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“George Bush doesn’t care about Black people.”

That quote will forever be a piece of history. It was said by a cultural icon and it was a shared message that many in that culture felt. Almost a decade and a half later, that same icon did a total 180. In a recent interview with GQ Magazine, rapper and designer Kanye West signaled that he plans to vote for Donald Trump in the 2020 general election. When asked about his electoral participation this year, West said “I’m definitely voting this time.” He went on to say, “And we know who I’m voting on.”

This shouldn’t come as much of a surprise as West has often voiced his admiration for the president. Personally, I have no problem with African Americans who vote for republicans. My frustration comes when you hear their reasoning. This recent interview brings to light a question that should’ve been asked a while ago: Does Kanye West care about Black people?

Love him or hate him, Kanye West always makes for a good interview. His words are often viewed as controversial and his conversation with GQ was no different. One part that stuck out to me was the moment when Kanye compared Obama and Trump’s political success. “I buy real estate. It’s better now than when Obama was in office,” West told GQ. “They don’t teach you in school about buying property. They teach you how to become somebody’s property.”

Kanye is entitled to believe what he wants and support who he wants. However, as an African American, it is my opinion that we cannot continue to support anyone if we don’t believe they are for the community. My biggest gripe with Kanye’s support of Donald Trump is that he has never discussed what positive impact Trump has had or will have for African Americans.

In his infamous Oval Office meeting with President Trump, Kanye stated some very polarizing things. He said Trump was like a father figure to him. He said the MAGA hat made him feel like superman. While these statements went on to become very triggering for people everywhere, my problem came from a different point of view.

Kanye had an opportunity in this meeting to discuss either what positive changes Trump has done for African Americans or what he feels the President should do going forward. Instead, West went on the usual selfish rant that he often goes on. This continues to widen the divide between Kanye West and many within the Black community. He has had multiple opportunities to discuss a Black agenda to push the community forward and he has failed to do so. One could argue that his wife Kim Kardashian has been the one to positively affect the Black community during her interactions with Trump. To me though, that makes the situation even worse. What Kanye is doing is something that has continued to hurt our community.

We fail to come together and build together. It’s rarely about “what have you done for the community” or “what you intend to do for my people.” It’s more often “how much will I save in taxes” and “how much more money will I be making.” In my opinion, Kanye is guilty of this more than many others.

It was the African American community who made sure his gifts were appreciated. It was our community that made sure his talent wouldn’t be denied. When Kanye West wanted to express himself in the world of fashion, the Black community rallied around him once more. We’ve bought his albums, his clothes and still, Kanye does the Kanye thing. He thinks only about himself and acts as though everyone else around him is the problem. When criticized, he brings up his mental health. It is entirely irresponsible to profit from people who look like you, yet not seek ways to improve the lives of those very same people.

By no means am I calling on Kanye to be cancelled. I actually agree with him on the basis of Obama, and the democratic party has let the Black community down in some ways. What I’m asking is for Kanye West to show that he actually does care about Black people.

On September 2, 2005, after the horrific storm that was Hurricane Katrina, Kanye West stood alongside Mike Myers and said, “George Bush doesn't care about Black people.” West’s reasoning for this was because he noticed how disproportionate the aftermath was for Black people. Fast forward, and Black people are once again affected at a disproportionate rate with the COVID-19 pandemic — and it has been crickets.

When GQ asked Kanye about the moment in 2005, he argued that as an entertainer people try to position him as one of the faces of race. To his point, he is right. We often view celebrities as these superhuman beings. It is my opinion that we need to hold the entire Black community accountable on this issue. We must come together and hold each other accountable as well as people outside our communities. Only then can he have monumental change for people who look like us. But for now, I’ll continue to miss the old Kanye.

Zakee Kinlaw

Writing since February 2022 · 2 stories contributed