Maritza Baptiste, Contributing Writer
Nicki Minaj, once dubbed the “queen of rap,” was previously celebrated for her feminist stances, acceptance of the queer community, pioneerism of the rap genre and her condemnation of callous immigration policies that aimed to separate children from their families. But as of late, that success has been tainted by her endorsement of Turning Point USA and President Donald Trump.
I became a fan of Nicki Minaj when she was nominated for her first Grammy in 2011. I was too young to know much about her music, but I knew she was a Caribbean woman like me. Seeing her rise to fame meant representation for me and everyone who grew up listening to Reggae and Benna music.
As a former fan, it’s been disheartening to watch Minaj align herself with an organization that promotes authoritarian ideals and has been at the forefront of the push for the increased presence of Immigration and Customs Enforcement, or ICE, in major cities and mass deportation. This sharp turn has shocked her fan base, which largely consists of Black women and queer people.
Many have been left reeling by her seemingly sudden shift to conservatism, but Minaj’s harmful politics actually parallel a thread of black history: the Uncle Tom. Malcolm X dubbed this archetype as the “house negro.”
This character stems from the divide between the enslaved people who worked outside in the fields and the ones who worked inside the master’s house. There was a perceived lack of solidarity from the “house negro” because of their proximity to the master and their subsequent proximity to whiteness. This is furthered by the fact that the enslaved people who were picked to perform labor in the house had lighter skin, and often were the offspring of the master himself.
Malcolm X argued that the house negro archetype persisted beyond slavery.
He stated that the house negro, in trying to look like “one of us,” mocks the culture they should be in solidarity with.
“He doesn’t identify himself with your plight whatsoever,” he once said.
We see contemporary Uncle Toms every day without even realizing it. It’s Black police officers and Black ICE agents. It’s your neighbor who, despite being a person of color, voted for Trump three times. It’s people believing they somehow benefit from throwing their own community to the wolves, until the harm they’ve perpetrated turns on them.
There’s a strong belief that karma will come for the Uncle Toms. That “master” will grow tired of his presence and send him back to the fields. But by then the harm is already done to the community.
As we hopefully move toward a future of liberation, let us be clear-eyed in our recognition of who is with us and who is against us. Nicki Minaj is Black, a woman and an immigrant, but having marginalized identities doesn’t automatically make you an ally.
Our communities deserve better, so let’s honor icons in Black history who don’t turn their backs on us when it’s convenient or profitable. Our role models should be the pillars holding our community up, not the tyrant tearing them down.
CORRECTION: A previous version of this article said Nicki Minaj won her first Grammy award in 2011. That was the year she received her first nomination. She has never won a Grammy award. The article has been updated with the correct information.