Solange Explains Why Black People Don’t Feel Safe In “White Spaces”
Solange Knowles had a lime thrown at her during a Kraftwerk concert last night (September 9) at the Orpheum Theater in New Orleans. The reason why, believe it or not, was that she had been standing up, dancing, to Kraftwerk.
The experimental pop-R&B artist (and Beyonce‘s sister) had tweeted about what happened while still at the theater. “4 older white women yell to me from behind, ‘Sit down now,'” she said. “I tell them I’m dancing at a concert. They yell, ‘u need to sit down now’…We are at an ELECTRONIC and DANCE music concert and you are telling…not asking me…to sit down. In front of my child.”
She adds that, once she decided to keep dancing, the concertgoers threw something on her back — a lime, as her son would later discover.
Solange says she decided to share what happened so that folks can see why black people like her family often feel unsafe in “white spaces.” She claims that she and her family comprised four of maybe 20 black patrons inside the venue, seated capacity: 1,460. “…in many white spaces… We don’t ‘bring the drama’… Fix yourself,” she says.
See Solange explain what happened during the Kraftwerk concert in full below.
Let me tell you about why black girls / women are so angry….
— solange knowles (@solangeknowles) September 10, 2016
I took my son, his friend, and my husband to see Kraftwerk in New Orleans…
Was very excited to dance and enjoy a band I love.— solange knowles (@solangeknowles) September 10, 2016
We are 4 of about 20 black concert goers out 1500 here.
4 out of maaaybbe 20 out of 1500.— solange knowles (@solangeknowles) September 10, 2016
We walk in, and one of my favorite songs, Machine, is on. I’m excited to tell my son about how hip hop sampled Kraftwerk. We are dancing.
— solange knowles (@solangeknowles) September 10, 2016
4 older white women yell to me from behind, “Sit down now” . I tell them I’m dancing at a concert. They yell, “u need to sit down now”…
— solange knowles (@solangeknowles) September 10, 2016
We are at an ELECTRONIC and DANCE music concert and you are telling…not asking me…to sit down. In front of my child.
— solange knowles (@solangeknowles) September 10, 2016
They proceed to throw something at my back….
— solange knowles (@solangeknowles) September 10, 2016
Now the old me……
— solange knowles (@solangeknowles) September 10, 2016
But in this moment, I’m just going to share my experience…
So that maybe someone will understand, why many of us don’t feel safe…— solange knowles (@solangeknowles) September 10, 2016
…in many white spaces…
We don’t “bring the drama”….
Fix yourself.
— solange knowles (@solangeknowles) September 10, 2016
Nobody goes to the Kraftwerk show with their kid “looking for “drama”
But that’s how u guys like to spin this.— solange knowles (@solangeknowles) September 10, 2016
Now back to me & my husbands favorite song
“Autobahn” ….& not giving a fuck about you lovely ladies so mad this lil black girl having fun😘— solange knowles (@solangeknowles) September 10, 2016
Bye haters pic.twitter.com/YPCRu75AFL
— solange knowles (@solangeknowles) September 10, 2016
My son just confirmed it was a lime. Smh https://t.co/5HnUOP85db
— solange knowles (@solangeknowles) September 10, 2016
Honestly, Truly …..(again) pic.twitter.com/1yxAvf6NJq
— solange knowles (@solangeknowles) September 10, 2016
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