Friends - I am joining you here in the comments. Feel free to ask your questions and even push back if you need to. Mean-spiritness will not be tolerated.
Shaun, I appreciate your Breakdown of this situation. I wholeheartedly wish that more men and women from our community with platforms had the courage you are displaying to say these exact words. I understand what Kyrie did was hurtful and it had an impact on the Jewish Community. I am glad that he has taking responsibility, apologized, and made it clear that he does not support the anti-Semitic views in the film. I am interested to know does the Jewish community feel the same hurt towards Amazon which at last check is still selling/promoting the film on their platform? I haven’t heard a single word from Bezos or any representative from Amazon on the subject. Nor have I heard any efforts demanding that they take the film down. Honestly, so many of us are just tired of the hypocrisy when it comes to our people. It seems that the NBA, Nike and all these media outlets and even other celebrities are attempting to put this black man in his place! Not only shaming him into submission, but also trying to snatch away all the good he has down for not only our people but for humanity, and that is what pisses me off! I wish that we lived in a world that wasn’t so divisive, but we all know that is just not the reality.
I agree that most likely due to the timing of this unfortunate mistake people from both sides are grouping Kanye and Kyrie together. I further agree that these situations are vastly different. I don’t really know all that being anti-Semitic entails. But I know what covert racism looks and feels like and I don’t wish that on anyone. As a black woman I have been told at times that our people are too sensitive, especially as it relates to stereotypes and symbolisms that have racial undertones. Currently there’s this fight going on because white people don’t want to teach the real American history in schools which includes 400 years of enslaving our people. All because they don’t want to make white kids feel bad! I do not support discrimination against any group of people for any reason. I am sick and tired of African people in America always getting the short end of the stick while everyone else is allowed to make mistakes, apologize, and move on. I hate that as black people we can’t stick together and yes hold each other accountable but also be willing to forgive ourselves when we falter just like we ALWAYS forgive everybody else who have wronged us.
What does ring true in both the Kanye and Kyrie situations at least to me is the fact that the Jewish Community is heavily protected at all costs! I think for many black people watching this play out it is confusing. We admire the power the voices of the Jewish Community have because we share the same type of trauma but to not see people and corporations fight just as hard for us when we experience racism is disparaging. A black man, a black woman, and even a black child can be gunned down in the streets of any American city unjustly and it takes months, years or sometimes never to get justice let alone an apology. But Kyrie Irving a hero to many, a Humanitarian can make a mistake, and have all the good he has done literally wiped out! It’s sad! I Stand with Kyrie!!
Thanks for this perspective on this issue. Sometimes I openly wonder were the concern is when other things happen. It is almost like you cannot say much about anything. Don’t get me wrong, words do matter. We live in a society which judges instantly when it thinks it can and slowly when it can get away with it. His apology was framed as if it was not genuine. He was them punished for what he posted. He is different from Kayne in many ways and does not deserve to be painted with the same brush. Politicians frequently say things and get away with them. This is one reason that I don’t care for social media. By the way, I consider this a news platform not a social media platform.
Friends - I am joining you here in the comments. Feel free to ask your questions and even push back if you need to. Mean-spiritness will not be tolerated.
Shaun, I appreciate your Breakdown of this situation. I wholeheartedly wish that more men and women from our community with platforms had the courage you are displaying to say these exact words. I understand what Kyrie did was hurtful and it had an impact on the Jewish Community. I am glad that he has taking responsibility, apologized, and made it clear that he does not support the anti-Semitic views in the film. I am interested to know does the Jewish community feel the same hurt towards Amazon which at last check is still selling/promoting the film on their platform? I haven’t heard a single word from Bezos or any representative from Amazon on the subject. Nor have I heard any efforts demanding that they take the film down. Honestly, so many of us are just tired of the hypocrisy when it comes to our people. It seems that the NBA, Nike and all these media outlets and even other celebrities are attempting to put this black man in his place! Not only shaming him into submission, but also trying to snatch away all the good he has down for not only our people but for humanity, and that is what pisses me off! I wish that we lived in a world that wasn’t so divisive, but we all know that is just not the reality.
I agree that most likely due to the timing of this unfortunate mistake people from both sides are grouping Kanye and Kyrie together. I further agree that these situations are vastly different. I don’t really know all that being anti-Semitic entails. But I know what covert racism looks and feels like and I don’t wish that on anyone. As a black woman I have been told at times that our people are too sensitive, especially as it relates to stereotypes and symbolisms that have racial undertones. Currently there’s this fight going on because white people don’t want to teach the real American history in schools which includes 400 years of enslaving our people. All because they don’t want to make white kids feel bad! I do not support discrimination against any group of people for any reason. I am sick and tired of African people in America always getting the short end of the stick while everyone else is allowed to make mistakes, apologize, and move on. I hate that as black people we can’t stick together and yes hold each other accountable but also be willing to forgive ourselves when we falter just like we ALWAYS forgive everybody else who have wronged us.
What does ring true in both the Kanye and Kyrie situations at least to me is the fact that the Jewish Community is heavily protected at all costs! I think for many black people watching this play out it is confusing. We admire the power the voices of the Jewish Community have because we share the same type of trauma but to not see people and corporations fight just as hard for us when we experience racism is disparaging. A black man, a black woman, and even a black child can be gunned down in the streets of any American city unjustly and it takes months, years or sometimes never to get justice let alone an apology. But Kyrie Irving a hero to many, a Humanitarian can make a mistake, and have all the good he has done literally wiped out! It’s sad! I Stand with Kyrie!!
I do not know Kyrie. BUT, thanks for putting into words what I have been trying to say about this situation. ✌️
Thanks for this perspective on this issue. Sometimes I openly wonder were the concern is when other things happen. It is almost like you cannot say much about anything. Don’t get me wrong, words do matter. We live in a society which judges instantly when it thinks it can and slowly when it can get away with it. His apology was framed as if it was not genuine. He was them punished for what he posted. He is different from Kayne in many ways and does not deserve to be painted with the same brush. Politicians frequently say things and get away with them. This is one reason that I don’t care for social media. By the way, I consider this a news platform not a social media platform.