Chrisette Michele continues to catch flack due to her performance at Donald Trump’s Presidential Inauguration. After dozens of Black performers reportedly decided against performing at Trump’s inauguration, Michele decided to agree to the offer and performed at the inaugural ball. She was reportedly paid $250,000 for the 30-minute gig.
Michele was blasted on social media and by celebrities who disagreed with her willingness to perform for a man who held racist and sexist views. Some called her disparaging names such as “sellout” and “coon.”
Questlove offered to pay her not to perform for Trump and, as previously reported, Spike Lee decided to remove her music from the Netflix series “She’s Gotta Have It.”
But Michele has since responded with a poem to speak about the detractors. In particular, she takes aim at Spike Lee.
“I am the black song Spike Lee won’t sing, I am the black voice inauguration bells ring, I’m no political genius/I won’t let this defeat us,” she says. “Your hateful words won’t be my defining moment.They will be my ammunition to fight the system. We will win them/Hope is alive, this is my standing/For John Lewis and Ben Carson/Questlove, Spike Lee, and before them/I won’t divide now/That’s not smart now/God before me, I won’t back down/This is my damn America now.”
The backlash that Michele received for her performance has created an issue on how Blacks should handle the Trump administration. It’s likely that Trump’s political policies could severely hurt minorities and women. It’s important for Black politicians and lawmakers to be able to express the needs of the Black community to Trump.
However, Black entertainers and athletes should be judged differently. If they aren’t pushing for change while in his presence, their only purpose will be to entertain and make him smile. Moving forward, should every Black entertainer or athlete be ridiculed for meeting with or performing for Trump?
