Summary
Opening and Format
The event follows an unconventional format where
Kanye West invites audience members to the stage to speak about issues they care about, followed by his own commentary. West emphasizes the importance of listening without interruption, repeatedly asking the audience for complete silence when speakers are sharing their thoughts.
Education Issues
The rally begins with a woman named Summer discussing education problems. She argues that education is "whitewashed" and fails to represent marginalized communities adequately. Summer explains that current education systems teach history from a limited perspective and don't provide inclusive viewpoints. She advocates for an educational approach that would teach younger generations to be more inclusive and loving toward each other.Summer also mentions how education failures extend beyond traditional schooling to include knowledge gaps about civic rights, such as many formerly incarcerated people not knowing they can still vote.
Police Brutality
Summer transitions to discussing police brutality, stating that not everyone should be allowed to serve on police forces. She suggests many join law enforcement merely seeking authority and power. West connects this to what she describes as societal brainwashing through platforms like TikTok and other social media, which she claims program ideas into people's minds from very young ages.
Healthcare Concerns
Another speaker, Lauren, discusses healthcare accessibility as a critical issue. She argues that education leads to other systems including healthcare, policing, and politics. Lauren emphasizes that without proper healthcare access, people cannot live full lives. West responds by sharing his personal experience with the healthcare system, describing how he was repeatedly offered pain medication for a minor injury. He reveals his past addiction to Percocet following plastic surgery, comparing the medication to "a smaller form of heroin" and describing how he would drive while under the influence.
Racial Disparities
Lauren addresses disparities in discipline between different racial groups, noting that in some schools, fighting leads to jail time while in others, students return to class the same day. She emphasizes the importance of acknowledging different lived experiences based on race and upbringing.
Political Commentary
West makes several political statements throughout the rally. He claims that "Democrats ain't get sh for blacks" and calls it racist to suggest his presidential run would split Black votes. He references Harriet Tubman, controversially stating she "never actually freed the slaves, she just had the slaves go work for other white people."He critiques power structures in American business and entertainment, noting that the NBA and Universal Music are "not owned by any blacks" and suggesting that celebrities who appear powerful don't have "real power."
Abortion Stance
A significant portion of the rally focuses on abortion. West shares a personal story about how his then-girlfriend (now wife) considered abortion when pregnant with their daughter North. He becomes emotional, stating "I almost killed my daughter" before revealing that his own father wanted his mother to abort him.West proposes what he calls "Plan A" - offering financial support of "$50,000 a year" to those who choose not to abort. When challenged by audience members about cases involving rape or mental illness, West acknowledges these concerns while maintaining his position that life begins at conception.After hearing from an audience member named Georgia who shares her experience having an abortion because she couldn't support a child on minimum wage, West clarifies that he doesn't want to make abortion illegal but wants to provide better options. He suggests the possibility of offering "a million dollars" to pregnant women to encourage childbirth, though he acknowledges he doesn't personally have the funding for such a program.
Additional Issues
The rally also touches on immigration, with West stating "there's no such thing as an illegal immigrant" and advocating for opportunities for those who have worked and contributed to the country.West discusses gun rights, noting the disparity between his ability to freely use firearms on his ranch versus the criminalization of gun ownership in urban communities like Chicago. He suggests that guns themselves aren't the problem, saying "Guns don't kill people. People kill people."A speaker named Gary brings up concerns about opioid addiction, which West connects to broader issues of seeking validation, including through social media engagement.
Closing Remarks
Near the end of the rally, West addresses questions about his religious views, stating "Jesus loved everyone" including gay people, and criticizing Christians who believe otherwise. He restates his controversial comment about Harriet Tubman, explaining he's "sick of this black iconography being used by white organization for us to look up to."Despite going well over his planned speaking time, West concludes confidently that he will "win in 2020."*There may be errors on this page.