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Singer and actor Justin Timberlake has apologized on Twitter for saying that "we're all the same," regardless of race.
The apology came after Timberlake commented in a discussion about black actor Jesse Williams' acceptance speech at the BET awards, in which Williams blasted how he says whites treat blacks.
“We’ve been floating this country on credit for centuries, and we’re done watching and waiting while this invention called whiteness uses and abuses us. Burying black people out of sight and out of mind while extracting our culture, our dollars, our entertainment like oil. Black gold,” Williams said.
“Ghettoizing and demeaning our creations, then stealing them, gentrifying our genius, then trying us on like costumes before discarding our bodies like rinds of strange fruit," Williams added. "The thing is though, just because we’re magic doesn’t mean we’re not real.”
Following Williams' speech, Timberlake responded to a specific tweet having to do with race and culture.
Oh, you sweet soul. The more you realize that we are the same, the more we can have a conversation.
— Justin Timberlake (@jtimberlake) June 27, 2016
Bye. https://t.co/FeTmGLOKVc
"The more you realize that we are the same, the more we can have a conversation," the former N'SYNC member tweeted.
Less than two hours later, Timberlake was already walking back the statement, saying he felt "misunderstood."
I feel misunderstood. I responded to a specific tweet that wasn't meant to be a general response. I shouldn't have responded anyway...
— Justin Timberlake (@jtimberlake) June 27, 2016
"I forget this forum sometimes... I was truly inspired by @iJesseWilliams speech because I really do feel that we are all one... A human race," Timberlake added.
I forget this forum sometimes... I was truly inspired by @iJesseWilliams speech because I really do feel that we are all one... A human race
— Justin Timberlake (@jtimberlake) June 27, 2016
And then came the complete reversal: "I apologize to anyone that felt I was out of turn. I have nothing but LOVE FOR YOU AND ALL OF US."
I apologize to anyone that felt I was out of turn. I have nothing but LOVE FOR YOU AND ALL OF US.
— Justin Timberlake (@jtimberlake) June 27, 2016
--JT
(H/T: Red Alert Politics)
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