Azaelia Banks and the pitfall of excessive passion

[Arkansota]

I think we all know that Azaelia Banks is a very poor advocate on black issues. She is incredibly aggressive and comes off looking like a bully. Unfortunately, her apparent lack of social awareness ensures that she will be entirely unaware of how much damage she is doing to her own cause.

How can other advocates learn from this message? What is necessary to prevent such a public figure from being so radical on behalf of your movement?

[Aike]

As someone who likes her music, I had to look up what you're talking about.

My respect for her just went up a notch.

Plus, there's an entirely legitimate case for reparations.

[Arkansota]

As someone who likes her music, I had to look up what you're talking about.

My respect for her just went up a notch.

Plus, there's an entirely legitimate case for reparations.

She states that black people are owed 100 trillion dollars. This country cannot afford to do that without destroying itself. And yes, she does state that white people should pay that (partially).

Reparations would be somewhat reasonable if they were paid by the government, but what people realistically want is for white people to pay it. That's not fair. Many white people can't afford to lose any of their income.

Bottom line, she's an extremist. She has made so many inflammatory comments about not only Iggy Azalea but also white people in general- None of these comments were provoked.

[Viltans]

Hi Arkansota! I don't know her at all... Is she racist or does she sing racist lyrics in her songs? Does the Black community agree with her speeches and point of view? Isn't she attempting to take advantage of the last events?

[Aike]

She's exaggerating, of course. 100 trillion dollars is multiple times the entire GDP of the Unites States. If reparations were made, they should be funded from the taxes of corporations and the rich (who are overwhelmingly white by the way). It is in any case obscene to attack someone like Banks when, in reality, black people (among other racial minorities) were robbed disproportionately on a mass scale in the aftermath of the subprime mortgage crisis.

[Arkansota]

She's exaggerating, of course. 100 trillion dollars is multiple times the entire GDP of the Unites States. If reparations were made, they should be funded from the taxes of corporations and the rich (who are overwhelmingly white by the way). It is in any case obscene to attack someone like Banks when, in reality, black people (among other racial minorities) were robbed disproportionately on a mass scale in the aftermath of the subprime mortgage crisis.

In America, reparations is generally taken to mean white people being forced to pay black people. That's why it's so controversial. White people in general can't afford that. For many, that would mean losing their homes.

And I don't think attacking someone who is inflammatory and aggressive is obscene.

[Rareboy]

^ Much ado about nothing. But the point is that the US was built upon white people owning black people like they were beasts of burden. A shameful legacy that is hard to erase. If my ancestors had been treated this way, I'd be ugly pissed too.

[LJay]

My first thought is: Who is Azalea Banks? From what I see above, I am not particularly interested in finding out. One more strident voice presenting unrealistic challenges to our problems is not what we need. Solutions lie not in blame, but in handling the present and the future in a more responsible way than we did the past.

[BrianNorth]

She's brilliant. Her only goal is to get people talking. I ignore about who she is beefing with but her recent comments have sparked healthy intelligent debate amongst people.

[Arkansota]

She's brilliant. Her only goal is to get people talking. I ignore about who she is beefing with but her recent comments have sparked healthy intelligent debate amongst people.

I don't think she's starting the right discussions. What people are saying is "OMG, Azealia Banks is a racist bitch!!" not "Azealia Banks is right!"