Filed under: News, Interviews, Politics, President Obama
In the January issue of "The Hip-Hop Bible," the entrepreneur extraordinaire claims that President Obama, in the infamous words of Kanye West, "doesn't care about black people."
"I love the president like most of us. I just want the president to do better. There's a difference between us voting for somebody and us believing in somebody. He's the person that we believed in so I pray night and day that he understands how God ordained his presidency. I feel there was a promise made to God to look after people that was less fortunate, and [many] of those people are African-American..."
Combs' bold 2004 "Vote or Die" campaign was revisited in the historic 2008 election with a more partisan mantra "Obama or Die." The mogul's support and loyalty apparently makes him an authority on what the POTUS should do for the African-American community.
"It's something he might not get reelected for, but we elected him," Diddy said. "He owes us. I'd rather have a black president that was man enough to say that he was doing something for black people have one term than a president who played the politics game have two terms."
I cannot be the only one who finds Diddy's ire a tad hypocritical. While Obama is known to address the importance of family and takes African-American men to task for their sometimes irresponsible behavior, Mr. Combs has 5 children, and has yet to marry, or otherwise show any visible respect for any of the three mothers. Yes... 3 mothers.
While our President has stressed education, and the importance of recognizing the "winner of the science fair, not just the Super Bowl," Mr. Combs' pool of talent gets younger and younger, and the "money, cash, ho*s" mentality seems to be drilled into them at Bad Boy boot camp.
While I agree that the President needs to grow a backbone and address the inequalities that the African-American community faces with the same fire and conviction as he addresses the plight of the Hispanic/Latino community, in general he has passed more legislation to elevate the plight of all Americans than any executive in history.
It is true that Mr. Combs' philanthropic efforts are to be admired; however, he should put his mouth where his money is. Hip-Hop has long been emulated by our youth, and the misogynist lyrics and hedonistic lifestyle poisoning their brains is just as much of a crime, if not more so, than another president without a "Black Agenda."
Mr. Combs, you owe us.