We are 6 months into 2020 and 3-ish months into a devastating GLOBAL PANDEMIC which as it stands has disproportionally ravaged through the black community in America. Madness has also managed to increase as I wrap up this post from first starting on it a couple days ago. I'm just waiting for the sky to actually fall straight on the pavement now.
Adding to already loaded trauma with people stuck at home and media ever so accessible the newest wave of the continued attacks on our race have been unleashing one by one by one and playing on a seemingly endless loop.
The recent murder of George Floyd by police officers (calling it what is was) became the tipping point. This month alone we were alerted to the murders of Breonna Taylor who was in her bed and Ahmaud Arbery who was out for a jog and a white woman performing for a 911 operator a story about an African American man who recording her while being "threatening". Enough is and always has been enough.
This country's history of police brutality as well as the unjust aftermath that normally follows became center stage viewed across the globe. The president fanning the flames as usual through his twitter finger method of communication and hell has broken loose. Nothing here is new but the call for justice started ringing so much louder with so much more support. Demonstrations have been progressing from quote-unquote peaceful protests/rallies to riots consisting of property damage and looting.
My beautifully eloquent sister Kelechi Ohiri, in academia, who's been using her time to educate peers admittedly lost on this topic stated the following,
"Rioting works because it challenges existing power structures that continue business as usual when their consumers are experiencing extreme duress. It’s used worldwide and proves effective because it creates a stake in the problem. Either you work toward a resolution or your profit, the most important thing to you, will be challenged."
Though there are many still opposed to the choice of rioting honestly, it happens. The kumbaya let peace reign over all committee has been a counterpart working on their side of the fence while others revolt more aggressively for what seems like forever. No matter the issue, no matter the method my opinion has always been as long as genuinely the enemy is the same, the end goal is the same, let's get it done. No matter who you are and where you're from if you're for the cause and assisting I appreciate you.
But let's talk about these celebrities man. Them and these brands have got to go. People with boundless amounts of influence you'd only hope for public condemnation of the rigged and racist system we live in charging these horrible acts of blatant power trippers while maybe I don't know displaying the frustration and pain we all feel to seem relatable... instead we get disappointment.
Likening Atlanta to Wakanda at a press conference to convince protesters to stop destroying property because that was necessary. Posting your black child dancing to Michael Jackson or the hands of your mixed children in distasteful All Lives Matter fashion (mind you with the actual hashtag being captioned) BRINGING UP HOW ROSA PARKS SHOULD'VE USED A TAXI CAB INSTEAD OF THE BUS?!???!
Lil Wayne said to stop placing blame on all cops and look at these situations separately because "not all cops are bad" right? Cool. LITTLE. WAYNE.
LL Cool J found it appropriate to voice his concerns about the biracial community, wondering how they're doing because "this is crazy." Like it was turmoil going on in his imagination, both parents at war with a human rights issue and the children sitting in the middle balling their eyes out in distress. He then went back and forth with a large sum off responses and later took to Instagram live to angrily defend himself.
Back to Atlanta, from Bankhead to Buckhead, where The-Dream was CAPS-LOCK PISSED that rioters were going to "set his children back." And this is my bone to pick with the black elite in Atlanta. Shekinah Anderson crying brokenhearted over a destroyed Gucci store (looting is not something I advocate)... but all of these rich black celebrities are wagging their fingers No to the people actively protesting injustice right now. It feels as though there's this handful of black people trying so hard to appear more rational and logical than others rather than focusing on the issue and solidarity. How are you going to police a reaction and prioritize that over the cause? Is it because the reaction hits your pocke-erhmm souls personally? Find a way for the cause to hit the same and we wouldn't be here.
B. Simone was funny. She went online to remind the world she was a CHRISTIAN and asked herself WWJD during this time instead of "what an angry black woman would do" which is most likely not be destructive like all the other aNgRy bL@Ck w0mEn causing a scene out on the frontlines because that's just ungodly. But then she posted how she was outside protesting on the frontlines so nope we had it wrong. Thennnnn... she proceeded to clap back about not needing a damn app (Twitter's) validation and she'll never be cancelled. And you're right sister girl in Jesus's name.
Desi Banks... the comedian... yea anyway he took to Twitter talking about "violence creating problems" which seems to be the common conflict here violence and property damage. But for a tactic tagged as pointless/for nothing it's a whole lot of post & go celebrities finally forced to sit longer than a day on a crisis concerning their people.
Diddy same, the Kardashian/Jenner kollective same, here's hoping their donations to organizations (I'll leave links at the bottom for you guys) have been more captivating than their public support. I mean not everything has to be posted online and not everyone has to be a frontliner. But I definitely feel from an outsider's perspective I got and am continuing to get more energy from their Tristan-Jordyn saga. Things aren't balancing.
I know this is going to hurt but Beyoncé, girl 🐝🐝 this soundtrack in the background of your PSA video, the filter used and teleprompter reading posture... it's possible to appreciate the Formation Queen and be critical. Two things can be true because I was definitely cringing. Her video I believe posted at the start of protest escalation across the nation and I want to say we were expecting more. Unfortunately what we were served was "people of color" in place of just saying black people who were the people waiting for her reassurance in this battlefront, "pray for peace" and "sign this petition." She came through as Bey does and garnered 300k+ signatures in less than a day so kudos to her.
Virgil Abloh from Off-White™and Louis Vuitton® Menswear posted a screenshot of him matching a $50 donation and received a heap of backlash after comments of him also complaining about property damage surfaced. I personally didn't believe that was all he donated but someone of his rank thinking $50 was the one to show off and none of the others in the name of a matching challenge was a wild error.
PRETTYLITTLE THING/FASHION NOVA finally because the list is long enough and everyone is tired. I mean I could be here forever. This is also just on the topic of activism and Michael Jordan in his recent Last Dance documentary went over that topic of being famous but not wanting to touch politics and activism. We can't force these people and expect masterpieces. Unpacking the Lana Del Ray and Doja Cat scandals outside of BLM will have to wait.
So to the girls at PLT & FN. Somewhere in between YouTuber Jackie Aina digging for their voices and getting whatever they spit out buried with the quickness under more promotions... Pretty Little Thing had a slip up. We're talking a dusty color of BLACK hand down to the fingernails holding a realistically white flesh toned hand. It took the entire message away from the picture. A clothing brand influenced heavily by black culture and black content creators went with jet black paint because what's any shade of brown?
In conclusion like I'm in the fifth grade, celebrities should be left alone. Please toss that worship/stanning nonsense out the window let these people be regular humans. At the end of the day they have their own agenda and none of it concerns us. Even if they're LET IT BURN in the head not all of them are going to say it in risk of messing with their bag.
Kelechi again brought something to my attention about how quick everyone was with the unsolicited and cookie cutter corona statements and that made me laugh. Corporate commercials had the same layout of sad music, uncertain times, and togetherness promoting positivity (see below) now we're searching for public denunciations of the system and it's like pulling teeth. It is what it is. Let them go.
I'm all for the use of their platform and influence though to spread awareness. There's nothing wrong with taking a supporting role to the well prepared activists, debaters, and scholars who will then use their strengths for our betterment.
ORGANIZATIONS FOR THE CAUSE TO DONATE TO:
Minnesota Relief Fund ― overwhelmed with donations not accepting anymore
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