Black Rapper Kanye West: A Reluctant Social Icon of our Times

I must say I am no fan of Hip Hop music. I can't even tell you what genre of music, Kanye West falls into. But after watching the recent scathing he received in an interview on The Today Show, I find myself agreeing with him. Here's the thing: racism as we knew it is no longer blatant as it was during the era of Civil Rights. However, it can be said that sometimes we might take advantage of a situation and call it something else.

Take for instance, when Kanye referred to President George Bush' handling of the Hurricane Katrina situation some years ago as 'President Bush does not like Black people'. You might say that Kanye was accusing the President of being racist. But what gets me is now five years later, President Bush in his memoir points to that episode and describes it as the lowest point of his presidency. I don't believe President Bush is racist any more than I believe Kanye West is racist. But I do think that the President using that as the most negative comment on his presidency is uncalled for.

Now don't get me wrong, I like President Bush. I agreed with him on most issues. I like that he is a man of his word, and when he makes a decision, he is resolute. You knew who he was when he walked into the room. As much as I admire his leadership qualitites, he should allow Kanye to express his frustrations in the way Blacks were treated in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. It is fair to say Kanye was right in his observations.

The mainstream media should leave Kanye alone. By expressing his opinion, he might have changed his role from that of Entertainer, to a leader effecting Social change. He should not be vilified as he has been in recent times for expressing his opinion. The Right of free Speech is guaranteed by the U.S. Constitution. If someone can write a book describing pedophilia and the sexual abuse of children and claim their right to free speech, why shouldn't Kanye claim his right to express his growing frustration over the sense that black people despite crossing over on Civil Rights are largely disenfranchised. I say leave Kanye alone.

There are other emerging voices of our time whose opinions will shape our thoughts and actions. If we strike Kanye down, we will be in effect shutting down those voices, and who is to say one of them won't emerge as the pre-eminent voice of change in our time. It is time for a change.