I recently wrote an article called, “Harry Belafonte Was Right About Jay-Z.” The article went viral, generating a huge response from the Black community and beyond. A few readers were puzzled when I stated, “Kanye West…often laments about racism but strives to uphold the same materialistic values that help drive economic disparities.” Now, I will explore this more thoroughly.
There is no denying that Kanye West has had a tremendous impact on the music industry and pop culture. From the beginning of his mainstream career, Kanye has been critical of issues dealing with racism and the structures within it. His infamous, “George Bush doesn’t care about Black people,” statement caused a media frenzy and solidified the general sentiments of the Black community during the Hurricane Katrina tragedy.
Yet it seems with more fame and popularity, Kanye’s commentary has shifted from calling out racism because it’s wrong, to calling out racism because he didn’t get a seat at the table. This is the bigger issue.
The distinguished psychiatrist Frantz Fanon addressed this line of thinking in his 1961 classic Wretched of the Earth. In this literary masterpiece, Fanon deconstructed the colonized mind.
“The gaze that the colonized subject casts at the colonist’s sector is a look of lust, a look of envy. Dreams of possession. Every type of possession; of sitting at the colonist’s table and sleeping in his bed, preferably with his wife. The colonized man is an envious man.”
One cannot deny the lasting effects that slavery and colonialism has had on African Americans and people of African descent around the world. In a recent interview, Kanye vehemently states, “We’re all slaves!” I understand him to a certain extent. Indeed, there is a systematic glass ceiling that prevents people of African descent and people from low economic classes from upward mobility. Even when some rise up the ranks, there are still many barriers that prevent them from attaining certain goals because they do not come from a certain class (the old money class). This is where I understand Kanye on the fashion industry. They don’t want him and they never will. He will forever be categorized as “urban,” a description he is desperately running away from because he knows that this is another way of being pigeonholed and prevented from making a significant impact (beyond blackness and urbanism) in the fashion industry.
In some ways it coincides with W.E.B Du Bois’ description of double consciousness:
It is a peculiar sensation, this double-consciousness, this sense of always looking at one’s self through the eyes of others, of measuring one’s soul by the tape of a world that looks on in amused contempt and pity. One ever feels his two-ness,—an American, a Negro; two souls, two thoughts, two unreconciled strivings; two warring ideals in one dark body, whose dogged strength alone keeps it from being torn asunder.
However, Kanye has time and time again demonstrated that he is displeased with the system solely based on the fact that he wants a seat at the table. His anger is steeped in envy rather than reform. And this is dangerous because we get away from transforming these hierarchical structures, to unknowingly reinforcing them.
For example, this is evident in his almost complete dismissal of Black models for his runway shows in Paris. He doesn’t seem too concerned about the pains of racism unless it’s affecting his own progress. Instead, he went with the flow and continued to allow for Black models to be denied a chance at equality. He also cheers on fashion brands that are known for their lack of diversity. The fashion brand Céline, was recently boycotted by the supermodel Iman, because of their refusal to hire Black models. Meanwhile Kanye West orders full wardrobes of Céline clothing, attends their shows and sports their brand.
Furthermore, he has a lack of respect for African American history. Much like the N-Word, no matter what way you look at it, the Confederate flag represents the deep rooted oppression of African Americans. In fact, it was used as a tool to remind us of our “place.” After the Brown v. Board of Education desegregation ruling, the state of Georgia started using the Confederate flag as a sign of the good ole’ days.
The painful past associated with the symbolism surrounding the flag and what it represents is no laughing or fashion forward matter. According to the Southern Poverty Law Center, about 500 extremist groups still use the cross on the Confederate Flag as a symbol of white superiority. This example is tired and old but I can’t imagine someone wearing a Swastika for fashion. I wonder if Kanye will start wearing symbols promoting the South African apartheid era next.
When Kanye speaks about racism or slavery, he’s not doing it for the ordinary people, but instead for sensationalism. He is using the Confederate flag to generate buzz, no matter how hurtful it may be.
He also has an incessant belief that Paris is the only fashion mecca and it has to let him in. Kanye recently wanted to help the Louis Vuitton brand with his “influence.” They promptly rejected the offer.
Kanye has an obsession with getting acceptance, but not the “colored” kind. When the radio host Sway tried to encourage him to maybe create his own way, Kanye gave the now Twitter famous reply, “ You ain’t got the answers Sway.”
Indeed none of us may have the complete answers to racism and upward mobility. However, given his track record and current behavior, Kanye simply can’t be taken seriously on racism. With every new Kanye rant we are witnessing a public display of internal conflict consisting of Fanon’s “dreams of possession” and Dubois’ double consciousness. Ultimately, he cares more about having a seat at the table with the same people he accuses of racism and classism, than bringing about change.
Jessica Ann Mitchell Aiwuyor is the founder of OurLegaci.com. To reach JAM, email her at JAMAiwuyor@gmail.com.
Follow JAM on Facebook at Facebook.com/JAMAiwuyor.
Our Legaci with J.A.M. Aiwuyor 
She did it again! JAM you are on point. Why would anyone listen to Kanye? He is a mess dot com.
Thanks for reading and commenting Nikesha.
You made my day with this article. You said so many things that make so very much sense. Why are we so hesitant to see things as they really are? Why do we try so hard to fit where we have no place and do not belong? Why do we continue to feel a need to please the executioner? Why do we waste our wealth on things of no value and most foreign to our real needs? Thank you for giving a good deal of clarity, understanding, and validation to these issues and concerns of mine.
I happen to understand Kanye and his frustrstions. If you listen to him he says in order to make change for us, one of us has to be at that table. Its hard to truly discern his motives until he has said seat.
Haha! I think that it’s awesome that he’s wearing a confederate flag! Racists red necks will be so pissed off. He’s taking all the awfulness behind that flag and giving it new meaning. Not saying any of the terrible things that happened should be forgotten, but we’ve progressed enough where we are able to grow and compound ideas. I didn’t care much for Kanye before this article, now I don’t think he’s half bad 🙂
I like this. I do have a but.
How do you win a war. You invade their land, you take the head, euthanize their strength and culture and re-gentrify their capitols with your likeness. Oh and have your way with all the spoils. That’s the quick way.
But, the Dubois and Frantz statements have huge valid points. But not on every point at this time or i should refer to situation.
Also, everyone thinks in first person. So when something happens to you, you address it from your point of view, as Kanye is doing. He isnt the most diplomatic of individuals. He hasnt the training or upbringing. Don’t put the whow’s of the know non-nation of AA’s on the Back of an Artist. This is a we thing, not a he. So if we need to create another Black Wall Street than we need to do so. If we need to create schools for ourselves (like the ones in NY doing 90% college entry), then we must. If we need to pull a Nuwaubian Nation of Moors situation and buy land together and create our own slice of heaven, Then that’s what we must do. But, until we create our own institutions we still have to go through the already established. If it weren’t for the Jobs, APPLE’s, Microsofts, cable services, BestBuys and Neumann Marcus’s. Your Post would not have been seen. Which is great i might add.
I feel we fail ourselves. The dumb of us have the paint brush, the weak of us have the sense, yet no backbone to …., the strong become institutionalized (be it sports, Money, Prison, (i hate to include) Education or Politics, ) as Frantz described, and Latch on to the luxuries of the colonialist. I’m no english major so dont kill me. lol
I have a plan for what i will contribute in sometime after my education. We all need plans to build our nation within this nation. Just my opinion.
I’d venture to say racism isn’t the issue at hand. On a larger scale, music’s influence on the current generation is adding to the imminent destruction of our world’s never-ending quest for sync. We don’t have the luxury of a system of like minded individuals (Fanon & Dubois) to analyze and develop solutions for the wretched souls like Kanye. This is in no way condoning his pretentious behavior. However, he is but a modern day Tybalt. The black community in itself is not at stake, the human mind and ability to reason is.
Good read. The Swastika was used in India well before Hitler got a hold to it. The ‘N’ word was sketched in the bible (The book of Acts) well before 1492.
And in addition to that, Boy London did actually use a nazi symbol on their shirts. http://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/daniel-marriott/extremist-symbolism-in-fashion_b_1930025.html
Of all the recent commentary on Kanye and his antics, this is the most thoughtful and thought provoking yet! Thank you for clearing my mind on the subject. As a Kanye West enthusiast, I have been perturbed by his actions as of late but have not been able to render an evaluation and “where do I go now” train of thought in regards to my allegiance to him (as a fan) this gave clear psychological and historical insight. As an MSW grad student I appreciate this all around. Hopefully Kanye will gain the ability to look within himself and find a better path and voice for his worldly platform.
Exactly how I felt, and thought as a Kanye West enthusiast
Yes she did!!!! The new hash tag should be #KanyedoesntcareaboutBlaclpeople
ooops let me do that again correctly #KanyedoesntcareaboutBlackpeople
KMSL
Excellent Points!!! He is still trying to find himself in the same way we all are, his public displays of false logic are just more…well…public..then our own internal struggles with identity and self determination. Very insightful and interesting take on it. I made the “rejection from the club” rant being his main focus connection the very first time I read about it. His priorities are mixed up clearly. Stop worrying about a seat at the table of those who dont value you and build your own table. You have the money and creativity Kanye. Come on now! smh
Hey JAM,
I read the Fanon work years ago, and just recently bought another copy. Now that you bring this up, I can see why I’ve been intrigued by Kanye’s recent barrage of interviews, but definitely not convinced by his statements.
I was wondering though, what is different between today and years past when it comes to celebrities and social and political activism. It seems like celebrities nowadays whether they are athletes, musicians, or movie stars do not have the spirit that celebrities in the past such as Ali, Belafonte, Brando, and many others had to stir up situations. Seems that they are impotent, are there any institutional mechanisms responsible for this, or just the drive to make the most money?
I like this. I do have a but.
How do you win a war. You invade their land, you take the head, euthanize their strength and culture and re-gentrify their capitols with your likeness. Oh and have your way with all the spoils. That’s the quick way.
But, the Dubois and Frantz statements have huge valid points. But not on every point at this time or i should refer to situation.
Also, everyone thinks in first person. So when something happens to you, you address it from your point of view, as Kanye is doing. He isnt the most diplomatic of individuals. He hasnt the training or upbringing. Don’t put the whow’s of the know non-nation of AA’s on the Back of an Artist. This is a we thing, not a he. So if we need to create another Black Wall Street than we need to do so. If we need to create schools for ourselves (like the ones in NY doing 90% college entry), then we must. If we need to pull a Nuwaubian Nation of Moors situation and buy land together and create our own slice of heaven, Then that’s what we must do. But, until we create our own institutions we still have to go through the already established. If it weren’t for the Jobs, APPLE’s, Microsofts, cable services, BestBuys and Neumann Marcus’s. Your Post would not have been seen. Which is great i might add.
I feel we fail ourselves. The dumb of us have the paint brush, the weak of us have the sense, yet no backbone to …., the strong become institutionalized (be it sports, Money, Prison, (i hate to include) Education or Politics, ) as Frantz described, and Latch on to the luxuries of the colonialist. I’m no english major so dont kill me. lol
I have a plan for what i will contribute in sometime after my education. We all need plans to build our nation within this nation. Just my opinion.
THE FLAG AND COLORS ORIGINALLY BELONGED TO THE NAGAS WHITE PEOPLE WITH POWER STOLE EVERYTHING FROM THE AFRIKANS ALL OF OUR SYMBOLS AND USING THEM AGAINST US SO IT DONT BOTHER ME AT ALL I KNOW THE TRUTH BEHIND IT ALL BUT WHAT DOES BOTHER ME IS SELLOUT MF’S LIKE KANYE AND THE REST OF THEM BOULE MF’S THAT ARE DOIN THE BS
Kanye is only revealing a factor, that has many blacks caught up in self hatred. To shun your darker and nappy haired cousins around people that are white and successful has been the problem since segregation. I have seen black who envy whites’ yet they worship the straight hair and light skin’ and strive hard to become a clone, many are not conscious of what they are doing, the inferior complex has driven many on the brink of insanity’ Many will hate their dark children , calling them you ugly thing ,and they are also dark in complexion’ I have witness this’ This jealousy of whites drives them to want to be accepted by the whites and the only way to get there is to be their friend by any means .This is a sickness that can only be abolished through exposure’ this post is a step in the right direction’ it speaks volume’
I was so confused by the photo of W. E. B. DuBois in an article citing Fanon in the title that I had to go read it to get clarification. Having read the article, I understand.
In DuBois’ “double-consciousness” concept I was reminded of something that I see daily. Yesterday, I was listening to a James Baldwin lecture in which he described why every black boy and every black girl knows that in the American context, s/he is less than dirt and without value — it is because of an internalization of the dominant norms, which have their foundation in the values, beliefs, and background assumptions of the dominant culture. This internalization is evident in the presence of colorism in the African American community that persists to this very moment.
Ironically, last night in my class we were discussing conspicuous consumption, which of course is the tendency that people from lower social classes (poor, working-class, lower middle class) have to ensure that others know that they “have cheddar,” by buying rims for their cars at a cost of 5 figures a wheel which have a combined cost that is greater than the car’s; by buying clothes that they can’t really afford, but leaving price tags and brand labels on them so you can see who they’re manufactured by. Things that constitute real wealth don’t have these kinds of price tags, and people can’t *conspicuously* consume them.
So I think that Fanon’s idea about the envy of the colonized is true in Kanye’s case, and likely in many more people than are introspective enough to recognize (much less admit) it. I think that the double-mindedness makes African Americans “unstable in all [their] ways.”
Du Bois’ words echo in those of Wade Nobles (1976), in his effort to discuss with us the African American self-concept — what it is, and how we got it. He cites Elijah Muhammad (1965), who explains that to be an African American is to have a split mind, so that there is the self that has a place in our communities and in our homes; the one that is really us, and there is a concurrently existing self that is used to negotiate an existence within the social context of the dominant culture which, as Baldwin stated, surrounds us with persistent evidence that we are regarded as without value. To survive in it, we have a completely different way of speaking to the members of the dominant culture — every black person knows what it means to have a “phone voice.”
Every system has two main functions — the purpose for which it exists, which requires internal integration, and the necessity for continued survival in its environment, which requires adaptability. Because we are each, individually, a system, and because we are a system as a collective, a social group, these two truths pertain to us as well. We struggle to reconcile the truth of ourselves *within* our own minds (i.e., internal integration), and with the difference between the values of the society in which we live — the values it *says* it has about democratic, human equality, and the values it *really* holds when its responding to the violence that is visited upon our children (from Emmett Till to Trayvon Martin, et al.), our women (from Laura Nelson (http://withoutsanctuary.org/main.html) to Renisha McBride, et al.), and our men (from Sam Hose (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sam_Hose) to James Byrd, et al.).
I agree with your assessment of Kanye, JAM, but also of those who assess the blonde-tressed, stereotype-fulfilling performances and characters constantly paraded before us as icons worthy of emulation. If our resources (like the $ ½ trillion we spent on hair straightening and weaves, to say nothing of the billion$ spent on bleaching cosmetic creams) can continue to be directed toward self-negation and consumption of beliefs, attitudes, and assumptions that can only undermine and destroy us, we will continue remain a non-factor, or at least a far less impactful factor on the global stage than we really could be.
When circumstance puts a Kanye, a Jay-Z, a Beyoncé, a Nikki Menaj on the world stage, how can we possibly expect them to behave *other* than they have, when all this foregoing inner work has not been done?
And in the face of all the cameras and money, would we, ourselves, do any better?
Well said. I have no interest in anything he has to say since the Confederate flag incident. My mother called it attention seeking behavior. We need to be better than that.
One day Kanye will look back and regret everything he did during this time period. I honestly don’t believe he is in his right mind.
I honestly don’t think he has been in his right mind since the death of his mother.
Couldn’t have said it better myself!
Just like Kanye TRYING to boycott Vuitton, Jay-Z can’t boycott or sever ties with “racist” organizations when HE represents EVERYTHING that causes black men to be profiled in the first place. THAT would be hypocritical and laughable. Someone who glorifies black stereotypes getting mad because someone falls victim to those VERY stereotypes. Please!
Nice article, very informative.
Outstanding article! I saw the connection between Fanon & Dubois and Kanye but you articulated it so well!
Wow, I made very similar points in my blog. However, I am weary of blaming his symptoms over the structures that be. However, it is important to discern the difference between what Kanye is trying to do to what he is actually doing. http://jujuangeles.tumblr.com/post/68662088371/kanye-west-creative-genius-more-than-clothes-hoes
Hi JuJu,
Great article. I’m glad to see that other people are thinking about this as well. It’s a shame that more people don’t know about this.
That’s a very good article! You made some excellent points. 🙂
Another good article! This is good food for thought for us all.
This a great analysis. I am working on a similar piece about black male athletes & entertainers about why they are so willing to validate Miley and make someone an honorary white man, its all about wanting to join the status quo, rather than re-imagining a more just society.
I understand your points and appreciate your comparisons but cannot say that I totally agree. The statement, ” Ultimately, he cares more about having a seat at the table with the same people he accuses of racism and classism, than bringing about change.” is confusing to me. Wouldn’t this young artistic AA visionary be actively bringing about change by breaking the barriers of the high fashion world? What gets me is that ppl seem to be totally aloof to the FACT that we as AA consumers spend the majority of our money with brands and companies who are in no way connected or reflective of our communities and lifestyles. He does not aspire to produce the next Rocawear, FUBU, Akademics, Phat Farm, etc. Nothing against these brands b/c at one point they were all flourishing but they are not as relevant today partly due to the AA consumer! He is trying to build a brand that will stand the test of time like Gucci, LV, Fendi etc. I also think he’s trying to educate ppl on matters and conversations that are already being had about us in closed rooms! He is building a blue print for something that hasn’t been done before and will need MANY sources of knowledge to do so (European high fashion designers being one). I understand that his delivery is not always pleasant but I can appreciate what he is trying to communicate lyrically and visually. And btw, southern hip hop artists have long been flashing the Confederate flag, he’s not the first and won’t be the last. Ludacris, Lil John & the Eastside Boys and Andre 3000 of Outkast have all worn the symbol ( all successful artists and actors today minus the Eastside Boys). Why is so much scrutiny being directed towards KW?
I don’t see where we disagree on that point. Did you miss this part of my article? ” I understand him to a certain extent. Indeed, there is a systematic glass ceiling that prevents people of African descent and people from low economic classes from upward mobility. Even when some rise up the ranks, there are still many barriers that prevent them from attaining certain goals because they do not come from a certain class (the old money class). This is where I understand Kanye on the fashion industry. They don’t want him and they never will. He will forever be categorized as “urban,” a description he is desperately running away from because he knows that this is another way of being pigeonholed and prevented from making a significant impact (beyond blackness and urbanism) in the fashion industry.”
I know Kanye faces inequality but you can’t uphold racist structures and claim to fight it at the same time.
“know Kanye faces inequality but you can’t uphold racist structures and claim to fight it at the same time.”
I know this sounds strange but I believe you can. Think of it as wearing an outer layer to cloak to your environment while at the same time maintaining your DNA on the inside to relay messages that contradict it. Much like a virus. The concept isn’t new Douglas Rushkoff wrote about it in his book Media Virus!.
I’m going to come to Kanye’s defense in saying that you can’t fight every battle on every front. Right now he is creating cracks in the matrix that could stimulate conversations that we need to have. It’s up to the people to shape the conversations that now have a new venue.
I appreciated this article there are some fair criticisms and I appreciate the quoting of Frantz Fanon and W.E.B.
its not about upholding “racist structures”. its called being realistic. You have to play some politics to inside in order to make some changes. If you vehemently oppose things that they do…do you think u will ever get a seat at the table? You have to play that game in any arena. Further, the methods of protest that the others you suggest have tried hasn’t worked. Time to try something different. Accusing him of acting out of jealousy and a purely selfish motive is premature. Id say wait and see what he does with that seat. Everyone is willing to criticize his methods with no solutions.
More great pieces to research and read…thank you
Kanye West don’t like black people! Lmao. “we are all slaves”.. Yes kanye, but now you just want us to be YOUR slaves. Simple.
If anyone does not see this as unadulterated, unmitigated truth, then I need you to take a few seats. Kanye’s lived a life of contradiction ever since he became mainstream and his acquisition of the most mainstream, paparazzi princess available to him – Kim Kardashian – only illustrates the extent of the hypocrisy he lives (particularly in light of his Gold Digger lyric, “But when he get on, he leave your a$$ for a white girl”). His life is about possession, materialism, and ostentatious, ego centric self-absorption and it’s maddening and I’m disappointed at how fame has helped him morph into someone unrecognizable from the artist we original fell in love with and got behind. Kanye is going the way of Charlie Cheen – a laughable, walking meme that nobody really takes seriously.
actually, i was listening to gold diggers the other day and it (him and KimK together) finally made sense to me. the lyrics say “It take too much to touch her From what I heard she got a baby by Busta My best friend says she use to f*** with Usher I don’t care what none of yall say I still love her”. It was meant to be.
but, yes indeed, this is not the artist we fell in love with it. This is wonderful analysis.
JESSICA I had to cyber scream that. I thought I was the only one who noticed his need to be accepted. Sway was so right. He should and create his own. He shouldn’t wait for others. They will come when the money starts rolling in. And these rants are showing more than his frustration. They are showing is self-centered mindset using a community cause to get attention.
i agree he should create his own….but i don’t agree with the criticisms because he willing to speak out against the industry. Few people notice that no one who is actually in the fashion industry disputes his takes…He acts in self-interest to the degree that most people do….not much difference. I just don’t see that he’s that off……but i do see that we are conditioned to make him the villain….as we are whenever a black person speaks out….to each his or her own..
Great article!. My sentiments exactly. And for those black people who seem to think its so cool to appropriate and embrace the Confederate flag, well, its not. I don’t care who you are or how famous you are, a black person wearing the Confedrate flag is dumb as hell. It aint cool!
Another great article. Its clear Kanye has an abundance of people in his life that tell him what he want to hear. This article articulated him perfectly. His lack of historical knowledge makes his protest and outrage laughable. He called for boycott on louis vuitton however has continued to publicly wear and endorse the brand. He is another great artist that is losing touch with his initial audience that help him get to his current status.
Great article, both for content and format (I’m currently writing a research paper and I wish I could get it to flow this well).
I was having this conversation with my nephew last week. I posted the following:
Being unique and buying into the culture of individualism are two different things. You can uniquely express the limitations of a society that was developed on the premise of white supremacy without having a temper tantrum. Kanye only expresses these things as it pertains to him, but not as it pertains to those who are crushed by it, but have no microphone to express their oppression. When it worked for him, he didn’t have much to say. In that way, he is disingenuous
This clever research and creative headlining could have been used to add some light into the world.
Why not question the fact that Charlemagne thought is was ok to say to an artist doing promo for a new album that his album was whack and offer treatments for the video? And after that why not applaud Kanye the artist for simply smiling through the blatant disrespect from a simple critic? Dude is straight focused and has made his way, his way. At which point to we discontinue support for working harder than most ever will and being an individual? Let’s assume you are actually opposed to his behavior, why not offer solutions and example instead of more crabs in a bucket trolling for clicks?
Chris Rock made a comment in an interview for “Blacklist” about how much more amazing, game changing, ground breaking work a black person has to do to afford the same lifestyle as an average white dentist. Articles and attitudes in the black community are a huge part of the problem. Why does Kanye have to shout? Because even the forum that is supposed to be “Celebrating Black Life and Culture” has nothing more to add than a most dismissive “That n!**er’s crazy”.
thank you..
This.
I think you mis-read the main point of the piece, which was that Kanye is fighting against a racist hierarchy only insofar as it will allow him to become a part of it. The article doesn’t criticize his work ethic or call him crazy. Futhermore, the article acknowledges the obstacles that black people face in trying the succeed.
If you think the black community is a bigger problem than institutionalized oppression and discrimination, then you’re really demonstrated how subversive racist hierarchies are. Herman Cain worked incredibly hard to become CEO of Godfather Pizza, and so do you think his work ethic should overshadow the fact that he serves as the mouthpiece for racist people who want to critize the black community? Would JAM be “trolling for clicks” if she points out that reinforcing power structures does not advance the black community? What the heck does Charlemagne have to do with Kanye believing that the Confederate flag is a cute fashion accessory?
JAM is celebrating black life and culture by highlighting intellectual luminaries like WEB DuBois and Frantz Fanon. Furthermore, she’s not being dismissive when she points out that the black community has to have standards for itself. When we blindly support every charlatan purporting be a hardworking visionary, we end up with people like Clarence Thomas on the Supreme Court.
Good critique. I attended the Yeezus Tour here in Atlanta last night and it was a PHENOMENAL show. No matter the critique, he’s quite the entertainer. I have been a fan and supporter since his first album dropped, and I get what he is saying about the fashion industry. I also understand why Kanye rubs some people the wrong way. He’s passionate. He’s contradictory. He’s confident – extremely confident. And that bothers some. He’s easily agitated when he feels that people don’t hear or respect him. I get it. At the same time, I think that because he’s the ultimate self-hype-man he gets immediate crtique on the slightest issue or statement. He wants to be let “in” and feels that because he’s so influential and has the background/education to be “in” that he is being slighted. He definitely wants what “they” have because…well, because he should (his justification). Kanye’s goal of self-advancement is there; however, he would likely contribute to advancement for others should he succeed at getting “in”. Someone has to be the first, so why not him? I just wonder if we’re so conflicted with Kanye’s message because he’s “turnt up” about himself. One of the main differences between him and any other artist, entertainer, politician, etc. who wants to break the barriers for people of color and/or any group that is being denied is that he uses “I” more often than he uses “we” (although he does include the “we” when discussing breaking barriers but it seems to be drowned out by the rants). As a fan, I love his music. He really is (to me) a creative genius. As a educator and lover of social justice, I understand why he’s critiqued so much – but I also get him. While Kanye is obviously struggling with some inner conflict, buried in the rhetoric of “the fashion world needs me” is some truth regarding institutional and structural barriers for oppressed people in general. I hope we can wade through the perceived arrogance and take from his messages the social activism that has to be in his DNA via his father, former Black Panther Ray West and his mother, first African American chair of the English Department at Chicago State University, Donda West. It’s in there Kanye…we’re just waiting for the dust to settle.
Thanks for posting.
Oh yes…add Pastor Troy and MJG to the list of Black artists that have worn the Confederate flag. Each has explained the use of the flag much in the same manner as Kanye did. Not that I agree…but that’s the explanation.
youre just bragging about reading franz fanon arent you… i dont listen to much kanye since the first few albums, but what is clear about commercial art, is that artists are the holders of capital, and the ones who engage means of production, and particularly in hip hop, present a product and service generally bound by something of a fanonian conversatoin… but …please…. you should have said what you really mean and cited fanons black skin white mask…
another homerun article Sis!
Thanks for your article, I enjoyed reading it and appreciate the application of Fanon and DuBois to modern issues since it always feels like we are repeating history instead of learning from it. I wanted to share that the symbol commonly known as the swastika is sometimes called the Whirling Log in Indigenous culture and in some enclaves of American Indian communities it is still used in cultural weavings and in others hotly debated as to the purpose of having it used as a fashion statement to reclaim its original meaning. Much Appreciated, Sarita
Wow! Wicked article! Very articulate and helped me put to words the faces I make when I watch him. Not raging or taking Kanye down a notch just that kind of awkward ‘feels’ you get when someone shoots themselves in the foot.
I am very happy to read such a well thought out, well written article. Thank you very much. I hope to read more articles by Jessica Ann Mitchell
Great article. You have managed to put into words exactly what I feel about Kanye. Damn I wish I wrote this article myself.
This is America and basically one can do what s/he wants. And so be it Kanye. As far as a “table” goes…he needs some training from 50 Cents…he gets a “table.”
Well said.
I lost respect for him when he sampled Strange Fruit and added trivial and benign lyrics. I wrote it off as ignorance or sensationalism, based on this article I’d imagine it was the latter.
This was really on point! I think you got Kanye just right. He’s a talented producer. No one can take that from him. But he’s way too narcissistic. He has an over inflated EGO. I think he truly wants to be accepted by the mainstream(white) media. Marrying Kim K?? Not my idea of the ideal woman. But their relationship seems fake to me. It looks like more of a career move rather than love. Kim also is an attention seeking woman who’s famous for a sex tape. I think they deserve each other.
I don’t think Kanye really cares about black people. He only cares about himself. He says controversial things to create a buzz. It’s not like he’s Marcus Garvey or Malcolm X. He’s just a rapper who helps to reinforce a negative stereotype. Such as loud mouth materlistic black men that worship white standards of beauty. That’s not the type of image we as black men should be putting out there.
Thank God for you, Jessica Ann Mitchell. This is from a person who is not religious at all. When I hear young intelligent people like you recognize the misdirection of so many young Black celebs I began to think there must be a God. So, thank you Lord! We are indeed blessed.
Great commentary! I wish Kanye would read and digest this. Brava! I loved reading this article.
Yes yes yes JAM! I was trying to explain everything you stated (so eloquently) to my friend who is a huge proponent of Kanye. Kanye rants about Chicago’s violence and the need for change but will drop $10 million to start a fashion label? Why don’t you give this (money) to help uplift your community instead of wasting YOUR FINANCIAL RESOURCES and time trying to fit in? A potential clothing line will not stop the violence plaguing Chicago inner streets and other similar communities. If fighting the system is so critical to Mr. West, one would think he would invest in prevention and intervention to save black boys and girls from the list of socio-economic hardships that stifle our growth in this county.
You’re wasting valuable time as well as your considerable talent contemplating/explaining and inevitably validating the stream of disjointed nonsense from this brother. Part of any celebrity’s job is to remain relevant to his or her audience. Most do this through their art but many do this by creating noise and activity around themselves. That’s all he’s doing- filling time with garbage info designed to entertain and hopefully generate headlines. Only an idiot would wear clothing festooned with the confederate flag. He’s best left to his own devices. If you associate this ignorance with true intellectual thought (Fanon) you only legitimize it and in the process suggest to your readers that he deserves introspection. He does not. His politics are superfluous and
child like and they don’t deserve to be debated by adults with a sense of self and a knowledge of American history.
That’s true, N. Johnson. However, it is important to educate his ill-informed fans. This is obviously NOT a commentary targeted at Kanye. It would go way over his head.
Nah, I wholeheartedly disagree. Now I’m no academic and can’t cite by resources in MLA format with a myriad of quotes from ancient philosophers or whatever but in my interpretation he’s being incredibly subversive. Not only to white america, but to black america as well. He’s drawing criticism from both sides and it makes one wonder, what is he really saying to ruffle so many feathers?
He saying he wants ownership. Plain and simple. He doesn’t want a seat. He wants his own table. Not a rented one. Not endorsing someone else’s table. His own table, with seats reserved for his loved ones. Where he can create with freedom. Without having to constantly go through a “name” to get his vision out at the quality he requires
I disagree that he’s envious. Envious of whom? White people? Please. He just doesn’t want them writing him his checks for the rest of his life. Moreover, if he’s anything like me, there’s probably a bit of contempt at the the fact that we are painfully aware of how many whites came to acquire their wealth, and why blacks are seemingly without. Not envy, contempt. We want what’s ours. Plain and simple.
In regards to the flag, he’s shitting on it by wearing it. It’s classic appropriation. To put into context, it’s analogous to the song/title “Black Skinhead.” It’s a subversive use of two opposite social symbols to neutralize and create new ones. Above the Alabama state Capitol it’s a symbol of a racist past. On his back it’s a giant flying “fuck you” to racist white america. He’s literally taking white iconography and stamping his black face over the top of it. But black people are too in their racial past bandwagon feelings to actually process the importance of what Kanye just did. He went on YT central, the Ellen Degeneres show, to debut “Bound II,” and appropriated every iconic American trope and showed everybody just how corny it was, and like 5% of America got the joke. On the internets we call that a troll. This article is proof that people still don’t get it.
In short, he’s doing some very subversive things while cloaking it in pop culture but very few people understand, and too many are voicing as if they do.
thank you…someone with some sense…finally…wake up people…
nice right!
great points….people dont get it
perfect, very similar to the points I wrote below as well.
I totally agree with u!
Yes!!!
“too many are voicing as if they do”
Thanks for the insightful article about Kanye. I’m a bit curious about your choice of title, though, not so much as a criticism but for clarification. You call it a “Frantz Fanon Complex,” but you cite Wretched, written at a point in Fanon’s career in which he’d done away with the complex he so lucidly describes (a complex he could have been accused of wrestling with in Black Skin, White Masks). My question is whether or not you think Fanon remained “guilty” (loaded term) of this complex. If not, perhaps some clarification for some of your readers is necessary. Some might read your title and piece and walk away thinking that Kanye and Fanon share a complex that Fanon had done away with.
Still, thank you for this succinct, conversation-generating post!
Wow, I don’t even know where to begin with a response to this article, but praise to the author for drawing the likeness to Frantz Fanon’s colonized mind and W.E.B. Dubois double consciousness. First and foremost it’s a shame that after all the dollars I’ve spent, and almost a decade now of practicing psychology I wasn’t even aware that there were specific books authored by black psychiatrists providing a psychological perspective on the lasting effects of slavery and colonialism. With that said, I’m going to jump right into reading “Wretched of the Earth” with hope of adding that to my skill set.
Now Brian, I know you’re not a fan of Kanye lol, or as you said couldn’t care less, but as a fan since the “Producer First, Pre College Dropout” days and tickets for Dec. 13th show I must retort on a few things. Que in the line from Kanye’s New Slaves:
“They tryna lock niggas up, they trnya make new slaves, See that’s that privately owned prison get your piece today, They prolly all in the hamptons bragging bout what they made, fuck you and your Hampton house, I’ll fuck your Hampton spouse, came on her Hampton blouse and in her Hampton mouth” Which is then followed by “Y’all bout to turn shit up (one of the most overused phrases of 2013) I’m bout to tear shit down, I’m to air shit out, Now what the fuck they gon’ say now?”
Now yes, I know you’re gonna say that’s only one line amongst all the misogyny, money, etc. but as a rapper ask yourself who else in “mainstream rap” is even rapping about privatized prisons and those profiting from jailing minorities. So yes, I think Frantz Fanon colonized mind reference is spot on, but Kanye’s continued passion for vehemently arguing who the “new slaves” are is only amplified by the success he’s reached on rapping about other issues and good times, and not necessarily the inability and envious displeasure of getting a seat at the table.
On the subject of transforming hierarchical structures rather than unknowingly reinforcing them, it’s easy to pick on what on the surface would seem as support for the fashion brand Celine, when in reality dude’s just playing the game and the unfortunate sacrifice that goes along with playing by the rules of old money class for a larger prize. By larger prize, I’m referring to what he argued with Sway about during with his interview in that he wants to fill the whole in fashion for an African American to break through on a Ralph Lauren level, and not just another Karl Kani, Fubu, or Phat Farm. Speaking metaphorically and looking at “track records” (pun intended) check the symbolism in this video released in 2010 for the type of table in which Kanye envisions (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D55rDDvu3n4 ).
Regarding the confederate flag, everyone’s entitled to their opinion on that and roots of oppression, but once again from what I read wearing this wasn’t about a laughing or fashion forward matter, but rather out of anger and passion like many of the other tracks on Yeezus as a statement of “I’m taking your flag, and all the power associated with it.” Going back and listening to the whole 30min interview with Sway and not just when things became heated, my take once again is he’s chosen to answer racism and upward mobility by any means necessary which will involve unfortunate sacrifices, such as playing by their rules, staying relevant, and generating income from producing, rapping, and touring. I get it; he can certainly be assertive and passionate at times but think about Kanye through Gestalt Psychology which looks at the whole person being a sum of its individual parts; This a guy who broke into producing as a kid, into rapping (2003-2004) and has stayed relevant when 50 Cent, Beanie Siegel, Memphis Bleek, Nelly, Ja Rule, Eminem, and Ludacris were supposed to takeover, all the while he gets to direct videos, design shoes, and get people listening to Common, Mos Def. However amongst all of this success against his mother the Dr.’s initial wishes who has encouraged him to go and stay in school passes following complications from an elective surgery she may have never had, had his career taken the direction of the beaten path. Honestly I think the change is coming, and this way bigger than just a seat at the table, designing some sneakers, and leather jogging pants.
Miles
If the author cared more about her work or Kanye for that matter, she would have been able to see what you see. Good job.
That table tho! Well illustrated.
Great article. I’m fascinated to see what you will write next.
That’s so spot on it’s frightening. It’s my opinion that “you have the answers” JAM! 😉
I absolutely love this!!!
Interesting text, dont care to think to much of what Kanye does or does not. I enjoy reading Fanon though. Also, it irritates the crap outta me to see how many so called black americans in the US always seem to think colonialism and slavery happened to them and only them. It happened to every native, mestizo, latino, asian call it what you wanna call it, to.
I enjoyed reading your article and perspective. I think we can aptly extend your analysis beyond racism to overall class-ism in America. Folks of lower economic status often vote for and support those positions that are not in their best interest in an effort to preserve the status quo in case they do get a “place at the table” as you called it. Progress is not about making our own individual situations better but making our culture better in the collective. It is a shame that more people do not see it as you have. Well done article. Thanks!
Sorry but I disagree I think that all the people who are upset with the system as it stands are in a way haters they want nice things, they would love for the race they come from to be in charge. They wish to be rich, famous and powerful and many people kill, steal and destroy to gain power or maintain it just like white folks did. Honestly I think that Kanye West represents what lots of people ‘s inner thoughts are but he actually speaks them. I bet the so called high and mighty writer of this article owns high fashion designer clothing and a nice foreign vehicle and wants to have more money and get power over more editors for the gain of her self not our people. I am also sure that like everyone she quoted in this masterpiece ( lol ) she got to the place she is in on the necks and backs of other White , Latino and or African American Writers …… people are so self righteous she is trashing a successful black young artist in the name of black conciousness to get a name for her self how niggerish of her!
Sad, but accurate.
The sadness in not in the inaccuracy of the article but the response. I find nothing profound about any of the gibberish that so easily falls out of Kanye Wests mouth. Money and success does not necessarily make you great. Yes the man has attained “success” but what does he do with it? The pursuit of designer clothes is unfortunate because once again the man of color who wants to purchase a belt for $400 from a designer that is not affiliated or has nothing to do with your community is a fool. You enrich an entity far outside of your community and leave your backyard barren. Imagine these funds being used to purchase a $100 dollar belt from your local designer and additional funds to clothing designers, supermarkets, etc. that are owned by those who look like you and live in your neighborhood. imagine the economic impact in these communities and the automatic power and influence that would be enjoyed as opposed to purchasing $300 t-shirts from you over seers. Kanye west is wrong we are not all slaves only a few are and to them he is the quintessential overseer, he is given a place on the masters porch and then keeps the others in line by offering them the $300 t-shirt or the special edition sneakers. At the end of the day nothing has changed the money always comes back to the master because Kanye and those of his ilk are receiving a percentage from the master table but the masses are getting nothing in return.
The constant cry of racism is ludicrous you give your wealth and thereby your power away and expect people to treat you with dignity. So sorry but for those of you who think he is some messiah sent from above to spread the good news you are sadly mistaken he is more like Stephen the Samuel Jackson character on Django. People wake up support you communities buy local empower the people you see on a regular day so they can grow Versace, Louis Vuitton etc. are not concerned about you.
Accurate? How so? Kanye speaks your inner thoughts- really? You yearn for Europeans to acknowledge/ validate your presence and give you money and a contract to design overpriced clothing for your peers? Clothing the vast majority of them will never be able to afford. To what end?
Real talk- Europeans designers have no use for Kanye or anything else brown or black. They’re not checking for Kanye just like white people in general are not checking for you. Their entire existence is based on maintaining an image of “beauty” that has never included Africans or any derivative thereof. They don’t need or want Black designers to create their clothes or Black models to wear them and those misguided souls who continue to bang on their doors are wasting their time and energy. Mainstream fashion culture is a gear in the machine of white supremacy, not Black uplift.
Real talk- Kanye is signed to a label distributed by more Europeans. His success is based on the success of his art combined with his notoriety. In order to remain paid he must maintain the two things. Like many, his future can easily be upended by a handful of white men who will discard him when he fails to meet quotas. If he is as forward thinking and progressive as his fans on this board suggest then he should get out of his contract immediately, release his musical manifestos via the web, learn to sew and sketch and change the world through haberdashery.
However, if that seems like too much work he should remain where he is and just keep denigrating the foolish white millionaires who refuse to avail themselves of his genius.
They don’t mind the whining, as long as he’s making them money.
This article is all bad and uses the wrong resources. In her rush to quickly gain more viewing after her Jay Z article, Jessica Anne Mitchell once again misses a great opportunity to explore the mind and value of the Black creative and entrepreneur. As with the Jay Z article, Mitchell is lazy and totally misrepresents Kanye’s mission, anguish and tactics. This kind of myopic evaluation is becoming a pandemic in blog culture, especially within black blog culture. We must be able to think better and deeper. The black community has so dumbed itself down that readers love this new kind of black bashing. The author and the stampede of likeminded commenters reflect new ignorance run amuck in cognitive dissonance. This article is not profound in any way and its disingenuousness is ultimately sadder than Kanye’s recent campaign. And Kanye is on a campaign. We in the black community have finally lost our ability to adequately look beyond our community, especially when it comes to self-actualization. This inner community marginalization is dangerous. Kanye is clearly not looking for a seat at any table. Kanye is looking for financial backing and supportive infrastructure to creatively define a new world view. Right or wrong, Kanye’s quest is to deconstruct and appropriate symbolism, all while holding a parallactic view of popular culture. So a proper evaluation of Kanye’s creative campaign moves far beyond, but also impacts race. Thus, Fanon and Dubois are not appropriate in the case of Kanye, the author would have had been more accurate if she reached for Nietzsche.
“One must shed the bad taste of wanting to agree with many. “Good” is no longer good when one’s neighbor mouths it. And how should there be a “common good”! The term contradicts itself: whatever can be common always has little value. In the end it must be as it is and always has been: great things remain for the great, abysses for the profound, nuances and shudders for the refined, and, in brief, all that is rare for the rare.” –Friedrich Nietzsche, Beyond Good and Evil
Your response was very well written. Do you have a blog? I enjoy reading multiple perspectives.
Applaud this man.
Yes. Well put, thank you!
yes….yes…we are so small-minded because we think that publicly whining about not being supported by large corporations (read: white institutions) and cosigned by historically eurocentric brands is a waste of time and antithetical to loving who you are as a human being who is classified as black.
yes, we should all abandon trying to connect our fate with anyone we share a similar global plight with so that we can, to quote you, “adequately look beyond our community, especially when it comes to self-actualization.” To heck with social responsibility and respect for your ancestry! Go for SELF!
and lastly, we have to stop, to quote you again, “this [dangerous] inner community marginalization” where we point out when anyone we once supported, prayed for, and rooted for has gone off the deep end. For shame!
How dare we want anyone who cites the civil rights’ movement and its leaders to actually CONTRIBUTE to the cause he loves to reference. Common Good? Fuck that. I wish all of our grandmothers and grandfathers and ancestors had just looked out for self! We’d be much farther by now.
As much as I love reading Nietzsche myself, at the end of the day, he was a socially isolated, mentally unhinged European man, who could afford to embrace extreme egocentricity and nihilism. As black people, our tradition of communal empowerment and cooperative social activism is greatly endangered my this cancerous, self-absorbed way of viewing the world. Here Nietzsche discusses the devaluation of the good once it becomes common, which is just another way of saying that the masses are ignorant, but sadly what could more common than the image of a black male celebrity who upholds, honors and respects white women who have been denigrated as whores by their own people, chases after money, attention and materialistic trappings, and is in love, at least on the surface, with himself. Stop the madness. And as great of a read as Nietzsche is, he was, as was well documented, absolutely insane!!!
Think you reading of Fanon is accurate to a point, because I felt you should not stop there. In the other chapters where lays into essentially leadership, he provides the most useful lens for us to critically penetrate the fallacies. Kanye is easy, Jay Z is easy. Let’s up the ante and offer critique on an Obama, or a Michael Jordan, or public figure in black culture that are at times considered untouchable.
I would like to say that Fanon’s first chapter is one of the most powerful chapters in diagnosing the White eyes on Black Bodies. thanks for sharing.
i think you all give this kanye guy way too much credit, he wasn’t a genius because he said “George Bush hates black people”. He brought in race because it has always been a hot button. He was endowed with brilliance when clearly there was none perhaps one should have observed his demeanor and comportment as he made the statement. Kanye is getting everyone to talk about him so he can then go to various companies and claim some sort of influence. I think the article’s point about the colonized mind continues to play out today it seems we are always in search of a leader someone who will be our voice and we give anyone who speaks loud enough that title. We don’t evaluate the person but because they have a voice again the are endowed with faux brilliance.
In one way or another most African Americans that have broken through poverty barriers with out dealing with prior trauma or other issues are still broken individuals. I agree with some that say that he has unresolved grief over the death of his mother in addition to anger issues. I don’t agree with a lot that Kanye West does or says because it is very obvious that he is a wounded human locating his place in American society. If someone put u or I under the microscope one would discover our brokenness that we have manage to disguise too. We have to be careful not to do more harm than good with our words and thoughts.
Yes he is wounded. I have always said that since the death of his mother, the incident with the baby , and his wife to be Alexis leaving, was the cause for a lot of what we see today. However, this can’t be his crutch forever. He has the money and resources to get the help he needs but let’s be real on why he never did or has no intentions on doing that. He sold himself plain and simple. It amazes me when people try to skirt around the whole “selling your soul” thing and that in going that route or any route that requires you to sell you, a price has to be paid. He has no problem being a puppet because there seems to be no consequences for it. He married someone who is basically a female version of him and to me was meant to get with to be a part of the abundance of ignorance then had the nerve to breed. Let’s face it he is a far cry from what he used to be and his evolution is in serious trouble but he sealed the deal of that fate the moment he made his decision. Of course most of his fans especially in today’s time has no problem with ANYTHING he does because it’s the very things that are praised. Some have a love/hate thing with him because it’s hard to accept that this is who he is now but knows he had/has so much more to him. He has so much status and so many drones that he can make some sense and be ignorant all at the same time. I’m not saying that some of the old Kanye is completely gone but it definitely has taken a backseat to what we see today. I once said that it isn’t what he is trying to say, but his delivery is weak. He sounds more like a three year old who was told he can’t have a bag of skittles at the store. Now as much as I can’t stand how he is today I can’t also say there’s not some type of genius. There’s a difference playing into the politics a little because in some ways you may have to in order to achieve a greater end game and playing into because it benefits you and only you. He’s okay ranting about the issues because it’s not his intent to fix them for everyone else, just himself. Believe me though the day he no longer has that luxury is the day we will see a different Kanye but most likely it’ll be him whining like a brat that just went broke as opposed to the rapper who used to be broke.
ON POINT! Thanks for writing this piece. Sharing and shared! #kanye #frantzfanon #race