How a T-Shirt is Inspiring the Next Generation of White Supremacists
Kanye West’s (who has legally changed his name to Ye) foray into politics has been a tumultuous journey to say the least. From labelling slavery as a choice in a TMZ interview, to donning a MAGA hat during Saturday Night Live, the influential musician has never been one to shy away from controversy. That said, he might have taken his antics too far this time. On 3rd October, he was caught donning a ‘White Lives Matter’ t-shirt, along with controversial political commentator Candace Owens, in a surprise fashion show held during Paris Fashion Week. This act has once again placed a spotlight on the rapidly growing White Lives Matter movement which has swept across the nation over the past few years. Kanye’s endorsement of this movement as a prominent black person only adds credibility to an organisation which is gradually inciting more and more violence.
White Lives Matter is a phrase coined by White supremacists in response to the Black Lives Matter (BLM) movement, which gained traction after the shooting of Michael Brown by a Ferguson police officer. The BLM movement initially protested police brutality towards black people before becoming an all-encompassing statement referring to the systematic racism present in the US. While the phrase ‘White Lives Matter’ was originally promoted by the Texas-based white supremacist group Aryan Renaissance, its popularity quickly spread across the plethora of white supremacist groups in the US, including the infamous Ku Klux Klan. The BLM movement sparked to life after the vile murder of George Floyd by Minnesota police officer Derek Chauvin, leading to wide-spread violence, looting and arson. Donald Trump was quick to condemn the violence, placing blame on the BLM protesters. However, reports show that most of the chaos was incited by white nationalists posing as allies. Vice News reported the prevalence of right-wing extremists encouraging their Neo-Nazi followers to infiltrate protests and carry out violence against Black people. One instance in San Diego involved white nationalists faking a protest in honour of George Floyd to entice BLM supporters to attend what was in fact a white supremacist rally. Protestors also recognised the discrepancies of the demographic attending protests in places like Oakland where violence was generally induced by Caucasian men. These incidents have caused people to question the mainstream media’s reporting of the events and whether the violence was actually caused by right-wing extremists.
“I’m a bit sleepy tonight but when I wake up I’m going death con 3 On JEWISH PEOPLE The funny thing is I actually can’t be Anti-Semitic because black people are actually Jew also You guys have toyed with me and tried to black ball anyone whoever opposes your agenda.”
Kanye West, Twitter, October 2022
Ye’s public support of the WLM movement has made him a political icon in the eyes of some conservative racists, who see him as speaking the truth without the fear of being outcasted by the media. He has since gone on rampages against Jewish people, tweeting “I’m a bit sleepy tonight but when I wake up I’m going death con 3 On JEWISH PEOPLE The funny thing is I actually can’t be Anti-Semitic because black people are actually Jew also You guys have toyed with me and tried to black ball anyone whoever opposes your agenda.” The phrase ‘Death con’ is actually a muddled reference to the US military term DEFCON 3, which is classified as an ‘increase in force readiness above normal readiness’. Ye’s usage of this term points to him declaring a metaphorical war on Jewish people, namely Mark Zuckerberg, who he harbours a grudge towards for ‘suppressing his right to free speech’. His Twitter account has since been locked, joining his previously banned Instagram and Facebook accounts. However, his de-platforming has had no effect on him whatsoever, with Ye blaming the tragic death of George Floyd on a fentanyl overdose instead of the vile actions of police officer Derek Chauvin on the Drink Champs podcast. The family of the victim plan to file a $250 million lawsuit against the rapper.
Tucker Carlson, notorious for his racist conspiracy theories and his extreme right-wing rhetoric, welcomed Ye to conservative news outlet Fox News for an interview that was littered with both blatant misinformation and racist propaganda. However, Ye’s true self was revealed in leaked footage that Fox News cut from the two-part interview. The footage contained various antisemitic rants with the singer stating that Planned Parenthood was founded to “control the Jew population”. He then proceeded to mention the belief that Black people were in fact the “real” Jews; a conspiracy rooted in antisemitism. While these statements may not be instances of racism towards black people, Ye’s persistence in going after every race that is not Caucasian adds credibility to the white supremacy movement.
From selling merch featuring the infamous Confederate flag in 2013, to describing slavery as a “choice” during his presidential campaign, Ye’s racist undertones have always been present.
Sai Raghav Balakrishnan
Ye shot to prominence making music about the typical hardships that black people face, but he no longer dwells on the financial problems that signify his early life. His detachment from the Black community is evident in his placing the blame on Black people for living in low-income communities or being victims of racism, a trait common with Black conservatives. Most of his fans link his racist actions and remarks to mental illness which has inadvertently created an invisible shield around him. From selling merch featuring the infamous Confederate flag in 2013, to describing slavery as a “choice” during his presidential campaign, Ye’s racist undertones have always been present. Despite this, the attribution of these antics to his “unpredictable nature” or him being a “troll” has ensured his reputation goes unscathed. The American Psychological Association states that people with bipolar disorder may experience “extremes of happiness, energy, and clarity, to sadness, fatigue, and confusion.” While this is an unfortunate reality for the people with this condition, it has no correlation with political affiliation or world views, and a failure to hold Ye accountable is disrespectful to other people who live with the condition.
Ye’s anti-black prerogative has won him a lot of white supremacist support, whilst also influencing more Black men to adopt increasingly conservative ideals. The WLM movement has always lacked credibility due to its advocates lacking any form of diversity. Ye’s fashion week stunt gives white supremacists credibility as they can defend their xenophobic rhetoric as Ye is a prominent Black figure. In his infamous interview with Tucker Carlson, he defended his t-shirt saying he thought it was “funny,”but what is not funny is how many people the 45-year-old influences. Comments under his videos and interviews refer to him as some sort of beacon of light for free speech while actively condemning anti-racist movements, labelling them as “woke” or “blue pill nonsense”.
The rapper has proceeded to combat his de-platforming from “big media” by purchasing the conservative social media platform Parler. Candace Owens, a cult hero of some sort in the conservative realm, was Ye’s accompaniment during the fashion week debacle, donning the same WLM message on her shirt. Owens has jumped to Ye’s defence multiple times during his anti-black and antisemitic rant, and her persistence seems to have paid off.
Image Credits: Flickr.
Parler is owned by her husband George Farmer, and the company has been valued at 56 million dollars. In a press release by Parler, Ye stated: “In a world where conservative opinions are considered to be controversial, we have to make sure we have the right to freely express ourselves.”
While Parler may be a safe haven for white supremacists to spew their violent and unbiased theories, its impact on society could be severe if it reaches their target audience. Conservatives may be influenced to adopt more extreme right-wing views and it may play a large role in influencing the USA’s political landscape. With the country already reeling from the overturning of Roe vs Wade, any more restrictions on citizen’s rights may cause an alarming amount of unrest. Ye might not recognise the ramifications of his actions but he’s slowly nurturing the next generation of white supremacists and extremists.
It is unlikely that Ye will ever stop his inflammatory antics, with the rapper partnering with accused rapist and stylist Ian Connor to donate WLM shirts to homeless people. This is no doubt a calculated move to further his anti-black agenda. We as a society have been responsible for excusing Ye’s actions for too long. Now, we must face the aftermath of a man unknowingly plotting against his own race
Header Image Credits: Wikipedia Commons.
