SOHH Squad
R&B singer Erykah Badu has a little time today. The crooner has come forward to speak out on the backlash she’s received since making published comments about Adolf Hitler.
Over the past 24 hours, Badu has hit up her Twitter page to defend her image and call out media outlets for taking her comments out of context.
Think. https://t.co/J2znuMXBWX
— ErykahBadoula (@fatbellybella) January 24, 2018
What a world.
— ErykahBadoula (@fatbellybella) January 24, 2018
Say what u must. Dialogue is cool . I invite it. But please do me a favor if you can , Black & Jewish Twitter, just don't use the word "problematic " any more. 😂Y'all using that too much . 🙄.. oh and read the article.
— ErykahBadoula (@fatbellybella) January 24, 2018
Nothin. I was just using my own brain again. I know it's against the rules. I know I know. https://t.co/g6EGf8EXJL
— ErykahBadoula (@fatbellybella) January 24, 2018
And trigger words . Don't forget trigger words. https://t.co/MVVCAnq8TX
— ErykahBadoula (@fatbellybella) January 24, 2018
The media is banking on our ignorance. Know we won't read the whole thing. They'll use controversial quotes w/trigger words as Click Bait. We❤️controversy. So Blogs choose easiest thing to "spin". Get you mad. Help you get a little rage out. They get more adds.The message lost.
— ErykahBadoula (@fatbellybella) January 24, 2018
My mixtape drop at midnite.
— ErykahBadoula (@fatbellybella) January 24, 2018
Love u pete https://t.co/1QBs9z8nyG
— ErykahBadoula (@fatbellybella) January 25, 2018
People are in real pain. So I understand why my 'good' intent was misconstrued as 'bad'. In trying to express a point, I used 1 of the worst examples possible, Not to support the cruel actions of an unwell, psychopathic Adolf Hitler, but to only exaggerate a show of compassion.
— ErykahBadoula (@fatbellybella) January 25, 2018
Either U read the entire VULTURE interview & U understood the message of compassion CLEARLY.
OR U only read the selective, out of context Headlines, & were drawn in2 the whirlpool of collective emotional grief. I don't want 2 force U 2understand the way I love. I'm hopeful tho.— ErykahBadoula (@fatbellybella) January 25, 2018
In her Vulture interview, Badu made a few empathetic comments about Hitler.
“I never made a statement about Louis Farrakhan — ever. … I’ll follow anyone who has positive aspects. He single-handedly changed half of the Nation of Islam to clean eating, clean living, caring for their families. He has flaws — like any man — but I’m not responsible for that. I said I’ve appreciated what he’s done for a lot of black Americans. … But I’m not an anti-Semitic person. I don’t even know what anti-Semitic was before I was called it. I’m a humanist. I see good in everybody. I saw something good in Hitler. Yeah, I did. Hitler was a wonderful painter. … Okay, he was a terrible painter. Poor thing. He had a terrible childhood. That means that when I’m looking at my daughter, Mars, I could imagine her being in someone else’s home and being treated so poorly, and what that could spawn. I see things like that. I guess it’s just the Pisces in me.” (Vulture)
Instead of stopping there, Badu continued to answer questions focused on Hitler.
“I don’t care if the whole group says something, I’m going to be honest. I know I don’t have the most popular opinion sometimes. … Why can’t I say what I’m saying? Because he did such terrible things? …. You asked me a question. I could’ve chosen not to answer. I don’t walk around thinking about Hitler or Louis Farrakhan. But I understand what you’re saying: “Why would you want to risk fueling hateful thinking?” I have a platform, and I would never want to hurt people. I would never do that. I would never even imagine doing that. I would never even want a group of white men who believe that the Confederate flag is worth saving to feel bad. That’s not how I operate.” (Vulture)
Her comments have already sparked a wide range of reactions across social media.
https://twitter.com/SopanDeb/status/956191777580560384
Erykah Badu, nooooooo! (Erykah and I went to college together, and I’m just floored by this interview) https://t.co/5ndjVDyHiN pic.twitter.com/G7Xyh93ms9
— Charles M. Blow (@CharlesMBlow) January 24, 2018
Why why why did I click to see why Erykah Badu was trending??? pic.twitter.com/w99JEIO1ZZ
— Joy Reid (@JoyAnnReid) January 24, 2018
https://twitter.com/Liberiangyal/status/956186236556926976
It’s Wednesday and Erykah Badu is talking about the good in Hitler. https://t.co/FR9oMJxFkg pic.twitter.com/jhPJw1NzZK
— Yashar Ali 🐘 (@yashar) January 24, 2018
Erykah Badu: I’m a humanist. I see good in everybody. I saw something good in Hitler.
The journalist: pic.twitter.com/SvyQj1Tlrw
— philip lewis (@Phil_Lewis_) January 24, 2018
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