Madonna Should Be Held Accountable For Promoting Anti-Semitic And Homophobic Louis Farrakhan
In the age of holding others accountable, Madonna and others should take responsibility for promoting an anti-Semite and homophobe.
Anti-Semitism is unfortunately alive and well in America. It has infiltrated pop culture and politics in extremely frustrating ways. With the recent controversy surrounding Nick Cannon, it appeared that outrage over anti-Semitism would carry the same weight as other forms of discrimination. However, it has become blatantly obvious that isn't the case.
Unfortunately, celebrities are still getting away with a very disturbing trend. It's a trend that is common among left-wing political circles. It's a trend that involves looking the other way in the face of anti-Semitism. It involves excusing the anti-Semitic behavior and remarks that are staring you in the face. Some can argue this is anti-Semitism in and of itself.
Madonna is the latest celebrity to slip up. On the Fourth of July, the singer uploaded a video of Louis Farrakhan to her Instagram. The singer has been sharing posts related to the Black Lives Matter movement. This post was one of many related to the issue of race in America. Many fans in the comments were quick to point out that Farrakhan is not only anti-Semitic, but has made statements against the LGBTQ community as well.
However, Madonna hasn't deleted the video from her page. She is hardly the first celebrity to get in trouble for promoting Farrakhan. Diddy and Chelsea Handler are among other famous faces who have promoted him. Some, like Handler, have apologized. Whereas others, like Diddy and Madonna, have not.
Racism and police brutality are important issues. They should definitely be spoken about. However, there are plenty of other voices who aren't spewing hateful rhetoric that we can elevate. Being part of an oppressed group doesn't make you immune from holding onto your own prejudices. It's an unfortunate reality and we must be more careful about who we promote.
In one way, having these celebrities promote someone like Farrakhan is irresponsible. A simple Google search would've made it clear this was not a man to draw attention to. I'm not sure about Diddy, but I'm certain Madonna and Handler wouldn't have promoted him if they knew Farrakhan was such a man. I don't think either one of them is anti-Semitic or homophobic.
However, this should serve as a lesson to celebrities and everyone else to think twice before you post. If you are unaware of someone, do some research before promoting them.
In another way, this (intentional or not) continues a trend among many left-wing people. It's a common behavior to excuse anti-Semitism for the sake of other social justice causes. We've seen it countless times when discussing the Israeli and Palestinian conflict. Now we're seeing it again when discussing the Black Lives Matter movement. Believe it or not, there are plenty of Black people who don't agree with Louis Farrakhan and those like him.
It's OK to condemn such rhetoric. We can believe in Black Lives Matter and condemn anti-Semitism no matter whose mouth it's coming out of. It doesn't have to be one or the other.
Promoting Farrakhan is also a way of excusing homophobia. However, I believe the difference is that racism and homophobia are more widely condemned when coming from a public figure. Anti-Semitism still seems to be something famous people can get away with more often.
Nick Cannon was dropped by ViacomCBS following his initial statement, but Fox wasn't so quick to fire him. They eventually decided to keep him after his apology, but the apology came only after his initial statement. That statement explicitly stated he wouldn't apologize. This is very similar to Chelsea Handler's initial reaction. I believe if this were a white celebrity saying something racist against Black people, no network would wait that long for an apology.
Pop star Dua Lipa claimed people in the Israeli government were "fake Jews" on Instagram. The post was initially shared last month and has since been taken down. However, there has been no apology or accountability from Lipa. Very few seem to care about Madonna or Diddy promoting Farrakhan and I doubt they will apologize.
Don't get me wrong, I don't believe in cancel culture. I don't want Madonna or Diddy to face the kind of backlash that ends their careers. I just want them to hold themselves accountable. I want education, not punishment. Education is the only way we can make progress. Punishment will just silently amplify the prejudice or ignorance already festering inside someone.
We're living among really frustrating and uncertain times. The social justice movement is in full swing and thank God for it. We're living in an election year and everyone has an opinion on what will best serve our country in the future. So much is at stake right now and it's possible to fight several battles at once. We don't have to look past anti-Semitism and homophobia to fight for Black lives.
If progress is what we want, we must unite and call out all forms of bigotry. That includes holding ourselves and others accountable when they do something wrong. This is the only way things will truly start to improve.
20 Lessons I Learned Before I Turned 20
I have learned so much over these past 20 years, but I still have a long way to go.
Let's face it, turning 20 is a weird thing. You can drive at 16, you are a legal adult at 18 and you can drink at 21, so in the grand scheme of things, 20 is an insignificant age. However, when you turn 20, and that suffix of "teen" is no longer behind your age, it hits you. You're not a kid anymore. When you make mistakes at 20, people don't defend you anymore by saying, "Oh she's just young, she doesn't know any better." When you're 20, you are expected to have your shit together because you should have accumulated a vast amount of knowledge over these past 20 years, and let me tell you, that fucking sucks. But this is not a post of regret, this is a post of reflection. So please enjoy 20 years of lessons that I had no idea I was learning.
1. It's ok to make mistakes.
Hannah Montana said it best, "nobody's perfect." You're going to mess up so much in life, but you would never grow if you didn't make a mistake here and there.
2. Sometimes, you're going to be in the right, but when you are in the wrong, don't try to hide it or fight to prove your point. Just own that you were wrong and move on.
Being right 100% of the time is not only not natural, but not healthy. No one knows everything.
3. You have to fight for what you want, nothing is handed to you.
Working hard will get you so much further in life, so don't just sit around expecting good things to come your way.
4. Appreciate every day you have, whether good or bad.
You are still alive, you are still breathing. Those two things in and of themselves are the greatest blessings.
5. In bad situations, it's all about how you react.
You can make the best out of every situation, and nothing is ever past the point of fixing.
6. There's no weakness in asking for help.
If you try to take care of everything yourself, you will wind up exhausted and probably worse off then you were before. Asking for help is actually one the smartest and strongest things you can do.
7. Always be open to listening to other perspectives. Who knows, you could maybe learn something from them.
Every person you meet is going to have different experiences from you, so they must likely won't agree with you on everything. But just because they may not side with your point, doesn't mean you shouldn't listen to them.
8. When you are happy, don't look for reasons why you shouldn't be. Just be happy.
Don't keep looking for something bad coming around the corner, just enjoy being happy. Being comfortable in your happiness is one of the hardest things to do (trust me, I know), but it is so worth it in the end.
9. Take advice from those older than you, they do know a few things.
Whether it's your parents, grandparents, aunts, uncles, professors, or an old dude on the street, they have lived a lot more life than you, so they definitely have learned a few more lessons.
10. Life will throw curveballs at you, don't try to dodge them.
Curveballs and obstacles are a natural part of life, so don't try to dodge them, just handle them as they come at you.
11. Find something to be thankful for everyday.
Whether it is something trivial or major, there is always something out there to be thankful for.
12. If someone isn't treating you the way you deserve to be treated, leave them behind.
The sooner your recognize that you are being treated like shit, the sooner you can change things. Don't settle with being treated poorly, no one deserves that.
13. There is such a thing as luck, but it's not a given.
Luck comes to those deserving of it, so, basically, don't be an asshole.
14. Don't try to look like everybody else. Relish in what makes you unique.
If everybody looked and acted exactly the same, the world would be a pretty boring place. There's only one you in the world, so be awesome.
15. Having a few close friends is much better than having a lot of fake ones.
Your close friends will be there for you no matter what, so it is so essential to have those people who you know you could come to anytime, any day, anywhere.
16. Don't go looking for love, it will find you.
The age old saying, "Love will come when you least expect it" is so unbelievably true, so don't try to force it. If it's meant to be, it will be.
17. Do what you love, love what you do.
Find a job that makes you hop out of bed every morning, eager to face what the day will bring. You will be a whole lot happier in the long run.
18. Don't waste your time trying to get people to like you. The people who do like you will show it.
When you find people who truly love you for who you are, it all comes easily.
19. Trust your gut. You know when things are right and when they are wrong.
Intuition is a very powerful thing, so harness it. At the end of the day, no one knows you better than you know yourself.
20. I still have a lot to learn.
I cannot wait to see what more lessons the rest of my life will hold. Bring it on baby!