Morrissey Selling James Baldwin “Black Is How I Feel on the Inside” Shirts

Morrissey is selling a new t-shirt on his upcoming North American tour, as official fansite True to You points out. (Don’t worry: if the tour gets canceled, the shirt will also be for sale at Moz’s online store.) It features the lyrics “I wear black on the outside/’Cause black is how I feel on the inside,” from the Smiths’ “Unloveable,” surrounding a photo of the late James Baldwin, the iconic writer and civil rights activist. (Morrissey’s name is emblazoned on Baldwin’s left shoulder.) Moz is a big Baldwin fan, having written about his love for the Go Tell It on the Mountain and The Fire Next Time author in his autobiography, and projected video of Baldwin during his stage shows on past tours. Nonetheless, the new t-shirt can definitely be seen as… problematic.

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