Does Kanye Owe Us an Apology?

On Tuesday, Kanye finally had an ephiphany and  tweeted what everyone wanted to hear:

So, now that Kanye has come to his senses, does he owe us an apology?

Well... no. As epic as an “I told you so!” would feel right now, this isn’t the time for gloating. As long as this troubled artist finds his inner peace, fuck the rest. However Kanye’s statement that he will only stay a creative is just as disappointing as his support for Trump in the first place. Regardless if you agreed or disagreed with Ye’s political statements, what’s important to note is that he did want to utilize his platform to speak about politics which is completely okay. His decision to use his influence in the political realm could have worked in his favor because his words and actions gardner such an international reach that not even politics can grasp. He just unfortunately aligned himself with someone who’s ideals were self-centered— based on racism, sexism, homophobia, and lacking empathy in almost every aspect.

The issue isn’t that Kanye promoted Trump, it’s why?

Trump is someone who is very clearly against the very being that Kanye is—  a black male that had a low income childhood but rose to global acclaim, who now has a strong wife that vocally opposes his leadership. So why couldn’t Kanye see what was literally being presented in front of him in every speech and off-script statement Trump has given? Kanye is the same as the 53% of white women who voted for a man where proof of his sexual disrespect of women still did not sway their decision to vote for him. Even when one of their own (Hilary Clinton) with the experience and tenacity was the other, better option.

The truth is Trump was the answer to some sick piece missing in economic American culture. A culture where groups who are misheard and overlooked do not want to continue the cycle with someone who abides by the political status quo, but demolishes it. Trump promised to disrupt the culture, however he is fulfilling this promise by reverting it to the times that benefit people like him, white men. This is where it gets complicated as black men and white women are both apart of the privileged — black men being men, and white women being white— while also sharing the same discrimination as those in the minority (women and PoC). The desire to change our treatment in society does not make it wrong, but these last two years have certainly altered how we demand more from those who promise to correct it.