A California professor recently caused controversy online when she tweeted that she felt it was “slightly racist” to be a fan of pop star Taylor Swift. Melina Abdullah, a professor of Pan-African Studies at Cal State Los Angeles and co-founder of Black Lives Matter Los Angeles, did not back down from her controversial stance when challenged on social media. Abdullah is no stranger to making provocative statements about race and racism.
California Professor Defends Claiming She Feels Taylor Swift Fans Are Racist
According to Fox News, on February 12, 2023, Professor Melina Abdullah posted on Twitter that she felt “it’s slightly racist to be a Taylor Swift fan.” The tweet from the California State University, Los Angeles professor has sparked debate.
Abdullah teaches Pan-African Studies and is a co-founder of the Los Angeles chapter of Black Lives Matter. On Twitter, where she has over 90,000 followers, Abdullah describes herself as a “#BlackLivesMatter organizer, Pan-Africanist, Hip Hop scholar, daughter of God, womanist, truth-teller, mama.”
Why do I feel like it’s slightly racist to be a Taylor Swift fan?
— Melina Abdullah (@DocMellyMel) February 11, 2024
When challenged on Twitter to explain why she felt it was racist to be a Taylor Swift fan, Professor Abdullah doubled down on her controversial stance. She said she simply felt that way, comparing it to the uneasy feeling she gets from seeing too many American flags. When another user commented that virtually everything is racist these days, Abdullah readily agreed.
Folks think they’re attacking me by asking for why I think everything is racist…
I’m not offended.
Virtually everything is racist.— Melina Abdullah (@DocMellyMel) February 13, 2024
After the Super Bowl, she speculated that the game outcome was the result of some kind of right-wing White supremacist conspiracy. Addressing the backlash to her tweets, Abdullah was unapologetic. She maintained that she was not personally offended by people questioning her perspectives, because she believes systemic racism permeates virtually all aspects of society.
Why do I feel like this was some right-wing, white-supremacist conspiracy?!?!
Booooooo!!!!#SuperBowl— Melina Abdullah (@DocMellyMel) February 12, 2024
The professor has shared other divisive opinions on social media. In June 2022 she tweeted that white people were not welcome at Juneteenth events, which she said should be “#Reparations day for white folks.” In December 2021, Abdullah published a statement defending actor Jussie Smollett, who was later convicted of fabricating a racist attack.
How Has Taylor Swift Responded?
Taylor Swift has not publicly addressed Abdullah’s comments. Swift has been preoccupied with her blockbuster Eras tour and upcoming album The Tortured Poets Department. Swift has been dating NFL superstar Travis Kelce and strategically avoiding engaging with inflammatory online commentary. Instead, the superstar singer has stayed focused on her record-breaking career as she prepares to drop her 11th studio album on April 19th, 2024.
After dominating the charts and awards circuit with Midnights, Taylor Swift quickly shifted focus to her next project, The Tortured Poets Department. Swift conceived the 16-track album shortly after finishing Midnights, developing it in secret during her Eras Tour. She described The Tortured Poets Department as a “lifeline” album that she urgently needed to create, proving to her the vital role of songwriting.
With featured collaborations and physical edition bonus tracks, Swift is pulling out all the stops. After reclaiming her past with re-recordings, Swift now looks ahead with an album she calls her most vital yet. The Tortured Poets Department promises to provide insight into Swift’s songwriting as her essential creative outlet.
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Abdullah faced some backlash online from critics accusing her of unfounded claims. However many of her supporters agreed with her views on systemic racism. Abdullah has stood by her right to freely express her opinions.
