Rihanna, Beyoncé and More Stars Send Support to Nigeria Amid Protests

[crazyfirecrotch]

Rihanna, Beyoncé and More Stars Send Support to Nigeria Amid Protests https://t.co/g8kzfo9Y9H pic.twitter.com/pfKXPxEB2O
- E! News (@enews) October 21, 2020
Nigerians have demonstrated since early this month against SARS, a squad started in 1992 to thwart violent crimes including robberies and kidnapping. Amnesty International, a nongovernmental

Comments

[shayme]

The Bey backlash has been wild. I just... what do people want her to do? She is not God or president. Why are they then saying shit like we don't money or food? This is wild.

I saw one tweet saying if she spoke up before she could have stopped it. What?!?!?

[friarsfire]

I haven’t been monitoring the discourse around her on social media for this so I’ll leave that specifically alone but I will say her most recent project spotlighted the diversity and depth of African culture. However, let’s not ignore that this was as much an artistic statement as it was a financial venture. Silence in this moment on this topic, I think, would amount to using culture as an aesthetic for capital so I am glad she’s both said something but more importantly has done something.

[shayme]

According to Nigerians, They don't want her to speak, her money, or her help. She should just stay quiet.

[slaygalthessily]

out of genuine curiosity, why?

[shayme]

I don't know but go read the replies to her IG/Tweet. Full of people telling her to shut up.

[smilofax]

I think it's because of her Publicist and her mum's comments from a few days ago (before things got bad) about how "no one knows what Beyonce is doing behind closed doors and that we shouldn't judge her action based on what she posts on her social" which is true but at the same time, there are very few organisations/people you would reach out to help with the anti-SARS movement and it was pretty clear that Beyonce hadn't reached out to them by that particular point. (not that she had to)

I think if they hadn't said anything and the first we heard was from Beyonce herself, people wouldn't be as pissed off? I think.
Either way, as a Nigerian (not living in Nigeria) and a person who enjoys her music but is not a Stan, I *get* why people are angry at her but I also wasn't really expecting her to say anything.

[shayme]

" there are very few organisations/people you would reach out to help with the anti-SARS movement and it was pretty clear that Beyonce hadn't reached out to them by that particular point. (not that she had to)"

But why didn't they reach out to her? Instead of making this a whole Nigerans vs black Americans thing?

[smilofax]

I'm assuming it's cause the anti-sars people/organisations don't want to reach out to Beyonce or any celebrity, they were focused on doing what they could on the ground through their crowdfunding.

They are not the ones making it Nigerian v African Americans, they were trying to make sure that the movement was about the people and made that clear several times, even rejecting support from several very high-profile Nigerian celebs who were trying to become the face of it several times (not that this is what Beyonce was tying to do). I follow a lot of Nigerians and have seen several anti-American, anti-Beyonce tweets but none from any of the key organisers.

I'm sure you didn't mean it that way but it's kind of weird for you to think that reaching out to Beyonce is on their list of key concerns when they have literally spent the past few weeks supporting people protesting for their lives.

[anterrabre]

I have an idea but it's not nice so I'm just going to sit over here and eat my food. Not opening up that can of worms. :X

[madhler]

People are being butchered in the street - who cares about the Beyonce backlash right now?

[shayme]

Go ask the people that made her the #1 TT.
Go ask the people crying for her to speak up yesterday.
Go ask the people gleefully bullying her mama because she didn't do what they wanted her to do.

We didn't start this. get off of ONTD once in a while and see what's happening.

[madhler]

Sorry - I’m seeing a DEAD BLACK BODIES on my timeline, so you’ll have to excuse my lack of concern for Beyoncé’s mentions right now. Like, that is the only “happening” that I can process at the moment. I’m glad you have your priorities in order, though.

[hahahey]

Her publicists message didn’t help her any, but her statement was good, the more celebrities that put out statement and spreads awareness, the better