Tina Campbell: The Holy-Roller Who Supported Trump’s “Christian Values”
Tina Campbell, one-half of the successful gospel duo Mary Mary, is yet another celeb who drew the ire of fans after stumping for then President-elect Donald Trump. After writing an open letter urging voters to pray for the former reality TV star, Campbell elaborated on why she chose to vote him into office.
“[Trump] appealed more to my Christian values than the other candidate,” she said during an appearance on The Real. “[And] when it came down to it, I voted based on my faith. I didn’t really like either of the candidates if I can just be honest. But it was two people who had a chance of winning, and so I voted based on my faith.”
Host/executive producer Steve Harvey participates in the “Steve” panel during the NBC Television Critics Association Summer Press Tour at the Beverly Hilton on Thursday, Aug. 3, 2017, in Beverly Hills, Calif. (Photo by Willy Sanjuan/Invision/AP)
Steve Harvey: The King of Comedy Who Went Chump for Trump
Comedian Steve Harvey got the cold shoulder after he taking time from his umpteen jobs to sit-own with President Donald Trump at Trump Tower this year. Harvey raved about his “successful” meeting with The Donald and now-HUD secretary Ben Carson, during which they discussed inner-city development. Black folk weren’t cheesin’, however, and labeled the comedic legend a sellout for even agreeing to the meeting.
Kodak Black: The Rapper with No Love for Dark-Skinned Women
Rapper Kodak Black made headlines earlier this year for his controversial comments about dark-skinned Black women. His remarks were directed at singer/actress Keke Palmer, who the rapper said was “straight” but “[I] don’t really like Black girls like that.” He stood by his statements in an interview with Essence magazine, saying:
“It’s some beautiful Black women out there, [but] it’s just not my preference to deal with a dark skinned woman … [they] are more difficult. I like light skin women. They are more sensitive.”
B.o.B: The Rapper Who Questioned If the African Slave Trade Ever Happened
As if his belief that Earth is flat wasn’t enough, rapper B.o.B left Black folks scratching their heads when he questioned whether the Trans-Atlantic slave trade ever happened. This isn’t the first time his comments about science and history have prompted fans to give him the side-eye.
“They say slavery lasted 400 yrs… America is only 250 yrs old,” he wrote in an Instagram post in November. “[Have] you ever seen [sic] a slave ship?? They can find a billion-year-old dinosaur bone but can’t find any slave ships.”
Eddie Bernice Johnson: The Congresswoman with an “Old School” Perspective on Sexual Assault
Rep. Eddie Bernice Johnson (D-Texas) sparked major backlash this year after suggesting it was just as much the woman’s responsibility to cover up if she did not want to be sexually harassed or assaulted by a man.
“I grew up in a time when it was as much the woman’s responsibility as it was a man’s — how you were dressed, what your behavior was,” Johnson told a Texas news station amid sexual assault allegations levied against movie mogul Harvey Weinstein. “I’m from the old school, that you can have behaviors that appear to be inviting … That is the responsibility of the woman, I think.”
HUD Secretary Ben Carson spoke at a community forum in Cairo, Ill. this week to discuss the housing crisis. (Image courtesy of the Gazette Review).
Ben Carson: The HUD Secretary in Desperate Need of a History Lesson
This was the year retired neurosurgeon and HUD secretary Ben Carson probably should’ve kept his thoughts to himself. The ex-presidential candidate sent social media into a frenzy when he suggested that enslaved Africans were immigrants who came to America with a dream. Months later, Carson stuck his foot in his mouth once again, arguing that poverty was simply a state of mind.
Chrisette Michele won a little support after her candid Instagram posts. (Dia Dipasupil/Getty Images for BET)
Chrisette Michele: The R&B Songstress Who Sold Out
Black folk were ready to kick the “Epiphany” crooner to the curb after she agreed to perform at President Donald Trump’s inauguration earlier this year. In an open letter, Michele claimed her contested performance represented “us.” Her fans begged to differ, however.
“Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. once said, ‘Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about what matters,’ ” she wrote. “I am here representing you because this is what matters.”
Photo by Prince Williams/WireImage
R.Kelly: The Pied Piper-Turned-Predator
The “Trapped in the Closet” crooner fell from grace this year amid claims he headed a sex cult, and was holding several young women against their will at his home in Atlanta. Kelly was also accused of having sexual relationships with underage girls, with one victim telling how an older woman had showed her “how to please” the singer. The disturbing allegations were enough for fans to boycott his music.
