In an election year, getting celebrities involved in politics can help with voter turnout and engagement, but it can also lead to more misinformation being passed around. Not all celebs will take the time to make sure they know what they’re talking about before they start making the podcast rounds — among them is Tyrese Gibson, who’s been everywhere lately as he promotes his new film “1992.”
During a recent interview with famed civil rights attorney Ben Crump, the actor/singer discussed S. 937 — COVID-19 Hate Crimes Act, which he referred to as the “Asian Anti-hate Crime Bill.” The bill is a response to the spike in crimes against the Asian community during the pandemic. Tyrese complained about President Joe Biden and Kamala Harris signing this bill into law, while in his opinion, ignoring all the hate crimes committed against Black and Latino communities.
“There is a crime bill that was signed into law that protects Asians at all costs,” the “Sweet Lady” singer said. “Where is that same f***ng law to be signed into law when it comes to Black and Brown people? Because what you’re doing is — President Biden and Kamala Harris — what you’re doing is, you’re saying that Black and Brown people will continue to be disposable. That shit doesn’t make sense.”
Journalist Roland Martin, who is never afraid to call public figures out on their mess, took issue with the “Fast & Furious” star’s comments, taking him to task for speaking on things he doesn’t know about.
“I’m sick of celebrities talking about public policy and they do no fact checking. @tyrese did a video claiming Asian Americans received a hate crime bill and Black people did not. That is a 100 [percent] lie,” Martin wrote on Instagram. “I have debunked this lie on #RolandMartinUnfiltered on several occasions. I’ve also debunked the lie that there has never been in American history hate crime bills for African-Americans.”
In the video accompanying his post, he explained exactly how wrong Tyrese was, breaking down the hate crime bills that were made in response to violence against Black and LGBTQ+ people. He begged entertainers to stop posting these sort of statements without checking them first.
It should go without saying, but clearly some of y’all need to hear this: You absolutely should not be getting political information from Tyrese. We’re all walking around with mini computers in our pockets. We have all the knowledge in the world at our fingertips. There is no excuse for choosing to get your info from celebrities who haven’t taken the time to find out all the facts.