Stay Connected
Atlanta Black Star/Entertainment
EntertainmentMusic

Maxwell Tries to ‘All Lives Matter’ Black History Month, Then Backtrack, But Twitter Has Receipts

Posted byBy Kiersten Willis | Published on: | Updated on February 10, 2017 CommentsComments (0)

Maxwell drew criticism from fans after seeming to dim the light on Black History Month to highlight all races. (Colombia)

Irritated Twitter users laid into singer Maxwell when he tweeted that Black History Month should include all races, causing him to clarify his stance later on.

The “Pretty Wings” performer tweeted and deleted messages promoting an “all lives matter” mentality Wednesday, Feb. 8, including one that said, “not all of us look a typical Black.” His post also featured a photo of late singer and civil rights activist Lena Horne.

Another tweet further pushed his stance with a hashtag that meant to include all races.

The posts were captured as screenshots on Twitter prior to their removal and many users chimed in.

Author Daniel José Older responded to Maxwell’s hashtag, to which the singer sarcastically reminded Older about former President Barack Obama’s parentage.

When one woman insulted the album sales of his 2016 release, “blackSUMMERS’night,” Maxwell hurled a sexist insult at her via direct message.

https://twitter.com/GeauxGabby/status/829454837364486144

https://twitter.com/GeauxGabby/status/829462403129671680

Some were focused on the fact that the singer was on team “All Lives Matter.”

Others booted him from the cookout.

https://twitter.com/jedijzmne/status/829485756095852545

There were several users who agreed that Black History Month should acknowledge the different ethnicities of Black people and knew where Maxwell was coming from.

https://twitter.com/Imsocreative72/status/829461311067140097

One person shared how Black History Month effects individuals with lighter skin tones.

Maxwell backed away from his original tweets later that evening, clarifying his intent.

https://twitter.com/_MAXWELL_/status/829488887147794432

https://twitter.com/_MAXWELL_/status/829506159002349568

Still independent.

We hope this story was worth your time. For over 14 years, Atlanta Black Star has stayed Black-owned and independently run. We didn't get here by waiting on ad budgets that were never built to prioritize us. Our readers did that.

Corporate support for Black media has always been thin. Outlets like ours get roughly 1% of the $170 billion spent on U.S. advertising each year, and that margin is shrinking further as advertisers walk back the DEI-linked commitments they made in 2020. That's the backdrop. It's not why we're asking.

The wider picture isn't any steadier. Newspaper ad revenue has fallen more than 80% since 2005, and local newsrooms are closing at a rate of roughly two a week nationwide. When outlets go under, it's rarely the ones built to center a Black perspective from the ground up that get to stick around.

We know a request for support isn't why you came here. But without readers choosing to fund this work directly, the depth of reporting we can do at home and abroad shrinks along with everyone else's. If you're not in a position to give, that doesn't change how much we value you as a reader.

If you are able to, a recurring contribution does more for us than a single one-time gift, because it lets us plan the next investigation instead of just the next invoice. It takes about 30 seconds, no long form, no account. Thank you for continuing to support independent journalism and freedom of the press.

Give once Give monthly Support another way

Related Stories

Back to top