This week Kanye West has been the subject of serious critics because of the series of statement that follows: 

“You hear about slavery for 400 years; for 400 years! That sounds like a choice to me” 

“Why you keep reminding us of slavery?” 

While referring to Martin Luther King and Malcolm X he proceeds by saying: 

“Certain icons are too far in the past. They are not relatable”     

            Kanye West, 2018  

Humankind has been known to suppress every tragedy that depicts their animal side. If slavery was a choice, why were we in chains, killed, beat-up, and forced to work in the field? Why were we separated from our wife and children? Why were our women rape and mistreated? Why were our daughters taking advantage of for their sexual prowess?  

With a lot of dares, an immense amount of ignorance and of course for a couple of minutes of fame, a product of slavery had nerves to state that slavery was a choice. If there is a choice in the matter, it is all those black people that allow themselves to be manipulated to the benefit of those that hold no heart to black communities. There is no other way to approach such an outrageous statement but to present the fact that here in America slave rebellion was common. Haiti had to fight to abolish the practice across the Caribbean and even here in the state with the battle of Savannah. Yes, Mr. Kanye West, it did take 400 years to fully abolish slavery, it was not because of the choice of your ancestors, but rather that their oppressors were powerful. After four centuries of oppression, marches, and tears, the struggle remained. 

Our ancestors unveiled the truth behind slavery and exposed their master’s motivation: “racism, segregation”. We must understand that we all are responsible for what we are doing, what is needed to be done, what we are saying and what needs to be said. By using your platform, your influence to make such statement you reduce to dust all the work that the giants that came before you, such as Martin Luther King, Malcolm X, Jean Jacque Dessalines, Toussaint Louverture,  have done. You are teaching those that take you for a role model to lower their heads when they are being oppressed and accept that it is their fault that they are in the situation, while the hand at work is way too powerful to resist. Instead, I advise that you preach unity where we can get together and resist those that want to remind us that we are less than human and we should accept that.  

In Haiti Phoenix we believe that we are to fight to uplift the community, the black community in general, we believe that education is key and with the proper education we can create a new mindset that carries out the urge of a better world where everyone is weight based on their capacity, not the color of their skin or the country that they come from. Where best to start if not in the first black nation, the country that was triumphant over the ultimate oppressor, Haiti. Slavery was not nor will it ever be a choice, it only left a trauma that is carried out from one generation to the next.  

After 214 years, we still have signs that trace back to the days of our enslavement. What is next? Is being a victim of racism, segregation, rape, sexism also a choice? Slavery is far from a choice and it is a real problem. We once fought for our independence, let’s consciously educate each other about our value and culture so we no longer let others control us. It is time to take our destiny at hand and promote “Haiti On a Positive Edge!”