Kanye West didn’t mean it when he called for Congress to abolish the 13th Amendment after appearing on Saturday Night Live over the weekend.
The 13th Amendment abolished slavery in America, except as punishment. So prisoners can still be used as slave labor.
Kanye, who changed his name to “Ye” for his SNL gig, sent out a tweet and an Instagram post with a photo of himself wearing his red “Make America Great Again” hat on a private jet.
Ye explained why he wears the hat and what it represents for him, while citing a few of President Trump’s domestic and global efforts. But it was his next to last sentence, referring to the 13th Amendment, that got folks riled up.
“This represents good and America becoming whole again. We will no longer outsource to other countries. We build factories here in America and create jobs. We will provide jobs for all who are free from prisons as we abolish the 13th amendment. Message sent with love,” he tweeted on Sunday.
Most people saw Kanye’s posts for what they were: promotional stunts to boost online sales of his new album, Yandhi, which didn’t drop on Saturday as promised. But others reacted to his message rather than the stunt it was intended to be.
Actor Chris Evans was among the celebrities who fell into Kanye’s trap.
“There’s nothing more maddening than debating someone who doesn’t know history, doesn’t read books, and frames their myopia as virtue. The level of unapologetic conjecture I’ve encountered lately isn’t just frustrating, it’s retrogressive, unprecedented and absolutely terrifying,” Evans tweeted on Sunday.
“Can you believe Chris Evans just ended Kanye’s career?” tweeted one user.
Another Twitter user who fell for the okie doke, responded: “Kanye needs mental health services. He is not right in the head. But mostly let me make this clear, he does NOT speak for black folks.”
Kanye cleared up the misunderstanding, saying he meant to say “amend”, not “abolish” the 13th Amendment.
Does it really matter what Kanye said? Why do people get so riled up every time he pulls a stunt because he has an album to promote? He knows what pushes your buttons because he pushed the same “slavery” button four months ago when he promoted his last album.
This wouldn’t be so problematic if Americans stopped caring about what uneducated celebrities say on social media.
Do better, America.
