It’s been nearly two years since the “great awakening” seen in North America, the UK, and Europe during the summer of 2020. I spoke to people back home in the States and here in Calgary about the changes they wanted to make within themselves, but also the changes they wanted to see in their community (both systemically and colloquially). Looking back, there were quite a few people who genuinely meant what they said. But there were also a bunch of performative usurpers.
There have been several international Black celebrities whose mental health struggles have surfaced into the mainstream eye. Take Simone Biles in the U.S. for example, Ben Simmons in Australia, or even Naomi Osaka in Japan. Many of them have been deeply criticized by sports media, news outlets, and faceless social media users. Simmons hasn’t played for the last ten months due to psychological struggles and physical injury; he has been called ‘soft.’ Others have said he is faking or taking advantage of the Brooklyn Nets and his former team the Philadelphia 76ers. Where are the Black journalists defending Ben Simmons? Why were Simone Biles and Naomi Osaka criticized?
The reality is, people have made some changes, but many people still see Black people as a source of entertainment or amusement.
Will Smith was the first rapper to win a GRAMMY. He is the reason why hip-hop is even a category. Will and I grew up in the same part of West Philly. This isn’t a place with white picket fences. This isn’t a place with cul de sacs. You’re lucky if you have any bit of grass. Will was a rapper at the height of the golden era of hip hop, competing with Notorious B.I.G and Tupac Shakur.
Whether it was paving the way for rappers in the music industry, or pioneering the idea that rappers could be actors too, Will took the high road. He didn’t cuss in his songs, ever. Eminem dissed him for it, and much of Black America sided with Slim Shady. Will still took the high road, he didn’t even diss him back. On top of that, Will’s marriage has long been fodder for gossip and entertainment. This wasn’t a trending topic for a day, this was a topic of conversation at subway stations, in barbershops and beauty parlors. Their family dynamics were always a chatting point.
For decades, Will took abuse from the internet. Joke after joke. Everyone talks a big game about Black mental health until moments of adversity arise.
Will knew a lot of his fans were white people, but he also knew that a lot of Black people who bought into respectability politics supported him. While Samuel L. Jackson was the “king of the mutha fucka,” and Jay-Z was “big pimpin’ and spendin’ g’s,” Will was the safe Black guy—he was different.
If Will was different, if anything specialized by mainstream western societies, why would people suddenly turn their back on him? The public humiliation and punishment by Hollywood hasn’t been this bad since Janet Jackson was stripped of an article of clothing by Justin Timberlake. Judd Apatow said Smith “could have killed someone!” in a quickly deleted tweet. It was as if Putin’s invasion of Ukraine was bad, but Will Smith slapping Chris Rock…now that's violence.
Then there was the “violence is never the answer” crowd. While I agree Smith lost his composure, many celebrities remained silent on January 6th, during the Ottawa caravans, and amidst the ongoing mistreatment of Indigenous and Black people of the U.S. and Canada. What Smith did can be described as a lot of things, but it certainly is one of the least violent things to happen as of late.
Black people are celebrated when they advance westernism, but the moment we struggle, fail, make a mistake, or lose our composure, all the “angry Black person” tropes are reignited. If we were trauma informed, we would recognize that Will Smith has let the world have an opinion about everything in his life. His music, his films, his marriage, his fathering, his children, everything. This was the first time he ever “clapped back.”
The summer of 2020 was allegedly all about reimagining the world, and not judging others. This should mean dismantling, questioning, and also challenging this carceral society we live in. Chris Rock could have pressed charges, but he didn’t. To not press charges, is to choose forgiveness. Yet everyone else felt Smith was due for a public condemnation. Changing who we are means understanding the why, when bad things happen, and not just the how.