Burna Boy responds to criticism he is facing for his racial comment
3 min read
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Burna Boy found himself under hot water after he shared his take on African Americans. He said that, unlike other American immigrants, African Americans do not have ties to their home country.
Here is everything you need to know.
Burna Boy addresses criticism over his remarks on Africans and African Americans
Burna Boy took to his Instagram handle on Tuesday to clarify his remarks on African Americans lacking ties to a homeland.
He began with, ‘It’s sad to see that in 2023 there are still such black people who would prefer we stay divided and conquered.’
Moreover, he denied saying that all Black Americans are African and went on to imply that his message was lost in translation.
Burna Boy replies Africans Americans, who criticised him for encouraging African Americans to connect with their African roots.
— Africa Facts Zone (@AfricaFactsZone) March 19, 2023
A group called Foundational Black Americans say African Americans arrived in USA from the Caribbean, & integrated with Native Americans before slavery. pic.twitter.com/7x8B1oPFuCAdvertisement
He mentioned, ‘Maybe it’s my accent or something but I never said you are African and not American. I also did not say Africa is part of Heaven. You deserve all the Land and reparations you want from America and I’m 100% in support of that.’
The Grammy Award-winning musician tried to clear the air by saying that he always intend to unite Africans and Black Americans.
He added, ‘I believe coming together as brothers and sisters is the only way forward to US black people worldwide.’
What did Burna Boy say about African Americans?
Burna Boy whose real name is Damini Ogulu recently sat down for an interview with entrepreneur and activist Chaka Bars.
In addition, during the interview, he was asked why he believes it is important for Black Americans to return to the continent.
The Nigerian artist on the other hand responded by saying that it would help in knowing their identities properly and knowing how to operate.
He gave an example saying, ‘The Chinese American has a base; he knows he’s from China. Italian Americas know where their grandparents came from in Italy.’
"Why is it important that the diaspora come home?"
— 🐬 @𝗼𝗻𝗲𝗷𝗼𝗯𝗹𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗯𝗼𝘆 (@OneJoblessBoy) March 17, 2023
Burna Boy: pic.twitter.com/YUP5W5BYIGAdvertisement
Subsequently, he added, ‘They know the first person from their family to come to America and start that line. The same goes for everyone else except the African Americans.’
However, the afrobeat superstar was thrown under the bus for his take and was heavily criticized by netizens.
Many social media users went on to point out that most Black Americans are not immigrants. Instead they are the descendants of USA chattel slavery.
Meanwhile, the African giant recently headlined the NBA All-Star Halftime Show that was held in Utah.
Also, he is all set to be the headline performer at the UEFA Champions League final. It is slated to take place in Istanbul on 10th June.
