I’m all for holding Black celebrities accountable for their principles. However, we need to have the same energy we bring to criticizing Tamera, Chilli, and Chrisette, as we do for Snoop, Nelly, and Kanye, etc. There is a clear double standard with Black women, who often face harsher public critique. Historically, this push for accountability isn’t new within the Black community.
It goes back to our ancestors and creators of the movement for Black liberation. In 1966, the Black Panther Party held Black celebrities accountable by following the “you’re either part of the solution or part of the problem” mindset, often challenging celebrities to use their platform to fight systemic racism.
For example, they boycotted James Brown due to his alliance with former President Nixon and him endorsing Nixon’s theory of pulling yourselves up by your bootstraps being pushed onto Black Americans. The party did protest at Brown’s concerts. Their pressure and influence led to the creation of the 1968 song “Say It Loud, I’m Black and I’m Proud.” It was common for Black celebrities such as Aretha Franklin and Harry Belafonte to use their influence to be involved with the movement. This anti-capitalist view of valuing principles over individual financial success should be the standard.
While I do understand that everyone gets there in their own time, the process of unlearning White supremacy is different for each of us since we’re not a monolith. However, grace is often not shown to Black women with this.
Chrisette Michele has been vocal about the backlash she received for performing for the current administration. Despite apologizing she was blackballed and suffered criticism that affected her mental health. It’s the same for Chilli and Tamera. They often face harsher scrutiny than some Black male celebrities who have made similar moves, such as Kanye West, Nelly, and Snoop.
They all performed for the administration. Kanye made both antisemitic and anti-Black statements that were offensive to our ancestors like “slavery was a choice” and supported T-shirts that read “White lives matter.” He has apologized to the Jewish community but never directly to the Black community. Still, he is offered grace. This is a form of patriarchal violence against Black women.
Ancestor Bell Hooks taught that patriarchy is systemic and something everyone can uphold, even without realizing it. Some of the harshest online criticisms come from other Black women and non-Black people. We must name and assess this through a Black feminist lens, understanding how it affects Black women as a whole. Specifically, our physical and mental health as well as the environment around us. Ignoring this also leads to physical violence with Black women. Some of which we are seeing today with patriarchal violence from partners and family members towards Black women. Yes, this also includes Black queer and trans women, who frequently face violence. To move forward, we must openly discuss and confront these dynamics within our community and have principled collective accountability within the Black community.