Janet Jackson, the legendary pop icon, seems to have two left feet when it comes to understanding Vice President Kamala Harris‘ multicultural roots.
In a recent interview with The Guardian, Jackson was asked about her thoughts on the upcoming U.S. presidential election, with the reporter noting that America is “on the verge of voting in its first female Black president.” Jackson’s response? “Well, you know what they supposedly said? She’s not Black. That’s what I heard. That she’s Indian.” The singer went on to claim, “Her father’s white. That’s what I was told. I mean, I haven’t watched the news in a few days. I was told that they discovered her father was white.”
Sorry, Janet, but you might want to fact-check your sources. Harris’ father, Donald J. Harris, was born in Jamaica and grew up there, while her mother, Shyamala Gopalan Harris, hailed from India.
When the reporter pressed Jackson on whether she thought America was ready for a President Harris, the singer’s response was less than reassuring: “I don’t know, but either way, the outcome would be mayhem.” Mayhem? Really, Janet? With a staggering 100 million records sold worldwide, five Grammy Awards, and an induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, her influence stretches far beyond the confines of the music industry. It’s disheartening to see someone of Jackson’s stature, the same woman who once urged us to “Come Together,” now seems resorting to the kind of fear-mongering rhetoric that has become a hallmark of the far-right.
Her comments are reminiscent of Donald Trump’s rhetoric during a July interview at the National Association of Black Journalists (NABJ). He questioned whether Harris was Indian or Black and even suggested that someone should investigate if she had “turned Black” for political gain. Letās get one thing straight: Harris is Black. She’s Indian. She’s both. It’s who she is, and anyone who suggests otherwise is peddling a racist narrative that has no place in the 21st century. The implication that Blackness is something to be investigated, like a crime or a scandal, is deeply offensive.
Fans were appalled by Jackson’s false statements and took to social media to express their disappointment.
After all, this is the same woman whose brother, Michael Jackson, faced relentless scrutiny over his changing skin color in the 1990s. You’d think that Janet, of all people who have been in the public eye for over four decades, should know better than most the power of words. But apparently, common sense is not genetic (though Trump, who supposedly possesses MIT genes, would argue otherwise).
Published: Sep 22, 2024 08:24 am