Kanye West would 'still be on that plantation' if it weren't for Harriet Tubman, abolitionist's relative says
A relative of Harriet Tubman has slammed Kanye West for his ignorance after his comments on Sunday, July 19, at his rally left her outraged. The great-great-great niece of Tubman, Tina Wyatt, said that the rapper would be on a plantation if not for her ancestor’s selfless work. On Sunday, in his speech in Charleston, South Carolina, West invited controversy when he claimed, “Harriet Tubman never actually freed the slaves, she just had them work for other white people.” His bizarre statement provoked murmurs and boos from his own audience with one person groaning: “Come on, man,” while a woman can be heard saying, “Okay we’re leaving now.”
Tubman was a political activist who worked towards abolishing slavery in the US in the middle of the 19th century. She was born into slavery in 1822 in Dorchester County in Maryland. But in 1849 she escaped, and later made close to 13 missions to rescue approximately 70 enslaved people with the help of the network of activists and safe houses called the Underground Railroad.
But on Sunday, West ignored her work and even criticized the abolitionist, leading to wider criticism, including from Wyatt. "If we were left alone, we would be in an entirely different place. She was selfless, she was already free. She didn't have to come back, she didn't have to risk her life, but she did it countless times. And if it hadn't been for people like her, he [West] would still be on that plantation,” Wyatt said.
She added: “He would not be able to be out there saying the things he says, and he wouldn't have the money he has. Because they would have it all. So when he says that she didn't free slaves..."
Wyatt also said if her ancestor would have been alive she would have encouraged the 43-year-old to “uplift” other people. "I don't know if he's doing it or not. I don't know where he's putting his money, but if he's not, it seems like he wants to talk about a lot of things. The thing is, put your money into something that will uplift other people. Him trying to run to be president is not one of them,” Wyatt said.
West announced on the Fourth of July that he was running for president in 2020. On Twitter he wrote: “We must now realize the promise of America by trusting God, unifying our vision, and building our future. I am running for president of the United States 🇺🇸! #2020VISION.”
On July 19, he started his campaign rally in which while making statements about Tubman, he also appeared to be scattered - jumping from one topic to another. At one point, the ‘Famous’ singer even started crying and shared that he and his wife Kim Kardashian had considered an abortion and how his own father did not want to bring him in this world. "There would have been no Kanye West… because my dad was too busy!” West said. He also claimed that God contacted him when he and Kim were contemplating abortion. The couple now shares four children together.
