#Institutional Power

[blackstarlineage]

The Hypocrisy of the Kanye West Controversy: A Garveyite Perspective on Selective Outrage and the Dismissal of Black Suffering

From a Garveyite perspective, the backlash against Kanye West’s comments about Jewish people versus the lack of consequences for his remarks about Black people and slavery exposes the hypocrisy of mainstream outrage, the racial hierarchy in oppression discourse, and the devaluation of Black history and suffering. The reaction to his statements reveals how power structures operate, who is protected, and who is disposable in the global economic and media landscape.

Kanye West’s “slavery was a choice” comment in 2018 sparked heated debates but resulted in zero financial losses or sponsorship cancellations. In contrast, his anti-Semitic statements in 2022 and 2025 led to immediate termination of business partnerships, removal from platforms, and industry-wide condemnation. This double standard raises critical questions:

Why was the erasure of Black suffering tolerated, but insults toward Jewish people resulted in swift punishment?

If slavery was “a choice,” does that mean all other historical oppressions, including genocide, were also choices?

Who truly holds economic and institutional power in deciding what speech is unacceptable?

What does this selective outrage teach us about the value of Black people in society?

1. Kanye West Faced No Real Consequences for His “Slavery Was a Choice” Comment

Kanye West’s dismissal of Black suffering as a choice was met with anger from many in the Black community, but it did not threaten his wealth, corporate sponsorships, or mainstream influence. In fact, after making the comment, he continued receiving:

Business collaborations with Adidas, Gap, and Balenciaga

Media coverage and access to mainstream platforms

Continued billionaire status and financial growth

Example: When Kanye insulted the millions of enslaved Africans who suffered under colonialism and European chattel slavery, corporate America remained silent. No major companies distanced themselves, and his brand partnerships remained intact.

Garveyite Takeaway: The economic and media system does not consider anti-Black statements as serious enough to warrant punishment. This reveals how Black suffering is normalized and seen as “acceptable” within the power structures that govern industry and influence.

2. The Reaction to His Jewish Comments Shows Who Holds Real Economic Power

When Kanye made anti-Semitic remarks, the response was instant and severe. Within days, he:

Lost Adidas, Gap, and Balenciaga partnerships

Was dropped by his talent agency CAA

Was blacklisted from media platforms

Lost his billionaire status as corporate deals collapsed

Example: Adidas, a brand that worked with Kanye through numerous controversies, immediately severed ties after his Jewish comments—despite tolerating his anti-Black rhetoric for years.

Garveyite Takeaway: The fact that corporations took action only when another group was affected shows where true power lies in the global economic system. Black people do not own enough infrastructure to demand the same level of accountability when their suffering is dismissed.

3. If Slavery Was a “Choice,” Then All Oppression Must Also Be a Choice

The logic of Kanye’s “slavery was a choice” statement collapses under scrutiny. If millions of enslaved Africans “chose” to be enslaved, then by the same standard:

The Holocaust was a choice

The Armenian genocide was a choice

Apartheid was a choice

Colonial rule was a choice

Example: No one would ever dare say Jewish people “chose” to be put in concentration camps under Nazi rule. Why? Because history recognizes their suffering as systematic oppression, not voluntary submission. The same recognition is often denied to Black people.

Garveyite Takeaway: Kanye’s comment reflects a deeper issue: Black suffering is not taken seriously, and narratives that blame Black people for their own oppression are allowed to spread unchecked.

4. The Racial Hierarchy in Oppression: Why Black Suffering Is Dismissed

The difference in reaction between Kanye’s statements on slavery vs. his statements about Jewish people highlights an undeniable truth:

Jewish history is globally protected and respected.

Black history is frequently distorted, dismissed, and trivialized.

Example: Holocaust denial is a crime in several European countries, and even casual anti-Semitic remarks result in immediate backlash. Meanwhile, "slavery denial", African genocide denial, and anti-Black rhetoric are allowed, tolerated, and even rewarded in many mainstream spaces.

Garveyite Takeaway: The system treats some histories as sacred while allowing Black trauma to be mocked, debated, and disrespected. This is why Black people must control their own institutions and economic power.

5. The Solution: Black People Must Own Their Own Media, Businesses, and Economic Institutions

If Black people had the same economic power and institutional control as other groups, Kanye West would have faced immediate repercussions for saying “slavery was a choice”—just as he did for his later comments.

What Needs to Happen:

Black-owned media outlets must control narratives about Black history and refuse to platform anti-Black rhetoric.

Black-owned corporations must be strong enough to cancel business with celebrities who degrade Black people.

Pan-African economic unity must be prioritized so that Black businesses can hold global power, just like other communities protect their interests.

Garveyite Takeaway: Garveyism teaches that without economic independence and institutional control, Black people will always be at the mercy of external systems that do not prioritize their well-being.

Conclusion: The Kanye Controversy Reveals the Truth About Black Power in Society

The difference in reaction to Kanye West’s comments proves that:

Anti-Black statements do not carry consequences because Black people lack the economic and institutional power to enforce accountability.

Jewish suffering is protected, while Black suffering is treated as debatable or irrelevant.

Slavery and oppression are not choices—systemic forces determine who holds power and who remains marginalized.

Until Black people control their own media, businesses, and economic resources, they will remain vulnerable to exploitation and historical distortion.

Final Thought:

Marcus Garvey warned that Black people must be the masters of their own destiny—because if another group controls your economy, media, education, and historical narratives, they control your entire existence.

The selective outrage over Kanye’s statements is not just about him—it is about who gets to dictate the limits of acceptable speech, whose history is honoured, and who remains at the bottom of the power structure. Garveyism teaches that the only solution is Black economic sovereignty and global unity.

[thesagittarianmind]

The study of power….

[religion-is-a-mental-illness]

You're not the Rebellion, you're the Empire. You're not the heretics, you're the church. You're not the underdogs, you're the orthodoxy.

[inariedwards]

Finland's Museum Days are on and I have been attending, and I bring this question that was posed there to the Finnish museum professionals to Tumblr.

The topic of the meeting was the new ICOM museum definition, which these museum professionals had been shown before the poll, so I will show it to you too here:

“A museum is a not-for-profit, permanent institution in the service of society that researches, collects, conserves, interprets and exhibits tangible and intangible heritage. Open to the public, accessible and inclusive, museums foster diversity and sustainability. They operate and communicate ethically, professionally and with the participation of communities, offering varied experiences for education, enjoyment, reflection and knowledge sharing.”

The speaker that polled the audience had also prefaced the discussion by talking about institutions, how for example marriage and the law are also institutions, in addition to things like universities and such.

And I was shocked beyond belief that the majority of those Finnish museum professionals in the room were of the opinion that museums aren't institutions.

The speaker quipped something to the effect that he needs to convince a lot of people then.

But the reason I am so shocked is that if the people working in museums don't recognise that museums are institutions, that means that they are wielding that institutional power completely unawares. And that is dangerous.

And like things like diversity, equality and inclusion came up frequently in these meetings. These are liberal well-meaning white middle class people, who at least claim that DEI is important to them. But not even recognising that the thing you work for, the thing you represent, is an institution and as such has (in my opinion, significant) institutional power, made me want to cry.

[manicpixievideovixen]

So I compiled all my opinions on how stuff should be run and problems I hate into a dissertation. Presented here for your perusal. Yes, I realize I'm opening a can of worms.

[clairebearsparkles]

Hiya, I was just wondering if there were any updates on your TMA TTRPG project because it seems super fun and I am gnawing at the bars of my cage to hear more about it :D

Thanks for asking about it. I unfortunately never found the time to test the system, but I think it’s at a point where people can at least look at it, so here’s my google doc of the PbtA heavily based on Monster of the Week tma system

[raincitygirl76]

Great post, and stellar addition.

With the final season of YR coming up, I’ve been thinking about Wille’s journey again. Because he’s 16, we won’t know if he actually chooses to renounce his title or remain in his role as future king, but I have a feeling this season will give us an indication which way it will go. So, before we get any type of confirmation, I want to get my current thoughts out. I’m aware that a lot of YR Tumblr skews toward King Wilhelm so my pro-renounce post might not resonate with anyone and that’s ok. I just want to put all my thoughts together before S3 comes along with something that totally blows all my opinions and assumptions out of the water 🙂 I understand the idea of wanting Wille to be King because he could be such a great leader. He is kind and compassionate and can be good at taking charge. BUT just because a person could be good at something, doesn’t mean they should be forced to do it. My number one reason for being in favor of Renouncing his Title is the sheer fact that Wille doesn’t want to be King. He doesn’t want the title. He doesn’t want that life. Wille has been shown a multitude of times talking about how he struggles with the duties that come with being a prince. Whether it’s with Erik:

Or August:

Or Boris:

(honestly, this boy will spill his guts to anyone who is willing to even half listen to him. My god. I’m so glad they gave this poor kid a therapist) He's also talked about how he feels trapped in this position. For him, to renounce the throne would be freedom. Freedom to live a life he actually wants.

Even the mere idea of staying in his current position makes him physically ill.

Some people take the end of episode 2x06 to mean he’s moved beyond all that and accepted his role as the future king. I didn’t personally see it that way. I saw it as a combination of a few things. 1) When come face-to-face with it, he just couldn’t let August give the speech (But the fact that he was initially willing to let someone who distributed revenge porn against him become king really speaks to how much he definitely doesn’t want that position) 2) He didn’t want Simon to have to compromise his happiness and give in to a situation he didn’t actually want 3) He didn’t want to hide anymore. He wanted to be himself. Wille is a person who craves authenticity. Which brings me to a bigger point… Life as the Crown Prince / King is inherently inauthentic. One of the main pro-King arguments is that he would blaze his own trail and do things his way. But how? Being a member of the royal family is a job. The basic responsibilities of that job are to do things like diplomatic visits, hosting events, being part of photo ops, schmoozing with people… pretty much all things having to do with putting on a public persona. It’s great that he could be himself in the sense that he would be the first queer Crown Prince / King, but the baseline duties he would have to fulfill are still inherently inauthentic. And I don’t know how he would “do it his way” aside from just not doing it. He hates putting on fake smiles

the photo ops

the schmoozing with people

Erik even told Wille, the way to get through that stuff is to just pretend to be someone else.

We know he’s capable of doing it. We saw how charming he could be at Parents Day weekend. But that was because he wanted to sit with Simon and impress Simon’s mom. Other than that lunch, he mostly hid in his room. And it goes back to my original point. Just because someone may be good at something doesn’t mean they should be forced to do it. (And yes, even if he walked away from the line of succession, he could still have familial obligations, but it wouldn’t be anywhere near the level of what is expected now) At this point, Wille is only continuing as Crown Prince because of a commitment to his family. Mainly Erik.

He doesn’t want to let him down or feel like he’s betraying his legacy. To Wille, Erik was perfect. We only saw two full conversations between them and in both conversations, Erik was telling Wille to get his act together because “it’s not that hard”.

That quote is probably something he told Wille a lot. So much that Wille later regurgitates it to Boris. Three different times.  

Going on to say that Erik could handle everything easily.  

Based on the fact that Erik was going to Boris, he probably wasn’t managing everything with ease. But in Wille’s perception, he was. Wille is basically chasing a ghost. Self-imposed pressure of unattainable perfection. He bears a guilt that pushes him to want to be someone he thinks Erik would be proud of.   The problem with that is, Erik was a monarchist. Maybe he struggled a bit (which is why he went to Boris), but based on the things he would say to Wille, he backed the monarchy / family completely.

Ultimately, I just want Wille to be happy. Maybe S3 will completely change my outlook and I’ll root for him to become king because that’s what he wants. But right now, I think he only wants it out of a sense of obligation to Erik. And honestly…maybe my most controversial opinion…if he did stay in his position because of Erik, he probably wouldn’t change that much within the institution. I mean, he couldn’t change much even if he wanted to. He wouldn’t be allowed to do big things without the consent of the Swedish parliament and maybe a public referendum. And I doubt he’d even have the capability to make small changes. As already pointed out by @piebingo in this great post, Kristina didn’t actually want August to be next in line. But she was overruled. The Royal Court has a lot of power and making any sort of reforms or independent decisions is not that simple. Especially within an establishment that relies on keeping everything exactly the same. But even if that weren’t true. Even if Wille could snap his fingers and make all these huge changes… part of me doesn’t think he would. I know a lot of the folks who are pro-King Wilhelm want him to become the king just so he can completely destroy it from within. But to me, in Wille’s eyes there would be no bigger betrayal to Erik’s legacy than Wille burning the institution to the ground. And if he wants to live up to Erik’s legacy. Not betray him. Not let him down. He will act as he thinks Erik would act. If Wille becomes king because of Erik, he’ll maintain the establishment because of Erik. And he would be miserable doing it. Miserable and without Simon. Yes, my other controversial opinion. If Wille stayed as king, Wilmon wouldn’t make it. Simon is described to us as a socialist. One of his introductory scenes is him calling the monarchy the country’s biggest welfare scammers. I can’t imagine Simon giving up his musical dreams to join an institution that he hates. I also can’t imagine Wille letting him do that. That was such a big part of Wille’s growth in Season 2. Wille wouldn’t let Simon sacrifice his happiness for the sake of his own happiness (being with Simon). Even if Simon didn’t end up pursuing something in music, he made it clear in his talk with Rosh and Ayub that he wants to work hard to make something of himself.

I mean, look at him. Look at this sweet baby angel’s face when he’s told he has an opportunity that will open doors to his future. I can’t imagine him giving up his ambitions or autonomy to become prince consort. Having to live every day under royal rules and protocols. Maybe he would. I personally can’t see it. And finally, I know a main reason people like the idea of King Wille is because we like the idea of a queer king. But as much as we all want queer representation; I don’t think it should be anybody’s responsibility to be the political representation that people want to see. Wille shouldn’t be in a position he hates because he’s queer. A queer person living their life and getting out of a toxic situation is also good representation. A person can’t fix the problem by becoming part of it. Having him be the face of an institution that’s been about exploitation and oppression isn’t going to solve it. It's always been said by Lisa and Edvin that Wille’s problem is not that he’s queer. It’s that he’s a prince. Everything about what’s making him unhappy is about him being prince / the future king. Him walking away from his title would be about him escaping a future that would make him miserable. Personally, that’s what I’m hoping for.

[theabigailthorn]

You're not uniquely talented or hard working you just went to the right schools.

Yes, yes! This is exactly why I started Philosophy Tube! Why shouldn't someone else, anyone else, have access to the education I got??? The intellectual and cultural heritage of our species is for everyone, not just privileged people like me! :)

[undergroundrockpress]

Women from Malcolm X Liberation University by Tom Coffin, 1970.

[blueberry-ry]

Star Wars fans that try to compare the Jedi to the Catholic Church because they both "collaborate with the state" have no fucking idea of what the Catholic Church actually does and what the problem with it being in power actually is, and it drives me fucking insane

[visenyaism]

In hindsight. It is extremely funny that they made a show about League of Legends the get called slurs simulator 6000 and somehow the closest thing it came to a thematic conclusion is that gay love will save the world shortly after gay love also destroys the world.

[biggest-gaudiest-patronuses]

*tries to organize my thoughts*

*remembers i'm not in school and therefore beholden to neither heaven nor hell nor any man's grading system*

*joyously shredding & tossing all my carefully arranged 3x5 mental notecards into the air like so much beige confetti. raising my arms in victory, cheering raucously until i accidentally inhale bits of homemade confetti*

(*coughing up itty bits of paper like a cat evicting a hairball with a firm understanding of tenants' rights*) wait wat happens next

[religion-is-a-mental-illness]

[quarterlifekitty]

Uhhhhhhh I’ve been thinking about like turn of the century 1899 American Midwest setting. John Price as the head physician at the sanitarium you’re staying at. And all of the orderlies say that you’re very lucky that he’s taken such special interest in your case. That he’s giving you a specialized treatment plan— personally overseeing your care, even though he’s such a busy man.

He’s really just grooming you into the perfect wife. Making sure you depend on him. Love him for saving you from yourself. And he can just keep pushing back the discharge date until he thinks you’re well… And by well, he means ready for the real thing.

[valtsv]

the way the mysterious men in black dealt with the "volunteers" in today's magprotocol episode reminded me of how avatars would sometimes sabotage each other's rituals, as well as how hunt avatars often operated, and it makes me wonder whether, in the universe of protocol, those who would have likely become servants of the dread powers in tma are more likely to be drawn to those kinds of professions and positions of authority where they can exert a similar kind of effect on others through fear and violence. and whether they might feel inexplicably challenged by these new monsters and compelled to seek them out and put them down.

[amrubrum]