Will Kanye West Speak out Against Alabama's Racist Law?
Alabama's communities are already suffering the ill-effects of the state's new immigration law - the harshest in the nation. Crops are rotting in the fields without workers to pick them. Schools are reporting record absences as children are kept home, their parents fearful of family separation at the hands of law enforcement. Some residents won't even leave their homes, going days without trips to buy necessities like food rather than risk a possible encounter with law enforcement.
William Anderson, a student at the University of Alabama Birmingham, has been working with local organizers to fight the extreme law. A life-long hip hop fan, William knew that Jay-Z and Kanye West would be in Alabama through the end of October while they prep to kick off of their much anticipated "Watch the Throne" tour. Kanye is known for his outspoken approach to social commentary - remember the moment he said "George Bush doesn't care about black people" during the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina? With that in mind, William started a Change.org petition asking Kanye West to meet with local advocates while he's in town - and make a public statement denouncing the racist law.
William is hoping that Kanye's willingness to speak out about injustice and history of political involvement (he recently stopped by the Occupy Wall Street protests) will encourage the rap superstar to speak out on behalf of all of Alabama's communities. William says that the law has "taken Alabama backward, to an era that civil rights leaders have fought hard to overcome. It is a dire situation that affects people of all colors, classes, and statuses, as our state is already being crippled economically by the exodus of the migrant population." And asks that "in the spirit of social justice and hip hop, please help us get the message to a world-renowned artist that we need help in this fight."
Of course, a celebrity speaking out on a cause is no magic wand - it takes real political will and influence to fight legislation like this. But, Kanye could help the process by spreading the word that this law is harmful to all of Alabama's communities, regardless of status. At a time when the state's economy is still reeling, enacting legislation that criminalizes an entire community only further cripples Alabama's already struggling residents.
Scott Douglas, III, Executive Director of Greater Birmingham Ministries calls this "one of Alabama's worst times since the days of Jim Crow". Watch his words below:
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