Backlash Against Janet Jackson’s Comments on Vice President Kamala Harris
A swift and intense backlash emerged on Saturday after pop star Janet Jackson questioned Vice President Kamala Harris’s racial identity during an interview with The Guardian. Following the controversy, a man who claimed to be her manager issued an apology for her remarks, but that was quickly overshadowed by further confusion.
In the interview, which was meant to promote the European leg of her concert tour, reporter Nosheen Iqbal noted that the United States could potentially elect its first Black female president, referring to Harris. Jackson responded with a statement that sparked outrage: “Well, you know what they supposedly said? She’s not Black. That’s what I heard. That she’s Indian.”
When Iqbal pointed out that Kamala Harris is the daughter of an Indian mother and a Jamaican father who is Black, Jackson replied, “Her father’s white.” She further added, “That’s what I was told. I mean, I haven’t watched the news in a few days. I was told that they discovered her father was white.”
The comments quickly ignited a wave of bewilderment across social media, with many users expressing their disbelief and disappointment. On the talk show The View the following Monday, host Ana Navarro criticized Jackson’s comments as “very irresponsible,” indicating that she had carelessly used the interview to spread misinformation.
This incident highlights the complexities surrounding racial identity in the United States, as well as the potential for misinformation to spread quickly in public discourse. The fallout from Jackson’s comments serves as a reminder of the responsibilities that come with celebrity status and the impact that public figures can have on societal conversations.
