(Todd A. Smith)
I find it ridiculous that many on the far-right criticize celebrities for speaking out on political and social issues as if politics do not affect their lives like those that are not famous.
Publications like RegalMag.com have already covered the dangers of Project 2025, which would usher out democracy and equality in favor of White supremacy and autocracy.
But it often takes those with the biggest megaphones like actress Taraji P. Henson and Black Entertainment Television (BET) for the message to really strike a chord with people who might have become apathetic to national politics.
During the 2024 BET Awards, which often showcases more wiggling of certain body parts than so-called “woke” politics, the Academy Award nominated actress encouraged people to look up Project 2025 and the danger it poses to our freedom and rights.
Watching the BET Awards live made me upset because Henson’s comments did not get the type of response from the live audience that I thought it would receive.
But after learning that Google searches of Project 2025 had skyrocketed since Henson’s inspired speech I had to remind myself what I teach people in my media training classes.
When a person does an interview or makes a speech that is televised on camera, their audience is not necessarily the reporter or just the people in the audience.
Their audience is everyone watching live on television.
Their audience is everyone that sees clips of their statements on social media.
And in the case of the annual BET Awards, the audience will also be the people that catch the reruns that will continue to air throughout the summer.
Many of my conservative friends have told me that celebrities cannot relate to the real world because of all the excess that they enjoy.
But as Henson has argued over the years, she is fighting for fair wages in Hollywood as a Black woman just like those in professions away from the spotlight.
As a woman period, abortion rights will affect her no matter how much money she makes.
As a Black American, her celebrity status will not stop her from losing it all if a racist White wannabe dictator destroys our beloved democratic republic.
Because of former President Donald Trump, it is no longer politics as usual.
All will be adversely affected by his demonic plans for our country.
But all do not have the reach that Henson has.
When a person like her speaks, people listen, especially those in the Black community.
Henson has always been a solid person who cared about people, period.
Therefore, her words will carry weight.
So, it would have been irresponsible for her not to speak out.
The Heritage Foundation, which is the conservative think tank that published the Project 2025 manifesto, never tried to hide their evil plans for our country.
The think tank probably just hoped that people would not pay attention until it was too late.
While the mainstream media is still focusing much of its attention on President Joe Biden’s dismal debate performance, my social media feeds do not have any non-media member or politician still speaking on the debate.
Many of my connections are talking about Project 2025.
They are talking about how it would impact women.
They are talking about how it would impact the Black community.
They are talking about how it would impact social security, overtime pay and climate change.
And that is why many far-right Americans want celebrities to shut up and act or shut and dribble, etc.
Those unpatriotic people know that celebrities have a way of changing the discussions that people are having on social media, barbershops, beauty salons, churches and dining room tables.
No one knows yet what impact Henson’s passionate plea at the BET Awards will have on the election.
But I do not hear any Black people talking about Trump giving them a stimulus check when they now know that their freedoms are worth much more than a measly $1200.
No one cares how many Black rappers Trump pardoned when it will come at a cost like being imprisoned for criticizing Trump if he is re-elected.
Thanks to Henson, Black people are doing their research and finally realizing how dangerous the former guy really is.
What has worked in Trump’s favor over the last four years is the fact that he was not on television or most social media platforms spreading hate and ignorance daily.
Many people had forgotten how bad he was while in the Oval Office.
They had forgotten about all the lives lost because of his mishandling of the Covid crisis.
They had forgotten the year they could not leave their homes because of the quarantine.
They had forgotten how bad the economy had gotten when he left office.
And many had forgotten just how close Trump came to overthrowing our democracy because of the Jan. 6 insurrection at the U.S. Capitol.
Thanks to Henson, many in the Black c0mmunity have finally snapped out of their amnesia and political coma.
And many of those people are determined to not ever be in the position where they think our democracy will fall.
Instead, they want Trump and the MAGA movement to fall once and for all.
But for that to happen, Henson’s speech cannot become yesterday’s news.
She did her part by waking us all up from our hibernation.
Now, it is up to us to keep the reality of Project 2025 in social media until election day and beyond.
