Tayari's Blog: Kanye West Rips Bush

Posted by TayariJones on September 3, 2005 10:35 AM
Filed under Current Events

Those of you who read this blog regularly know that I have no TV, so I am often the last person to find out what's happening in the pop culture world. So, I am just now finding out that Kanye West went off on the president during a benefit concert. To be more specific,

"George Bush doesn't care about black people" and said America is set up "to help the poor, the black people, the less well-off as slow as possible."

As you can imagine there has been a bit of a brouhahaha. But here's my take on young Brother West.

For one thing, he's right. This is not news. But what I want to emphasize is that Kanye made his remarks while DOING SOMETHING to help. That's the key.

I think it is very important that we have conversations about the blatant social/economic sins that we have seen in New Orleans and Billoxi. It's not just a racial thing.. it's a poverty thing. And, as we know, African Americans are disproportionately poor, so look who is in the Superdome. Consciousness raising is vital. I know this. So, don't get me wrong with what I am going to say next.

THE MOST IMPORTANT THING FOR US TO DO RIGHT NOW IS HELP. And I mean help in tangible ways. It's all well and good to for us to forward the coverage of the Yahoo contoversy (White people find, black people loot.) But if you are forwarding these messages, include a link to a reputable charity, so that the people can turn their outrage into some sort of action. Never lose sight of the fact the people need food and shelter more than they need insightful social critique.

Kanye is right. Poor black folks or poor folks in general are NOT the president's priority. The poor are NO ONE'S priority in this country. So all of us, people of conscience, we who believe in freedom, people of faith.... We are going to have to pick up the slack. I am asking that we all make a donation of some kind. I am sure there are local families that need your help. We have a family here in Champaign that has taken in about fifteen relatives. If you are in Champaign and want to help, shoot me an email.

And here's another way to help:

There are 21 comments on "Kanye West Rips Bush". If you'd like to leave a comment, click here to jump down to the comments entry form.

Comment #1, by Ruth Fulton

I am right there with you. Tayari you need a TV in these trying times of our country. If you just watch the news channels.

I heard for my self what Kanye West said and I was never more proud of a young black man. I want my daughters to marry him. He was right on point. I hope they continue to repeat what he said even if they do put their disclaimers on it.

September 3, 2005 12:18 PM

Comment #2, by Judy

Amen! My husband focused on the same point this morning. This is possibly the most important blog message you've posted.

September 3, 2005 01:58 PM

Comment #3, by Joy Castro

Thank you, Tayari, for the generous and compassionate response your blog is providing to the devastation of Katrina. You are right on the money.

My husband's from New Orleans, and we've been so afraid for his family and friends. Reading your kind words has helped.

And I love it that you blend sharp critique and political insights with the drive to do practical things now for people who are suffering.

Have you gotten to hear the interview with New Orleans mayor Ray Nagin? Here's the link; it's a downloadable MP3.

http://www.atypical.net/mm/nagin.mp3

I am so excited about your visit to Wabash next week. Thanks for coming here. The campus is electrified, waiting for you to arrive!

w/gratitude--
Joy

September 3, 2005 02:07 PM

Comment #4, by carroll clark

RIGHT ON" KANYE WEST"

September 4, 2005 12:31 AM

Comment #5, by Cherlyn

Tayari,
I agree with your comments 100%. I do agree that we do need to both discuss the issues AND do something to help those in need. Action is what is required, no matter how big or small.

September 4, 2005 09:57 AM

Comment #6, by OMARU

kanYe was right the president(don't be so personal let's say the federal government led by the president) does not care about black people,Proof #1: why else would it have taken 4 days to get the proper type of aid to the predominantly black parrishes of lousiana it seems as thought the federal government wanted unrest and unruliness to set in. This is america nobody should experience a natural disaster that was forseen and still have to wait in some cases days to be rescued left to die. Now the captions on the photos that nothing new that is how america works blacks have been being labled since kunta became toby especially black men.

September 4, 2005 04:34 PM

Comment #7, by Ladylee

Tayari, I almost forgot that you don't have a TV and you don't keep up with the major hip-hop players.

Kanye ripping Bush is no surpise to me. For the past couple of years, the audiences of various award shows hold their collective breaths when Kanye gets on the microphone. No telling what he will do or say. He will always say something memorable, or even shocking. Obviously, the people who organized the Hurricane Relief concert didn't know that. They didn't know that Kanye will say EXACTLY what's on his mind.

I think that Kanye said what a lot of people were thinking but wouldn't dare say. I respect him for that. I personally think he's going to say much, much more. You have to admit that this whole terrible situation looks a little suspect.

September 4, 2005 09:17 PM

Comment #8, by Steve

Why is it Bush's fault that the mayor of New Orleans, who happens to be black, had no plans for evacuating its low-income citizens? (I doubt he'd be called a racist, now, would he?!)

And also -- Given that about two-thirds of New Orleans' citizens are black, it's only likely that most of the looters on television are going to be black!

September 6, 2005 03:59 PM

Comment #9, by Stephanie Cook

Steve, I realize it has to be disheartening to admit to yourself that the great US of A continues to rest its head in the bosom of racism. Please stop singing the sad lullabye...

September 6, 2005 11:13 PM

Comment #10, by Ruth

Steve, you must realize that the mayor only have limited funds and control and control over limited things like the local police and fire departments which were trying to save their own lives. The people of New Orleans also pay federal tax along with state tax and this far exceeded the mayor's authority. When 9/11 happened they did not rely only on the mayor of New York to help the people. I do agree that the mayor should have considered getting the people out on the busses they had. I am sure that there will be enough blame for every one to be serves a portion.

September 7, 2005 03:09 PM

Comment #11, by Big Daddy 40

Here we go again, blaming someone else for our problems. Where was Kanye and the rest of the rap community before the hurricane? Those people in New Orleans have lived in poverty for decades.
Kanye wants to attack Bush but why doesn't he challenge other musicians to make changes. Stop putting emphasis on bling and start putting emphasis on building our communities. Why are there not more people like Magic Johnson who ae focusing on building our communites and creating jobs for Blacks.
How many college scholarships are funded by rappers? Kids see them driving pimped out rides and wearing bling. Why don't they stop polluting our kids minds with lifestyles that are only attainable by 1% of all Americans. The values that rappers espouse are just as damaging to black America as George Bush. The only difference is that George's limo doesn't have spinners on it.

September 8, 2005 12:40 PM

Comment #12, by Valerie

Honestly. I can't believe that half of you are backing Kanye on this! What most people DON'T realize is that the mayor of New Orleans and the Senators for the state of LA knew ALL about the levee' problem for well over 2 years before Katrina hit. One Senator actually brought the issue to Congress a few times over the years... and look! He was right.

Louisiana received 1.9 billion dollars in Federal Funds last year which was the top in the nation! California was a close second at 1.4 billion... which doesn't make sense when we have 3 times the amount of citizens in my state.

I don't believe the blame should be on the president alone. Did he play a part?? YES. But who is truly responsible? The mayor (who knew about the levee)?? The Senate (who had been warned that any hurricanes above Cat 3 would destroy the levee')? Why is it that the people appointed in charge of the state of Louisiana didn't fix the problem with all that Federal Funding?? I think that it is dispicable that there were THAT MANY citizens living in poverty, and the government did nothing to fix that! Instead, the media is trying to say that we don't care about the poor, and that this is a race issue! I think this is more so of a CLASS issue. The people who could afford to leave... LEFT. Those who could not, were lost and or displaced.

Take a look at the BROADER picture of what has happened. Try to figure out your own opinion instead of backing Kanye West, who probably doesn't realize the HATE he is spewing. Our country needs to get into the REAL issues of this horrible tragedy. CORRUPTION, GREED, and POLITACAL AGENDA prevented the levee' from being restored before this tragedy. We need to look at where the 1.9 billion went, instead of protecting the fine people of New Orleans.

September 8, 2005 04:32 PM

Comment #13, by ImperfectVessel

I have found your blog to be very interesting(thanks for sharing it!)I too have no tv,well have three,but forgo the cable for internet. And watch the odd fuzzy program with the old rabbit ears,which work poorly on tv made after 1990 :) I feel,and this is only my humble opinion... but now seems not the time to blame anybody. It was a dual disaster, natural and man made,one that most cities in north america are not prepared to handle,though their mantra is quite the opposite.To pile blame on the President is more than a little premature, the levees have been a known weakspot for at least a decade and the state goverment was very aware of it.And at this time there are many in the watery city still waiting for help and so many left with nothing, not just the poor,from many walks of life have been affected.Blame can be spread among many including the govenor of that great city, who was very fast to shift it else where. The victims of this disaster,many are poor and have been poor a long time and cannot absorb this or hope to recover ever, not with out help from all of us. I am sure it was as stressful for you to hear and not be able to go and help right then, I could not bare it!, and we would not likely bring our photographer like a certain celeb who shall remain nameless. The blame, where should it go....?Just put it away, at least for now and do the best we can to help all who have been through this nightmare and at the same time the tusnami? recovery will too,take years and years and years.We are our brothers/sisters keepers, judgements aside we are all human after all and this could have been us. If anything it shows we must be more self reliant, more prepared, not expect our goverments to do all or be all, and if they really fail us then make them accountable but it should be the right ones. Sorry I guess I needed a place to vent,in a sense we are all in shock too and what we may say under duress should sometimes be disregarded,not sure I would believe (the private sourses) who must have given that story out about the prez's wife's comment. I am guilty of more than one remark in my life time that I would love to delete. During a fundraising effort is not the time to make personal remarks,Kanye should be softening hearts to give,he was there to perform and that is what he should have done and found another vehicle to share his feelings if he was so sure of what he was talking about. Right now all we need is love pardon the simplicity,love that touches lives, like a helping hand. Blame me if it will help,I will shoulder it if it will speed up the helping of our neighbours, I am sad that I will never get to see New Orleans as she was, but I am sure she will be back even better,I just want to do more,but all I can do is pray and pay what I can and grieve, I.V
ps I agree with Valeries' Comments.

September 9, 2005 01:58 AM

Comment #14, by Ruth

I agree that there is blame to go around but
the mayor and the governor had advised that the levee needed repair and the feds took some monies allocated for the levee and put it toward the war in Iraq and put off fixing the levee because they did not think anything would happen so soon. As to Kanya he was not there to perform he was there to make a statement and he made one from his heart and frustration of what he was seeing and hearing about the efforts. If it turned off some people from donating, I think it also turned on some others to give. I agree with everyone that there is and will be enough blame for everyone in charge and not in charge. This is a time for faith and prayer. I will continue to do what I can in the way of giving and praying.

September 9, 2005 12:41 PM

Comment #15, by ERIC

KANYE WEST NEEDS TO SHUT THE F--- UP,THAT WAS THE WRONG TIME FOR THAT S---

September 10, 2005 10:59 PM

Comment #16, by tayari

Hey Eric,
I've got my calendar open right here.. let me know when it's convenient to tell the truth.

September 11, 2005 03:31 PM

Comment #17, by Jackie

Tayari, you have great insight into both the writing life and our socio-political landscape. I'm with you on Kanye, like lots of other folks across the country. Last week I was part of a demonstration organized by Black Voices for Peace regarding the impact of Hurricane Katrina on the Black community. This with a multi-generational gathering of primarily Black folk and everyone applauded Kanye's effort to speak truth to power. Americans, all of us, must begin to discuss the impact of racism and classism on our lives.

As for donations, local grass-roots organizations in the South also need funds to help Hurricane Katrina survivors. Folks can go to the websites of both the National Black United Fund and The Praxis Project for more information on supporting local groups helping people throughout Louisiana, Mississippi, and Alabama.

www.thepraxisproject.org

www.nbuf.org

Peace

September 12, 2005 04:27 PM

Comment #18, by Valerie

Hmmm... very interesting to see you, Tayari, fully supporting Kanye West by labeling his comments as "truth".

I'm just wondering, though, could you even remotely understand what the hell he was talking about? His speech was so slurred and run together... and his sentences were NOT intelligable - which leads one to believe that he was under the influance. The ONLY sentence that the viewer could make out was, "Bush doesn't care about black people".

If you take a look at Bush's appointed officials - isn't he the president that has MORE black people in important roles running our country than ANY OTHER president in history??

He sure seems to HATE black people. WOW.

Kanye West was out of line. I have to say that I am NOT a Bush supporter... I actually think he is a horrible president, but most of them are! Unfortunately, human beings that are given power are very corrupt and greedy. The war is for greed, and the way the Bush claims to follow the Lord in doing so... is disgusting.

BUT - Kanye West had no right to say what he did. To label his HATE as "truth" is very disturbing. That statement about Bush has ONCE AGAIN pointed out color. WHY IS IT ALWAYS ABOUT COLOR?

Half of the poor people affected by the flooding were extrememly poor, and more than likely living off the government as it is. Why is it NOW our resposibility AGAIN to pull them back out of poverty? I am taxed almost 40% to pay for such people... and I am not willing to give more.

New Orleans has some of the WORST Drug Crime and Gang activity in the nation. I hate to think that a lot of the funds our country is sending to help will be going to horrible HORRIBLE people who will only cause more destruction.

This truly reminds me of the destruction of Soddom and Gamorra.

September 12, 2005 05:58 PM

Comment #19, by Ruth

Valerie, I feel sorry for you. You say Kanye is wrong but you are judging a whole city of people that I am sure you have not met. Because they are poor they must be on welfare. Poor is Poor.

September 12, 2005 06:49 PM

Comment #20, by Ladylee

Wow, Valerie, if that isn't the pot calling the kettle black, I don't know what is... Valerie does not care about poor people...

When I saw Kanye West say what he said, I didn't see a man under the influence. I saw a man deeply pained and choked up about what he was seeing happen to people that looked just like himself. I know it choked me up...He got it out a lot more eloquently and coherently than I ever could have. Hell, I'm far from poor, but I am black. And I have yet to meet a black person who hasn't had such thoughts float across their mind, even before this political screw-up occurred...

And have you been to New Orleans? Have you lived there for any amount of time? Have you experienced some of that culture? I'm asking because you're acting like you are some type of expert or something on New Orleans. I lived down there for a while, and I experienced some terribly racial crap from a lot of white folks down there. Gee, I'm glad I don't judge all white folks based on what I've seen, perceived, or experienced. Sounds like you've been watching a lot of T.V. Take a hint from Tayari, and leave the T.V. alone. Maybe you can learn something new and useful...

Um, we seem to be up in the same tax bracket! Imagine that. I make good money too. Stop complaining about being taxed and your taxes going to help citizens of our country. This should have made you realize that you are truly blessed. I learned from this tragedy, and the govenment's handling of it, that we are ALL damn near half a step from being homeless and in poverty. Be thankful you have a good job, a warm bed to sleep in, drinkable water, food on the table, working sewage, and your family around you... be very, very thankful. Because it can all be gone in the blink of an eye...

September 12, 2005 10:19 PM

Comment #21, by rtrgfd

October 24, 2005 05:20 PM

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Tayari's Blog: Kanye West Rips Bush