Marc Lamont Hill: ‘What Kanye Said Was Just Inexcusable, Ridiculous’

CUOMO OK So now ░░░░░░░░ West is defending himself ░░░░░░░░ really the indefensible He ░░░░░░░░ slavery was a choice ░░░░░░░░ s the sound clip ░░░░░░░░ WEST You hear about ░░░░░░░░ for 400 years For ░░░░░░░░ years That sound like ░░░░░░░░ choice Like you was ░░░░░░░░ for 400 years and ░░░░░░░░ s all of you ░░░░░░░░ all You know like ░░░░░░░░ s like we re ░░░░░░░░ re mentally in prison ░░░░░░░░ ends CUOMO The rapper ░░░░░░░░ then confronted by a ░░░░░░░░ staffer whose name is ░░░░░░░░ Lathan Listen to how ░░░░░░░░ rebutted this clip starts ░░░░░░░░ I actually don t ░░░░░░░░ you re thinking anything ░░░░░░░░ think what you re ░░░░░░░░ right now is actually ░░░░░░░░ absence of thought And ░░░░░░░░ reason why I feel ░░░░░░░░ that is because Kanye ░░░░░░░░ re entitled to your ░░░░░░░░ You re entitled to ░░░░░░░░ whatever you want But ░░░░░░░░ is fact and real ░░░░░░░░ real life consequence behind ░░░░░░░░ that you just said ░░░░░░░░ rest of us in ░░░░░░░░ have to deal with ░░░░░░░░ threats to our lives ░░░░░░░░ have to deal with ░░░░░░░░ marginalization that has come ░░░░░░░░ the 400 years of ░░░░░░░░ that you said for ░░░░░░░░ people was a choice ░░░░░░░░ I m disappointed I ░░░░░░░░ appalled And brother I ░░░░░░░░ unbelievably hurt by the ░░░░░░░░ that you have morphed ░░░░░░░░ something to me that ░░░░░░░░ not real clip ends ░░░░░░░░ Let s bring in ░░░░░░░░ contributor and former president ░░░░░░░░ CEO of the NAACP ░░░░░░░░ William Brooks and CNN ░░░░░░░░ commentator Marc Lamont Hill ░░░░░░░░ your take on the ░░░░░░░░ and the response from ░░░░░░░░ Lathan HILL Well let ░░░░░░░░ start with Van first ░░░░░░░░ s an amazing response ░░░░░░░░ was genuine It was ░░░░░░░░ It was thoughtful It ░░░░░░░░ concise And it was ░░░░░░░░ I mean he could ░░░░░░░░ just beat Kanye down ░░░░░░░░ he didn t I ░░░░░░░░ Kanye was able to ░░░░░░░░ him in a way ░░░░░░░░ that he wouldn t ░░░░░░░░ otherwise And I think ░░░░░░░░ kind of modeled how ░░░░░░░░ can have civil discourse ░░░░░░░░ society What Kanye said ░░░░░░░░ just inexcusable ridiculous and ░░░░░░░░ inaccurate It s disrespectful ░░░░░░░░ our ancestors It s ░░░░░░░░ to everyone who resisted ░░░░░░░░ single day Slaves resisted ░░░░░░░░ day not just people ░░░░░░░░ jumped off ships not ░░░░░░░░ people who killed their ░░░░░░░░ not just people who ░░░░░░░░ away but people who ░░░░░░░░ endured this peculiar institution ░░░░░░░░ centuries I mean this ░░░░░░░░ something that Kanye what ░░░░░░░░ said was something that ░░░░░░░░ just completely wild and ░░░░░░░░ but part of a ░░░░░░░░ that we re starting ░░░░░░░░ see CAMEROTA Well I ░░░░░░░░ that that s right ░░░░░░░░ terms of the pattern ░░░░░░░░ mean I don t ░░░░░░░░ if you re seeing ░░░░░░░░ same one that I ░░░░░░░░ but Cornell you tell ░░░░░░░░ is this go with ░░░░░░░░ gut shoot from the ░░░░░░░░ say how you feel ░░░░░░░░ being damned I don ░░░░░░░░ need to read much ░░░░░░░░ history this is how ░░░░░░░░ feel about it Is ░░░░░░░░ the pattern that you ░░░░░░░░ seeing exemplified by Kanye ░░░░░░░░ BROOKS I m not ░░░░░░░░ if he s saying ░░░░░░░░ he feels or saying ░░░░░░░░ he actually thinks without ░░░░░░░░ being well informed thought ░░░░░░░░ arguments essentially it seems ░░░░░░░░ be the fact that ░░░░░░░░ many black people enslaved ░░░░░░░░ were enslaved so long ░░░░░░░░ proof positive of a ░░░░░░░░ mentality Notwithstanding the fact ░░░░░░░░ there were at least ░░░░░░░░ slave rebellions before the ░░░░░░░░ of slavery and that ░░░░░░░░ resisted in ways micro ░░░░░░░░ macro from the time ░░░░░░░░ got off the ships ░░░░░░░░ so I m not ░░░░░░░░ sure if it s ░░░░░░░░ matter of what he ░░░░░░░░ not know or that ░░░░░░░░ thinks he knows how ░░░░░░░░ sell records by stirring ░░░░░░░░ controversy But doing so ░░░░░░░░ a way that disrespects ░░░░░░░░ forbearers our foremothers and ░░░░░░░░ it s quite simply ░░░░░░░░ And he should know ░░░░░░░░ And if he doesn ░░░░░░░░ know better there are ░░░░░░░░ of folk around the ░░░░░░░░ including Professor Hill I ░░░░░░░░ teach a class at ░░░░░░░░ University Plenty of folks ░░░░░░░░ would love to have ░░░░░░░░ sit down and learn ░░░░░░░░ the resistance history of ░░░░░░░░ forbearers that yet lives ░░░░░░░░ right So in other ░░░░░░░░ the young people who ░░░░░░░░ in the streets today ░░░░░░░░ resisting police misconduct and ░░░░░░░░ suppression are literally the ░░░░░░░░ heirs of their slave ░░░░░░░░ They stand in the ░░░░░░░░ lineage and legacy And ░░░░░░░░ when he understates their ░░░░░░░░ he s not only ░░░░░░░░ the past but insulting ░░░░░░░░ present.”