One of Harriet Tubman's relatives scoffed at comments Kanye West made during his inaugural presidential campaign rally. He claimed the abolitionist "never actually freed the slaves."
Tina Wyatt, Tubman's great-great-great niece, told TMZ if it wasn't for her aunt, the rapper turned politician "would still be on that plantation."
"She was selfless, she was already free. She didn't have to come back. She didn't have to risk her life, but she did it countless times," Wyatt said.
"He would not be able to be out there saying the things he says, and he wouldn’t have the money he has because they would have it all,” she added.
Wyatt said Tubman would encourage him to "uplift other people" and said running for president is not an example of that.
Tubman is believed to have personally helped free at least 70 enslaved people, including her parents, and instructed dozens of others on how to escape on their own, according to History.com.
During his campaign rally in South Carolina over the weekend, West said that Tubman "just had the slaves go work for other white people."
His comments were met with boos from the crowd. Fellow musician T.I. criticized his remarks, saying he was spreading "falsities" about her.
"Nahhhh WE Can't let you do that Ye'…. What WE NOT gon do is slander nor disrespect the legacy of our heroic Queen Harriet Tubman by telling falsities in an attempt to discredit the contributions she made to LIBERATE OUR PEOPLE‼️" the rapper wrote on Instagram with an accompanying picture of Tubman.
"Cuzz U BUGGIN‼️ THIS IS ABSOLUTELY TOO FAR‼️ I truly hope you either have a logical explanation for all this… or get the medical attention you so desperately need Bro. I say this with love and sincerity," he continued.
Snoop Dogg also responded to West's comments, using an emoji to indicate he was praying for the rapper.
Rapper Noname, who hasn't been shy about indirectly calling out rappers on social media, tweeted her thoughts.
"KEEP HARRIET TUBMAN NAME OUT YOUR F**KING MOUTH!!!!!!!" she wrote.
KEEP HARRIET TUBMAN NAME OUT YOUR FUCKING MOUTH!!!!!!!
— noname (@noname) July 20, 2020
"A revolutionary. a fearless revolutionary who sacrificed her body, well being, sanity etc etc etc etc etc to liberate black folks from CHATTEL SLAVERY. and yall let this man go unchecked because he makes art and shoes? not sure what god he’s praying to but i know mine is watching," she wrote in another tweet.
West also discussed abortions. He became emotional discussing the topic, saying that his father asked his mother to abort him, The Guardian reported. He also shared that he asked his wife Kim Kardashian-West to abort their first child.
