Hi Shaun, I just finished this episode and I appreciate you opening the door for the conversation. Honestly I fit into the second group that you identified. I’ve never really been a fan of Kanye, although I have enjoyed some of his music over the years. Not taking anything away from whatever feelings of trauma and or disrespect his comments have caused the Jewish community. I agree waging war on an entire group of people for the wrongs that some have committed against you is not the way. The issue that doesn’t sit well in my spirit though is it took that extreme to be the deal breaker! We have all watched and heard him say tons of offensive things and not just to our people, he was literally disrespecting and stalking his ex, threatening, harassing, and cyber bullying her ex boyfriend (who are white people). And these companies turned a blind eye and continued to do business and promote him. I understand your point that society doesn’t seem to know how to handle or better yet doesn’t get involved when a person says offensive things about their own people, clearly this is evident in the wide use of the N word in hip hop and black culture. It’s goes deeper than that for me though because their have been many instances of non black people and business offending and discriminating against black people and I have never witnessed this type of public outcry. They’re have been celebrities, politicians and other designer brands like Gucci, Prada H &M to name a few who have all basically admitted to their racism against black people, and they’re not cancelled. Now this doesn’t justify Ye’s behavior in anyway, but for me what it does is make the point that Black Lives don’t really matter because anybody can seemingly do whatever to us and it makes not a tap of difference. But say something disparaging about the Jewish community and you’re done! Call me crazy but I think that was one of the points Ye was attempting to make. Why does it at the very least seem like Jewish people are controlling the show. And do whatever, say whatever you want but if you appear to be antisemitic that is the biggest sin of them all? I would have more respect for ALL of these companies choosing to cut ties with Kanye if the reason wasn’t specifically because of his comments about the Jewish community, but a cumulation of his offensive, erratic, harassing, bullying behavior towards several groups of people. Jewish people haven’t been the only people he has hurt. And lastly I want to ask you specifically because I realize just because I don’t see it doesn’t mean it’s not happening and I honestly only know 1 Jewish person. But do they generally have our back? Like your Jewish friends when these atrocities keep happening in our community are they speaking out and holding people accountable publicly like so many of our people our doing for them? I follow a few celebs who I’m just realizing are Jewish and going back thru their post I don’t see very many post if any at all about Trayvon Martin, Breonna Taylor, George Floyd or any other of the countless names of our people who have been victims of this racist system. So my opinion would be yes I think Kanye was wrong for what he said but taking a page from their book that’s not my battle to fight.
Hi Marek, I appreciate your response and the information that you have shared much of which I was unaware. Please understand it was not my intent to come off as though I'm not empathetic to the effects of Kanye's reckless verbal assault on the Jewish community. I probably didn't equate it to being as dangerous as it could have been initially. That's because I believe like many others who have written Kanye off, the guy is all talk all the time. Nevertheless he does indeed have a massive platform and that alone is reason enough for him to be held accountable for his behavior. I realize now that the tweet was not only hurtful but potentially harmful. For that reason I'm all for him being cut off, It's just unfortunate that it took for his behavior to escalate this far for these companies to finally say enough is enough.
My frustration with the entire situation comes from a place as African American woman, just always made to feel like we're at the bottom of the hierarchy. Like there is such a lack of respect and regard for black lives in this country from literally everyone. And, I guess to see the world come together in such a united front to defend and protect the Jewish Community against Kanye and his sporadic antics or better yet I'll call it a threat; it just doesn't seem equal to the way we are treated when these things and much worst happen to us. I'm not in anyway trying to have a who's trauma is more important contest. I just wish that overall the black community could get this same type of support when we need it. Our oppressors, and abusers never get cancelled more often they're glorified.
Hi Shaun, I just finished this episode and I appreciate you opening the door for the conversation. Honestly I fit into the second group that you identified. I’ve never really been a fan of Kanye, although I have enjoyed some of his music over the years. Not taking anything away from whatever feelings of trauma and or disrespect his comments have caused the Jewish community. I agree waging war on an entire group of people for the wrongs that some have committed against you is not the way. The issue that doesn’t sit well in my spirit though is it took that extreme to be the deal breaker! We have all watched and heard him say tons of offensive things and not just to our people, he was literally disrespecting and stalking his ex, threatening, harassing, and cyber bullying her ex boyfriend (who are white people). And these companies turned a blind eye and continued to do business and promote him. I understand your point that society doesn’t seem to know how to handle or better yet doesn’t get involved when a person says offensive things about their own people, clearly this is evident in the wide use of the N word in hip hop and black culture. It’s goes deeper than that for me though because their have been many instances of non black people and business offending and discriminating against black people and I have never witnessed this type of public outcry. They’re have been celebrities, politicians and other designer brands like Gucci, Prada H &M to name a few who have all basically admitted to their racism against black people, and they’re not cancelled. Now this doesn’t justify Ye’s behavior in anyway, but for me what it does is make the point that Black Lives don’t really matter because anybody can seemingly do whatever to us and it makes not a tap of difference. But say something disparaging about the Jewish community and you’re done! Call me crazy but I think that was one of the points Ye was attempting to make. Why does it at the very least seem like Jewish people are controlling the show. And do whatever, say whatever you want but if you appear to be antisemitic that is the biggest sin of them all? I would have more respect for ALL of these companies choosing to cut ties with Kanye if the reason wasn’t specifically because of his comments about the Jewish community, but a cumulation of his offensive, erratic, harassing, bullying behavior towards several groups of people. Jewish people haven’t been the only people he has hurt. And lastly I want to ask you specifically because I realize just because I don’t see it doesn’t mean it’s not happening and I honestly only know 1 Jewish person. But do they generally have our back? Like your Jewish friends when these atrocities keep happening in our community are they speaking out and holding people accountable publicly like so many of our people our doing for them? I follow a few celebs who I’m just realizing are Jewish and going back thru their post I don’t see very many post if any at all about Trayvon Martin, Breonna Taylor, George Floyd or any other of the countless names of our people who have been victims of this racist system. So my opinion would be yes I think Kanye was wrong for what he said but taking a page from their book that’s not my battle to fight.
Hi Marek, I appreciate your response and the information that you have shared much of which I was unaware. Please understand it was not my intent to come off as though I'm not empathetic to the effects of Kanye's reckless verbal assault on the Jewish community. I probably didn't equate it to being as dangerous as it could have been initially. That's because I believe like many others who have written Kanye off, the guy is all talk all the time. Nevertheless he does indeed have a massive platform and that alone is reason enough for him to be held accountable for his behavior. I realize now that the tweet was not only hurtful but potentially harmful. For that reason I'm all for him being cut off, It's just unfortunate that it took for his behavior to escalate this far for these companies to finally say enough is enough.
My frustration with the entire situation comes from a place as African American woman, just always made to feel like we're at the bottom of the hierarchy. Like there is such a lack of respect and regard for black lives in this country from literally everyone. And, I guess to see the world come together in such a united front to defend and protect the Jewish Community against Kanye and his sporadic antics or better yet I'll call it a threat; it just doesn't seem equal to the way we are treated when these things and much worst happen to us. I'm not in anyway trying to have a who's trauma is more important contest. I just wish that overall the black community could get this same type of support when we need it. Our oppressors, and abusers never get cancelled more often they're glorified.