John Legend has responded to Kanye West’s pro-Trump rant on Twitter.
The sensitive response from the father-of-one dealt with racism and the reality of most people’s experience of it which contrasts starkly with Kanye’s.
The rapper’s rant lost him over nine million followers on the social media platform.
I imagine there’s some comfort in imagining a future without racism and projecting that onto the present. Thinking if we just deny the truth, it doesn’t exist. If history is erased, we don’t have to deal with its consequences. However…
— John Legend (@johnlegend) April 25, 2018
“I imagine there’s some comfort in imagining a future without racism and projecting that onto the present.”
“Thinking if we just deny the truth, it doesn’t exist.”
“If history is erased, we don’t have to deal with its consequences. However…”
Far too many people don’t have the luxury of closing their eyes and ears. They feel it in their lives and can’t act like what they see and know doesn’t exist.
— John Legend (@johnlegend) April 25, 2018
The singer was acutely aware of the privilege he shares with Kanye as a result of their fame.
“Far too many people don’t have the luxury of closing their eyes and ears.”
“They feel it in their lives and can’t act like what they see and know doesn’t exist.”
They know their family was destroyed by deportation or incarceration. They know their loved one was denied safe harbor because of their religion. They know their son or daughter was shot because their skin color evoked fear
— John Legend (@johnlegend) April 25, 2018
“They know their family was destroyed by deportation or incarceration.”
“They know their loved one was denied safe harbour because of their religion.”
“They know their son or daughter was shot because their skin colour evoked fear,”
They see the statistics about black applications for real estate or loans or employment being turned away because their name was Jamal and not James
— John Legend (@johnlegend) April 25, 2018
“They see the statistics about black applications for real estate or loans or employment being turned away because their name was Jamal and not James”
Legend’s response came after Trump and Kanye were publicly celebrating each other on the social media platform.
I love that great, brilliant artists have the power to imagine a better future. But artists can’t be blind to the truth.
— John Legend (@johnlegend) April 25, 2018
“I love that great, brilliant artists have the power to imagine a better future.”
“But artists can’t be blind to the truth.”
The defining trait of Trump’s campaign and political profile was his embrace of white supremacy. He made it clear every time he spoke. Some serious cognitive dissonance to ignore that for the other x% you might find appealing. I guess I agree with >1% of anyone’s thoughts though
— John Legend (@johnlegend) April 25, 2018
“The defining trait of Trump’s campaign and political profile was his embrace of white supremacy.”
“He made it clear every time he spoke.”
“Some serious cognitive dissonance to ignore that for the other x% you might find appealing. I guess I agree with >1% of anyone’s thoughts though.”
Anyway, y’all need to come to Montgomery and see this memorial
— John Legend (@johnlegend) April 25, 2018
He finished, “Anyway, y’all need to come to Montgomery and see this memorial.”
Legend’s thread was widely praised.
Other artists expressed their disgust at Kanye’s views long before his latest Twitter spree, 50 Cent was unimpressed as early as 2010…
