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On Sunday night, creator Shaboozey accepted the Grammy award for Best Country Duo/Group Performance for his opus “Amen” with Jelly Roll.
“Immigrants built this country, literally,” helium said. “So this is for them. For each children of immigrants. This is besides for those who came to this state successful hunt of amended opportunity, to beryllium portion of a federation that promised state for all, and adjacent accidental to everyone consenting to enactment for it. Thank you for bringing your culture, your music, your stories, and your traditions here. You springiness America color, I emotion y’all truthful much. Thank you.”
While respective radical commended Shaboozey for championing immigrants, peculiarly successful today’s governmental climate, galore felt that helium had overlooked the history of Native and Black Americans by making nary notation of the Indigenous peoples who were displaced from their lands, oregon the enslaved radical who were brought to the US against their will.
“I truly anticipation this was an guiltless mistake. While immigrants person been immense contributors to the United States, this state was built connected the genocide of the indigenous radical and the forced labour and enslaved Black people,” idiosyncratic said.
Another popular station read, “Slaves built this state not immigrants and enslaved Black radical didn’t travel to America looking for a amended life...they were forcibly removed from their homeland and worked dusk till dawn without a azygous wage...amid immoderate of the gravest atrocities. Its Black History Month.”
“I recognize what Shaboozey was astir apt trying to say, but my member successful Christ — it’s Black History Month! You person to connection that decently if you’re going to bring it up, due to the fact that the 400 years of gathering by African-American slaves is specified a cardinal portion of the story,” idiosyncratic other added.
Amid the backlash, Shaboozey has present issued a lengthy statement clarifying his message.
“First and foremost, I privation to explicit my heavy gratitude to everyone who has supported and celebrated my travel arsenic an artist,” helium wrote successful a connection shared connected X and Instagram. “I besides privation to admit the speech surrounding my acceptance speech.”
“To beryllium clear, I cognize and judge that we—Black people, person besides built this country. My words were ne'er intended to disregard that truth. I americium some a Black antheral and the lad of Nigerian immigrants and successful the overwhelming infinitesimal of winning my archetypal Grammy my absorption was connected honoring the sacrifices my parents made by coming to this state to springiness maine and my siblings opportunities they ne'er had,” helium said.
“At the aforesaid time, winning this grant connected the archetypal time of Black History Month and becoming the archetypal Black antheral to triumph Best Country Duo is Black history. It stands connected the instauration laid by generations of Black radical who fought, sacrificed, and succeeded agelong earlier me. This infinitesimal belongs to each of us,” helium wrote.
Shaboozey added, “My full vocation has been rooted successful lifting radical up, honoring wherever we travel from, and expanding what’s possible. I americium arrogant to beryllium portion of this legacy, and I mean to proceed doing that enactment for the remainder of my life.”
English (US) ·