Killer Mike (Treefort Music Fest Flickr)
Killer Mike is clarifying his call for Black voters to stay home on Election Day.
The rapper – who supported former Democratic presidential nominee Bernie Sanders – took to Instagram Nov. 4 to inform Black southern voters about why they should not participate in the presidential election.
In the image, Mike stated that unless Black leaders and influencers are doing things like decriminalizing marijuana and providing two seats in Congress to one Black man and one Black woman, citizens should not vote.
“Black Voters in states like Georgia this is your chance to MAKE A DEMAND and have it met!” he wrote in the caption. “Don’t remain a pasty [sic] and pet simply doing what u are told. Get something for your vote or stop complaining and accept your role as a 2nd Class citizen once and for all.”
Killer Mike concluded his post by telling fans to participate in the local elections if they feel they need to exercise their right. #VoteLocalifUMust, he hashtagged the post.
But the last declaration went unnoticed and many criticized Mike’s message.
Daniel Jackson dismissed Mike’s call as a temper tantrum that will sacrifice federal governmental control to the Republican party.
Then, Mikael Nuño described the Run The Jewels member as an “idiot… preaching this non-effective action,” referring to the call not to vote.
Meanwhile, @goldenglands decided voting was a great way to stop Republican candidate Donald Trump from winning.
However, the MC cleared up the confusion over the weekend. On Nov. 6, Mike posted an Instagram video emphasizing he wants Black people to vote locally.
“I’m voting locally. You should vote locally,” the activist said.”What I mean is, when you go to that booth: Who are your judges, who are your prosecutors? Who’s handling sanitation, who are your senators that are getting voted for?”
“I’m just saying, when you vote, ask for something back,” Mike added. He also encouraged voters to choose to remove marijuana from schedule 1, a Food and Drug Administration determination that means the drug has no medical use.
“It’ll save Black people from going jail,” Mike said of voting against the designation. Currently, Black Americans are incarcerated at a rate more than four times than that of whites in state prisons, according to Atlanta Black Star.
