The assigned text, "I'm Not Black, I'm Kanye,"
The assigned text, “I’m Not Black, I’m Kanye,” is about five thousand words long, and in it Ta-Nehisi Coates discusses many things, most of which are in relation to Kanye West’s most recent comments. Specifically, he criticizes the rap star for his pro-Trump position. But oddly enough, it is not only the rapper’s shared dragon energy with Trump that he castigates, but also Kanye’s preoccupation with individuality over his membership with the Black community.
Lost in Individuality
In the piece, he notes how Kanye had lost his way and needs to come “home;” that his desire to be a free thinker ultimately boils down to his desire to enjoy white freedom, which he describes as a “freedom without consequence, freedom without criticism, freedom to be proud and ignorant; freedom to profit off a people in one moment and abandon them in the next… freedom without responsibility, without hard memory” (Coates).
Betraying His Race
Coates accuses Kanye of betraying his race – like Michael Jackson did – by putting his “I” before his “We,” the latter being the source from which he funnels all of his talents.
Michael Jackson's Role
Coates is a masterful writer. I did not have to second-guess what he was saying most of the time and his choice of words very eloquently put forth his ideas. There is, however, one difficulty I have had with regard to the text, and that is how Michael Jackson really figured into the whole narrative. The piece, I thought, was about Kanye’s controversial tweets and how they are doing damage to the culture by supporting White supremacists. How does Michael Jackson really figure into any of this?
Confusion with Comparisons
He was certainly no White supremacist, nor did he show direct political support to any controversial figure during his time. As far as I know, his “whiteness” was partially caused by vitiligo, a rare skin disease that causes the skin to lose pigmentation. And yet time and time again Coates would use him as a precursor to Kanye West. Simply put, I found the article’s continued reference to Michael Jackson as somebody exactly like Kanye rather confusing at first.
Understanding the Parallelism
Having identified my central difficulty with the text I proceeded to implement my reading strategy of choice, making a double entry journal. I reread the article and annotated the sentences that I found interesting in each paragraph, especially those that mention Michael Jackson. I took note of every mention, being careful to detail what was being said in that context, and gave special attention to paragraphs that mentioned both West and Jackson in comparison. By the end of my second reading, I reviewed my reactions and annotations, and I managed to piece together a few things.
Successful Black Icons
First, Coates seems to compare both Jackson and West as significant Black icons that have great cultural reach. Next, he then proceeds to differentiate them with regard to their rise to fame, i.e., how Jackson was aided with popular myth, whereas Kanye got to where he is through sheer talent. Further, it was not Jackson’s color that he describes as having defined his white freedom, it was the plastic surgeries he had done to his face. Finally, Coates draws attention to the fact that both of these icons forgot where they came from, grew big egos, and began making choices as if they were privileged White men.
Coates' Message
With this second reading and my improved understanding of this parallelism, I began to realize a few things, foremost of which is what Coates really is trying to say here. By comparing Kanye with Michael Jackson, he draws attention to the tendency of successful Black people to forget where they came from and overlook the fact that their communities helped create who they are and whatever it is they are doing. In doing that, they are essentially traitors to their race – or in African American parlance, Uncle Toms. Coates suggests that Kanye is a walking contradiction; an uninformed Black man whose thoughtless words empower the racists of the country.
A Flawed Correlation
And here is my main complaint: Coates’ conclusions fall short of the correlation he establishes with Michael Jackson. Even if Kanye, indeed, was a traitor to the Black cause because of his beliefs, it would be asinine to compare him to Jackson who he alleges as an Uncle Tom because he had multiple facial surgeries. He treats the fact that MJ wanted to be White as a foregone conclusion despite failing to support that argument with evidence.
A Change in Perspective
During my first reading, I agreed with a lot of what Coates had to say. However, when I reread the article using the double journal entry method, I found myself agreeing with him less, probably due to the fact that I did not like the assumptions that he makes and the lengths that he goes through to make them. I felt that painting MJ, at the very least, as an Uncle Tom was in poor taste, and all because he changed his appearance – the motivations behind which are less than established. That being said, it surprised me that I would change my mind so abruptly after paying close attention to what was actually being said. I think that is because the double journal entry method allowed me to examine my own reactions and thoughts, and began to see how the new information lined up with my own worldview. I plan on making this method a standard habit from now on.
Works Cited
Coates, Ta-Nehisi. “I’m Not Black, I’m Kanye.” The Atlantic, 7 May 2018, https://www.theatlantic.com/entertainment/archive/2018/05/im-not-black-im-kanye/559763/. Accessed 30 May 2018.
