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Rapper, NFL Star Tap Dance As Trump Torches America
Celebrities remind us how much they don’t know about politics
During a 1963 interview, Malcolm X, the great Black political thinker and activist, derided Black athletes and entertainers as puppets. “Show me in the white community where a trumpet player is a leader…” he said.
More than 60 years later, his words still ring true. Black athletes and entertainers have their role in promoting issues, but they shouldn’t be seen as political thought leaders.
We’re a long way from the 1960s, when Muhammad Ali gave up his career because of a political issue. Ali famously went to jail and lost his boxing title because he refused to serve in the Vietnam War. But that was then; today’s athletes are more concerned about getting their next giant contract or endorsement deal.
Entertainers aren’t much better. A few are politically informed, but most are self-absorbed and detached from reality. I know, I’ve been on the tour of Beverly Hills and seen the homes where the stars live. They’re protected from the world and live in cosseted environments surrounded by yes men.
Also, few Black people are turning to entertainers to guide their political decisions. But don’t tell President Donald Trump that. Trump likes to think he has Black…
