College Writing Prof. Wright 12/05/15 Jack Redsecker

New Slaves

Kanye West is a shockingly controversial figure. Never one to shy away from the spot- light, he has consistently made questionable choices in public that have led much of the world to believing he is an arrogant and self centered maniac. As polarizing a figure as he is, it is hard to argue against his commentary on in America, and the positive influence he has made as a role model in the lives of many young black children. A successful man in not only music but fashion as well, he has always been politically conscious, and never afraid to speak his mind on the issue. ’s active stance against racism in the has been not only a ca- reer risk but a social one as well, and has turned him into one of the most polarizing figures in

American pop culture today.

Kanye’s most infamous moment of commentary came on September 2, 2005, in which a celebrity telethon was being hosted on NBC in order to raise money for the victims of Hurricane

Katrina. In years since, the response to Katrina has been heavily criticized, viewed as a represen- tation of racism in the United States. The media’s portrayal of black citizens in New Orleans prompted Kanye to take action, and what better way to point out these injustices than live, on na- tional television. In a moment of passion, Kanye starts to go off script saying, “I hate the way they portray us in the media. You see a black family, it says, ‘They’re looting,’ You see a white family, it says, ‘They’re looking for food.’” Clearly, Kanye is not worried about the backlash he is going to receive because he speaking up on an issue that needs to be brought forth to the

American public. Kanye then goes on to say his famous quote, “George Bush doesn't care about black people”. Again, Kanye takes a major risk by outright accusing the President of the United

States of being a racist. To this day, there are people who consider Kanye to be an arrogant and disrespectful person because of this, but overall, this helped to bring the idea of prejudice nation- wide to many groups of people who may have otherwise not been aware.

2 years after the incident, Kanye was asked about the reactions to his statements and said that he felt people finally understood him better. It showed that he is the kind of person to say whatever comes to his mind, even if it may come off as a disrespectful. He is willing to accept the consequences whether it be public disapproval, loss of credibility, financial loss etc. The in- terviewer then asks “Do you still think George Bush doesn’t care about black people?”, which

Kanye hesitantly answers with “I have a hard time believing George Bush cares about anybody”.

This is yet another moment of brutal honesty from Kanye and a way for him to truly express what he is thinking.

Through his music, Kanye West has also riskily declared his opinions on racism in the

United States. His “New Slaves”, which was released in 2013 was a proclamation that through all the “progress” that has been made in the last 50 years, the black man is still not free.

Slaves to corporations and poverty, Kanye recognizes that there is still inequality and oppression going on, whether we realize it or not. One of the examples he gives is “Rich vs. Poor Racism”.

This is a stereotype and prejudice against black men, that turns them into into a criminal or someone to exploited, no matter their true financial status. If a rich black man walks into a store,