Upon returning to LA from a magical and captivating journey in Tokyo, it was not even an hour before I heard the breaking news that seemed to have struck the planet. “Kanye West has made headlines again with one of his outrageous rants and someone has got to get him some help!”, a friend of mine exclaimed. To be honest, the aforementioned did not seem much like news at all. However, everyone was conversing about it and there was quite a bit of outrage surrounding the fiasco brewing.
So naturally, I chuckled and simply inquired about what everyone was fussing about now. And that’s when I found out that Mr. West was a Trump Supporter and was caught wearing a Trump hat 🎩. And he even dared 🤭 to share his truth, explaining to his fans at a concert that he did not vote in the presidential election, but if he did he would have voted for TRUMP.
Ok, I replied. “What’s so crazy about that?” And a hush 🤫 fell over the car as I continued to speak my mind. Is Kanye not allowed to support Trump because he is black? Is he suppose to hold an inauthentic disdain for Trump because it seems like everyone else cannot stand the personality and values of the current leader of the Free World? Why is it so mind blowing to us that Kanye has a Free mind that he ACTUALLY exercises regardless of public opinion and repercussions? Perhaps, just perhaps, there is something we can stand to learn from Mr. West.
There was a bewildered look on my friend’s face. And I chuckled even more. I am sure that was not the reaction he anticipated. However, I was baffled just a bit about what was so alarming and CRAZY about Kanye being not only a Trump supporter, but also his friend?
So then my friend went on to tell me as if this would totally seal the deal and confirm that Mr. West had flown over the cuckoo’s nest, “Well, on TMZ Kanye said that SLAVERY was a CHOICE. Now that is crazy.”
I replied, “It’s crazy to you, but it does not make it crazy and it definitely does not mean that Kanye is on a mental downward spiral, leading to calamity? And if anything is driving Kanye crazy, it’s not his ability to think 🤔 independently, it’s most likely the delusional minds of the masses. Now this really puzzled him so much that all he could do was gawk at me 😧. I went on to ask, “Did anyone ask Kanye why he thought that?” He replied, no. I also added facetiously, “And how many times have you known Kanye to articulate himself with tact and sensitivity when he is passionate about something, although in my opinion he is actually showing signs of growth in this area?
And with that mention, why is everyone so up in arms about the delivery🤷♀️. Perhaps Kanye forgot to provide the context for the truth he had encountered and earnestly desired to share. Perhaps not, but did anyone bother to ask the questions without pre-judgement or did we jump to judgment and conclusions while we flew over the cuckoos’s nest ourselves. 👉DAT PART👈.
I, personally, did not vote for Trump & I did not vote for Hilary either, but that does not give me the right to judge and vilify those who did. And quite frankly, from a character point of view, Donald Trump is the President of the United States. My fellow Americans voted him in and although the media definitely highlights what seems to be his worst attributes, you will not find me bashing the POTUS. In fact, you will not find me bashing anyone.
Leading the United States of America is most likely up there with one of the most challenging and rigorous jobs created with a whole lot of G14 classified information that no one is even aware of. Now don’t get me wrong, I know Trump’s personality comes off boorish and uncouth at times – well, maybe most of the time 😉, but everyone has issues. No one is perfect and guess what, Trump still is a child of God. And not only is he my current President, but he is also my spiritual brother. Yep, I said it 👈. It’s the enlightened truth.
So, you can bet your bottom dollar that you most certainly will find me praying for President Trump and praying for God’s will to manifest more than publicly ripping him to shreds. It may sound outrageous I know as it’s definitely contrary to popular opinion, but it’s my authentic expression and truth and I’d rather use my energy to build as opposed to destroy what God co-signed because otherwise, everyone would be living a different reality.
We live in America where ideally, people are encouraged to have different points of view; for that is what will make us brighter and better. Kanye’s statement about slavery being a choice did not insult me. I actually found his one sentence intriguing and I look forward to having an intellectually honest dialogue with him one day about what sparked his thought. I also understand the big picture behind what he was trying to articulate and in this day and age, he is pretty courageous to have shared it.
One of the points of irony that I would also like to point out is the fact that the premise behind Kanye’s notion regarding slavery, is actually empowering to people a part of the African Diaspora. It eludes to the fact that we at any minute no matter the situation can chose to be a victim or select to be a victor. In fact, some of my ancestors did make choices not to be enslaved. Some revolted; others lead people to freedom in the North; some courageously jumped off the transatlantic slave ship to their transcendence; and even those who were enslaved and abused, still maintained what most likely seemed to be the only thing left at times: A free mind, faith, peace and joy that only God gives.
With all of the technological advances, accessible information and spiritual growth, it still seems on a macro level that our humanity is shrinking along with our common sense. I was deeply saddened to learn that various celebrities and people a part of the general public bashed Kanye and even threatened him. Where is our compassion and understanding these days? Where is our tact, leadership and resolve? And especially if you are famous and black, where is our common sense; “for divided we fall, yet United we stand”, so what’s up with the self-righteous condemning of what Kanye said and believes?
I can understand why many people thought Kanye’s statement was insensitive, but the truth is if we were operating at our highest selves, we would not take it personal and feel the need to lash out at this free thinker. And we would not be robbed of the greater enlightened thought behind his comment: and that is everything you do is a choice. You cannot control the actions of others, but you most certainly control your actions. You may not feel that you determine the experiences you encounter on this planet, but you most certainly can determine how you are going to respond to them. And EVERYTHING you grow through was written and God will turn it for your good if you so believe. The sooner we overstand this, the more freedom we will access as a people as we are a beautiful and resilient people with a rich history that we should be proud of.
I love Kanye West & I like him. I respect ✊ his ability to speak up and speak out as it relates to his truth. His spirit is rare and brilliant and he is a true Gemini as he is not scared to crash and burn, risking it all for the sake of his personal truth. While some of us are too scared to speak our mind for fear of backlash, Kanye is out here with a free mind, cultivating Free thought that is so radical that it served as the catalyst for the potential to nurture more independent thinking on the planet.
Quite frankly, I don’t have to agree with what he says and how he says it in order to appreciate his point of view. “For good ideas and true innovation, you need human interaction, conflict, argument and debate” (Margaret Heffernan). Therefore, I welcome opposing points of views for if people could not believe in what they believe, what gives me the right to believe in what I believe? (Voltaire).
Iron sharpens iron, so let’s use our difference of opinions to make us better as opposed to bitter. And FYI, there are others besides Candace Owens, who are black and revered that have shared similar sentiments. Check them out below. Me sharing this is not to convert you as I am not biased to either side. I just want to share with you the channels so that you can do your own research and make up your own mind.
💜Love & Light☀,
CRISTEN M. MILLS
