Van Lathan, a producer for TMZ, bravely confronted Kanye West during an interview Tuesday on "TMZ Live," after Kanye said American slavery was a "choice." At that moment, Lathan became the hero we knew we needed.
Lathan, like many of us, was "disappointed, appalled, and utterly hurt" by the words coming out of Kanye's mouth, and felt the need to speak up on behalf of the culture. CNN has referenced the moment as "the reason there's a need for racial diversity in the workplace."
"Do you feel like I'm thinking free and feeling free?" West asked those in the newsroom.
"I actually don't think you're thinking anything," Lathan said. "I think what you're doing right now is actually the absence of thought."
You can see the rest of Latham's precise, passionate, and prophetic rebuttal here.
Lathan kept the momentum going Wednesday night, by posting to his Instagram a video of himself. This time, he had a slightly different message. And this time, it was for us.
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