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Amanda Seales Spurs Debate Over Passports and Jordans — Should Folks Have to Choose?

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

Amanda Seales regularly drops hot takes on Instagram and Twitter. (Leon Bennett/Getty Images)

Amanda Seales has issued a statement about her controversial tweets, standing firm on the fact that people should focus on travel and financial stability over material things like Air Jordans.

“I make it very clear in my following tweets that the point was to say that if you can afford a surplus of material things and value them more than gaining economic growth and security — i.e. attaining a passport, credit, a practical living space for wellness, etc. — you’re being short-sighted in what you consider to be success/maturity,” she said. “Per usual, people added contexts that weren’t intended or implied and the spirit of love intended was misinterpreted as elitist, bourghie [sic], classist, etc. Three things I only play on TV. Nonetheless, I stand by my comments and those that get it, got it, and those that don’t, don’t. All love. I’m not for everyone but I am for everyone winning.”

On Monday, Oct. 9, the comedian claimed people who own Jordans without owning a  passport for international travel are “losing.”

Immediately, claims of classism followed.

https://twitter.com/venusselenite/status/917395116712693761

Writer and sociologist Eve L. Ewing denounced putting the blame on Jordan purchases and cited data from the Federal Reserve, which noted the gap between Black and Hispanic Americans and their white counterparts has widened.

https://twitter.com/eveewing/status/917412874896723968

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Others felt Seales was talking down to her community.

https://twitter.com/youngsinick/status/917333756633116672

However, some got her point. With passport books for adult first-time applicants costing $110 and adult Jordans ranging from $100 to nearly $400, many felt Black people need to use their funds to travel the world.

https://twitter.com/JuicelessJerome/status/917419605546688512

https://twitter.com/RVAReid/status/917412240768274432

Soon, Seales caught wind of the criticism and fired back.

She also called out Twitter users for hypocritically applauding Jay-Z’s financial advice on “The Story of O.J.”

“I bought every V12 engine / Wish I could take it back to the beginnin’/ I coulda bought a place in Dumbo before it was Dumbo For like 2 million / That same building today is worth 25 million Guess how I’m feelin’? Dumbo,” he rapped.

Then, Seales reiterated her point.

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