, and he decided to tweet that? My goodness.
Cameryn Mitchell, a senior business administration major, said that West’s remarks are “extremely offensive, not only to people of color, but to the millions of people who are currently living in slave like conditions around the world.”
“I think the point he was trying to make, in regards to the prison system, are valid and can spark conversations that lead to necessary change. In the end, this is just another example of the power of words and influence,” Mitchell said.
Senior mass communication major Shannon Simmons, who has been following West for a year, believes that West is seeking attention.
“I think he’s saying and doing all of these wild things for attention. He knows the kind of public influence he has and he takes advantage of it by sharing opinions that he knows are controversial,” Simmons said. “He seems like a person that says things without truly thinking about it first.”
