Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Draws a Line in the Sand, Right in Front of Nick Cannon
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar just did what all of us should be doing: calling out our own, in his case, Nick Cannon, when they make racist comments.
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar gives us some elderly wisdom at a time when 'young wokes' want control. | Source: (i) Tinseltown / Shutterstock.com (ii) taniavolobueva / Shutterstock.com. Imaged edited by CCN.com.
- The Hollywood Reporter published an op-ed by Kareem Abdul-Jabbar yesterday.
- Abdul-Jabbar criticized the recent anti-Semitic remarks from sports players and entertainers like Nick Cannon, asking why we aren’t more outraged.
- He’s doing the hard work of combating racism within his own race and teaching the rest of us by example.
Class is in session. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar is the professor. Nick Cannon, pay attention.
The former NBA superstar penned an op-ed yesterday titled, “Where Is the Outrage Over Anti-Semitism in Sports and Hollywood?”
Many people, including the entirety of cancel culture, seemed to be confused when multiple Black entertainers and sports players started speaking out against Jews.
These people are part of the same group we’re all fighting for in the Black Lives Matter protests. What do we do when they attack another group of people with their own experiences with oppression?
According to Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, we should get angry.
Cancel Culture Has Been Shockingly Quiet About Nick Cannon & Friends
Cancel Culture has been reaching a fever pitch lately.
It’s tried to cancel Ellen DeGeneres for being mean. It’s tried to cancel Joe Rogan for laughing at terrible jokes. Bari Weiss left The New York Times because of the toxic “young woke” energy. JK Rowling believes that gender is a real thing, so she’s gone!
Meanwhile, people like Nick Cannon are calling Jews “animals,” “savages,” and “lesser than” Black people.
And cancel culture displayed nothing more than, as Kareem Abdul-Jabbar puts it, “meh-rage.”
Ice Cube has shared QAnon-related conspiracy tweets that imply that Jews are running the world. TMZ reported that in 2015, he ordered people to beat up a rabbi.
The outrage? Nonexistent. Abdul-Jabbar claims it’s a sign of the coming “Apatholypse,” or “apathy to all forms of social justice.”
Viacom just fired Nick Cannon, but he’s unapologetic about his stance.
Abdul-Jabbar likens these celebrities’ behavior to the Nazis and the KKK:
These famous, outspoken people share the same scapegoat logic as all oppressive groups from Nazis to the KKK: all our troubles are because of bad-apple groups that worship wrong, have the wrong complexion, come from the wrong country, are the wrong gender or love the wrong gender.
Adding,
It’s so disheartening to see people from groups that have been violently marginalized do the same thing to others without realizing that perpetuating this kind of bad logic is what perpetuates racism.
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Is Doing Exactly What Black Lives Matter Wants White Folks to Do
One of the most repeated messages that Black Lives Matter has been giving to its white allies is to speak out against your own.
If you see other white people acting in a racist way, say something. Don’t be silent. Don’t be complicit. That is racism.
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar is leading by example. He’s speaking out against members of his own race, even at a time when it’s highly inconvenient.
But what’s truly inconvenient is the timing of these anti-Semitic remarks.
We’ve Seen This Before
It feels similar to the empowerment that Donald Trump gave to white supremacists. As soon as he was elected, they came out of the woodwork and proudly espoused their tragic ideals.
People like Nick Cannon, Ice Cube, and Desean Jackson are doing the same thing amidst the backing of the BLM movement.
And Kareem Abdul-Jabbar is using his wisdom to correct them. We should speak out against racism in any form. As he puts it, “No one is free until everyone is free.”
Abdul-Jabbar just gave us the template. Let’s stop being complicit with racist logic, no matter who’s saying it.
Disclaimer: The opinions expressed in this article do not necessarily reflect the views of CCN.com.