Nelly Gets Backlash for Ferguson Speech

Photo Credit: Instagram
Photo Credit: Instagram

By: Amanda Anderson-Niles

Black celebrities are learning quickly that getting involved and speaking out about the serious issues that plague the black community can make them the target of backlash instantly.

Keke Palmer got slammed for her tweets on the Mike Brown controversy but she took a trip to Ferguson herself to become active in the protests.

Nelly is now doing the same (so are other celebs such as J. Cole and Phaedra Parks) but his good intentions have made him the target of criticism.

AllHipHop writes:

Nelly spoke to a crowd of people in Ferguson. The rapper told the people in attendance that they needed to remain peaceful. He also suggested they look at their own actions as it relates to criminality and claimed the often repeated statistic that there are more black men in jail than in college is not true.

“It ain’t been like that since 2001,” said Nelly through a bullhorn. “There’s more doctors. There’s more lawyers. There’s more teachers. There’s more black billionaires. There’s more black millionaires. You got options brothers and sisters. We got to understand we got options and stop choosing the reaction option.”

 

According to a reporter who was in attendance, Nelly’s speech was met with some backlash instantly:

nelly ferguson twitter

nelly ferguson twitter 2

 

In related news, Nelly has also started a college scholarship in honor of Mike Brown.

28 comments

  1. This is why it’s best for celebs to stay out of the spotlight when they do join protests like these. J Cole did it right. No need to bring attention to you being there, just show up and let your presence speak for itself. This fool got out the bullhorn to talk about having a plan and he doesn’t even have a plan himself.

  2. While I like the scholarship idea, this quote pretty much sums up this whole situation:

    “Better to remain silent and be thought a fool than to speak and to remove all doubt.”

  3. I think this just shows that the main people trying to talk down to blacks by throwing black on black crime and needing new strategies in our faces don’t really have any answers themselves. If they did, they would be able to stay on topic, POLICE BRUTALITY.

  4. Yeah he made a fool out of himself but at least he is out there with the people. That’s more than we can say about Tyrese’s annoying a-s.

  5. He’s misinformed but one of the few celebrities that gives back on a REGULAR basis. He puts major money back into St. Louis through schools he has opened… so.. I won’t go in. At least he is DOING something. And always has.

  6. I don’t have a problem with Nelly because he is actually in Ferguson and trying to make a difference unlike others who are just tweeting and deflecting.

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