M.I.A.: "Is Beyoncé or Kendrick Lamar Going to Say Muslim Lives Matter?"
M.I.A. has addressed Black Lives Matter and media representation in a new interview. Asked about Beyoncé’s Super Bowl halftime performance, M.I.A. told London’s Evening Standard magazine, “It’s interesting that in America the problem you’re allowed to talk about is Black Lives Matter. It’s not a new thing to me — it’s what Lauryn Hill was saying in the 1990s, or Public Enemy in the 1980s. Is Beyoncé or Kendrick Lamar going to say Muslim Lives Matter? Or Syrian Lives Matter? Or this kid in Pakistan matters? That’s a more interesting question.” She continued, “You can’t ask it on a song that’s on Apple, you cannot ask it on an American TV programme, you cannot create that tag on Twitter, Michelle Obama is not going to hump you back.” Update (11:09 a.m.): DeRay Mckesson and Johnetta Elzie, who are activists prominently associated with the Black Lives Matter movement, have responded to M.I.A. Find their comments below.
In a pair of tweets this morning, M.I.A. clarified that she was questioning “on American platforms what do they allow you to stand up for in 2016.”
A#blacklivesmatter B#Muslimlivesmatter. I’m not Muslim . My criticism wasn’t about Beyoncé. It’s how u can say A not B right now in 2016.
— M.I.A (@MIAuniverse) April 21, 2016
My question was,on American platforms what do they allow you to stand up for in 2016. This has been the number 1 question for me.
— M.I.A (@MIAuniverse) April 21, 2016
Earlier this year, M.I.A. addressed the refugee crisis in Europe with her song “Borders.” Its video, originally released as an Apple Music exclusive, depicts her traveling by boat with a group of refugees.
.@MIAuniverse, I’m not sure “allow” is the right word here. Remember, we were teargassed for standing up. https://t.co/b8hUBlU0Kc
— deray mckesson (@deray) April 21, 2016
MIA really has no clue. America didn’t “allow” black folks to talk about anything. Aug 9, local news barely even cared about Mike Brown.
— Johnetta Elzie (@Nettaaaaaaaa) April 21, 2016
MIA ain’t tryna discuss the obsession with property, now that black people aren’t slaves (property to be sold, tortured, raped, killed).
— Johnetta Elzie (@Nettaaaaaaaa) April 21, 2016
MIA showed her hand by letting us know she sees being black and being Muslim as two different things. She should check that.
— Johnetta Elzie (@Nettaaaaaaaa) April 21, 2016
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