I remember when it started. Kanye West appeared on TMZ live years ago with a Black rightwing political commentator. He said that he liked that she was a “free thinker”. This commentator in particular had boisterous critiques of the Democratic party. She argued that the party uses Black people for political gain. Kanye seemed moved by the boring and accurate claim. But the tragedy is that he accepted her conclusion: that Black people should embrace openly racist Republicans instead.
I had not thought of their budding friendship until last week. The pair reappeared at Paris Fashion Week wearing contrasting long-sleeve “White Lives Matter” shirts. Backlash ensued, to which Kanye responded with defense, jest, appreciation, online bullying against fashion editor Gabriella Karefa-Johnson, and now, antisemitism.
