It’s Hero/ Zero election edition. In the top spot this week is a rapper doing his part to make sure people exercise their right to vote. The loser is a collective group who are scrambling to get their candidate in the White House
Hero- Chance the Rapper
For a young guy, Chance the Rapper just gets it. He has gotten a lot of love in the music industry here lately and rightfully so. He’s pretty dope from what I have seen and heard so far. Now, you can add another positive notch to his good guy belt. He is this week’s hero for leading thousands of people to the polls after giving a free concert in Chicago. That’s influence in action, and it’s so needed.
He is a stark contrast to Lil Wayne who doesn’t seem to care about the kind of people found in the inner cities of places like Chicago. It is refreshing to see a young black man using his clout as an artist to affect change in a big way. He’s been super vocal and supportive during this election season, even hosting registration booths at his concerts. Clearly, he is voting for Hillary Clinton and has even appeared at her rallies alongside other heavyweights like the power couple Beyoncé and Jay Z. According to the Chicago Tribune, Chance told fans,
“Thank you to all the people who want to be a part of how democracy works and want to make their voices heard… You’ve got the spirit. If you wake up in the morning and feel like you’re just one person … man, you’re so much more than that!”
Too many of our black men in positions of influence are so consumed in their own lives that they feel like they are exempt from the ills of the black community. It’s great to get the money and have the fame, but what does it all really mean if you’re a selfish ass person? Places like Chicago need as much positivity as they can get and superstars stepping down from their place on top to give a little bit of that is everything.
For being a 23-year-old who cares about more than rubbing elbows with hip-hop elite and for leading his hometown in the right direction, Chance the Rapper is a hero.
Zero – Donald Trump Supporters
It’s only fitting that these people, once again, get the losing position. Not only are Donald Trump supporters seriously lacking common sense and common decency, they are taking their need for him to win to another level. For reportedly intimidating voters at the polls all over the country, they are this week’s zeros.
People are going to extreme lengths to keep less aggressive voters from casting their votes. Folks are definitely complaining about the intimidation they have felt not only today, election day, but also even during early voting. From Philadelphia to places in Los Angeles, the people volunteering at the polls don’t seem to be unbiased or equally helpful to all voters. One of my close friends even said that she felt extremely intimidated as she casted her voted today in the Valley in California, citing that the system mysteriously broke down and the ballots were placed in a bend under the official voting machine. All of this and much more sounds like his people are doing everything they can to give him the upper hand. And from what it looks like, he definitely needs some help. But employing tactics that are against the law, disgusting and just down right ethically wrong only proves that he is in panic mode right now.
Furthermore, it shows how much of a delusional crazy man this guy really is. It is just unfortunate all the way around and the only people that benefit from a Trump win are Trump and maybe some of his followers. Maybe. I mean, not that he will be a good president or anything. But hey, maybe he will surprise me and actually be fair and just and unbiased. Who am I fooling? Even I know that’s reaching into the wind for something that is just impossible.
Intimidation comes in many forms. It’s not limited to the things people say or do. It can be from the set up of the polling booths to the lack of diversity and representation of the polling staff. If Trump encourages his followers to do this kind of thing (and he has) before he’s elected, imagine how much more harmful his influence will be if he actually wins!
For doing the most and acting like intimidating people as they make one of the most important decisions of their lives isn’t a big deal, Trump supporters are and forever will be zeros.