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Selah Marley called out critics of her participating in Kanye West’s surprise Yeezy Paris Fashion Week show, where he and the models wearing the new line wore shirts that said “White Lives Matter” printed on them. The model, 23, took to her Instagram Story to clap back at critics who have expressed outrage regarding the line. Selah, whose mom is Lauryn Hill, accused critics of being “stuck in a hive mind mentality” on Wednesday, October 5.
Selah, whose grandfather was famed musician Bob Marley, expanded on her thoughts and how she felt that the so-called “hive mind mentality” contributed to the backlash directed at the 808s And Heartbreak rapper’s show. “You do what the group tells you to do and think what the group tells you to think. Witnessing someone break free from ‘the agenda’ sends you all into such a panic that you will do whatever it takes to force them back into the box that you feel they should exist in. All morale and empathy is eliminated due to the fact that you feel justified by your emotions. The victim becomes the victimizer,” she wrote.
Besides clapping back, Selah also promised that she would continue speaking up, although it’s worth noting that she didn’t offer an explanation for the controversial shirt. “You can not bully me, manipulate me, or coax me into silence. Nor will you bully me into being who you want me to be. I don’t care how many tweets you make, DMs you send, or articles you write. Throughout all of the chaos, I have yet to speak on my experience. If you know me, you know that nothing I do is without deep thought and intention. Wait til you hear what I have to say,” she continued.
Besides her response to critics, Selah also posted a screenshot of a text that she sent to Kanye, where she asked for to continue the conversation and “discuss the depth behind our decisions” as well as “provide healing to our community,” seemingly referencing the backlash to the shirts. Yeezy reshared the Instagram Story on his account.
Kanye has received much backlash for his controversial shirt and lashing out at a Vogue editor who criticized him, although the rapper has said he apologized to her. He even doubled down and called the Black Lives Matter movement a “scam” in a since-deleted Instagram Story. The Black Lives Matter organization responded to Ye and called to educate the rapper. “[Black Lives Matter is] a rallying cry across the Diaspora for injustices in our communities and a reminder that across the country Black people continue to be murdered, mistreated, beaten, and broken down by a deeply rooted white supremacist agenda,” they wrote in a Twitter thread. “Twisting and convoluting this pillar by changing it to ‘White Lives Matter,’ disregards our ancestors and the freedom fighters before us.”
