Public Enemy's Chuck D appeared on multiple 24 hour news networks today to defend the Black Lives Matter movement in the wake of renewed criticism following last week's shootings in Dallas. Chuck explained the purpose of the movement, and went into detail about why so many young people of color feel alienated and distrustful of a system that continues to allow police brutality to happen.
"The situation in Dallas is the worst thing that ever happened... after the worst thing that ever happened... after the worst thing that ever happened," Chuck continued. "When it comes down to a movement like Black Lives Matter... these people were born after Rodney King... they see these [police] acquittals... and brutality. People feel that Black Lives Matter is this violent movement -- it's not. What it is, is a movement against the violence. It's like in the 60's when you have people protesting against Vietnam. You had all types of people. You have all types of people a part of Black Lives Matter... it's about making a statement." Chuck explained.
"All Lives Matter is a great statement... but that wasn't even mentioned until Black Lives Matter came into effect," Chuck said in regards to the All Lives Matter hashtag, which appeared online shortly after the start of BLM and is frequently used to undercut the movement's message. "All lives do matter, but they didn't matter until recently... No lives matter if we don't matter."
"When it comes down to enforcement, people still feel like it's a slave patrol... people parade around in tanks. When my father was coming up in Harlem, [police] used to walk the beat. They knew people... they knew families."
"They knew there was a line to cross... It never was this I'm going to do a slave patrol in a tank, and we got something for you if you come at us with that look" Chuck told HLN.
Chuck also emphasized the importance of education, and drew comparisons between the charged political climate today and the dire situation faced by the black community in the 80's, during the Reagan and Bush administrations, that originally inspired many of Public Enemy's most famous and socially conscious songs, such as "Don't Believe the Hype."
By Michael Lacerna for RAPstation.com
