Kanye West Slammed for Wearing ‘Dangerously Dumb’ White Lives Matter Shirt: ‘He Doesn’t Care About the Black Community’
Today Ye, the artist formerly known as Kanye West, launched a surprise Yzy fashion show in Paris. The event was attended by celebrities like Beyoncé, Rihanna, Angelina Jolie, Lauryn Hill, Naomi Campbell, Emily Ratajkowski, Gisele Bündchen and Bella Hadid and featured a Sunday Service-style musical number that included a children’s choir (West’s daughter North West was among the singers).
But all that anybody can talk about is the controversial black sweatshirt Ye wore, which had a picture of the pope on the front and the words “White Lives Matter” on the back.
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Online, there was immediate debate as to whether it was some kind of marketing stunt or just him trolling. And although Ye has a well-documented history of mental illness, he has also shown himself to, time and time again, promote extremely conservative values and ideologues, like him wearing a “Make America Great Again” hat and meeting with former president Donald Trump in an official endorsement.
Twitter quickly responded to his bizarre sartorial choice. In a since-deleted post, Jaden Smith denounced the move, saying that he can’t stand behind West’s choice and that “he does not have the full support of the youth.” The son of Will and Jada Pinkett Smith has left tweets up saying “Black Lives Matter” and “I Don’t Care Who’s It Is If I Don’t Feel The Message I’m Out.”
“Uphill” author Jemele Hill called the sweatshirt “dangerously dumb.” Writer Meecham Meriweather said, “Kanye SHOWS y’all and TELLS y’all he doesn’t care about the black community and yet and still y’all be right there at Sunday Service buying every GI Joe boot and every piece of raggedy fabric he drops.”
Many others pointed to an Instagram exchange between former professional basketball player Jack McClinton and producer and media personality Van Lathan, the latter of whom wrote eloquently of the “white supremacist notion” behind West’s sweatshirt slogan.
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“We don’t need a reminder of the worth of white lives,” Lathan said. “America is a shrine to the worth of white people. This message is reactionary to a message affirming the worth of Black lives, which have never been worth anything in America. In its intent, it’s a white supremacist notion, because it posits that we can’t have a conversation about the worth of Black people without having a conversation about the worth of white people, which is fucking insane. The notion that it ALWAYS has to be about white people in America is incredibly frustrating, emotionally draining, and the whole problem. But here’s Kanye, apparently centering that notion.”
Temple University professor and BET host Marc Lamont Hill called the shirt “disgusting, dangerous and irresponsible.” And Rap TV pointed out that West and conservative pundit Candice Owens (who was famously against the Black Lives Matter movement) were wearing the same thing.
See those and more in our Twitter reactions roundup below.
I Don’t Care Who’s It Is If I Don’t Feel The Message I’m Out.
— Jaden (@jaden) October 3, 2022
So many folks are trying to excuse Kanye wearing a white lives matter t-shirt as just a troll move or marketing. Maybe it is. But it’s a dangerously dumb message to send for someone with his massive platform. I been off dude. But y’all go ahead labeling his foolishness as genius.
— Jemele Hill (@jemelehill) October 3, 2022
Every three months Kanye SHOWS y’all and TELLS y’all he doesn’t care about the black community and yet and still y’all be right there at Sunday Service buying every GI Joe boot and every piece of raggedy fabric he drops. SAD pic.twitter.com/Qc4JxuloLy
— Meech de Lioncourt
(@MediumSizeMeech) October 3, 2022
This is all that needs to be said in regards to Kanye West and his White Lives Matter shirt. pic.twitter.com/v2ykdgT4WN
— _Joesy_
(@015Serenity) October 3, 2022
Kanye West decision to wear a “White Lives Matter” shirt is disgusting, dangerous, and irresponsible. Some of y’all will rush to defend him. You should ask yourselves why… pic.twitter.com/YT4a6c9tKI
— Marc Lamont Hill (@marclamonthill) October 3, 2022
Kanye West & Candace Owens wearing White Lives Matter shirts
— RapTV (@Rap) October 3, 2022
Me in 2004: Why do all Kanye's drum tracks sound the same?
Me in 2022: Remember when I was annoyed about Kanye's DRUM TRACKS?— Jesse Thorn
(he/him) (@JesseThorn) October 3, 2022
Kanye was JUST complaining about his "half white" wife and the racist system. Now he's wearing "white lives matters" shits? He's an unserious person https://t.co/aydkdbry8N
— Britni Danielle (@BritniDWrites) October 3, 2022
Kanye and Elon are some of the thirstiest egomaniacs alive. They need attention like SpongeBob needs water.
— Ahmed Baba (@AhmedBaba_) October 3, 2022
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