Ernestine “Tina” Martin Wyatt, the great-great-great-niece of Harriet Tubman, has hit back at Kanye West after the rapper blatantly renounced and criticized the record of her aunt.
West in his first event since he declared himself a presidential candidate in November’s general elections went berserk and in a lengthy monologue claimed the Underground Railroad conductor never actually freed the slaves.
“She just had them work for other white people,” he said.
Tubman, according to historical accounts, escaped slavery using the Underground Railroad in the fall of 1849. She would later serve as a “conductor” for many other escaping slaves.
In a reaction, Wyatt slammed West’s comments as utterly ignorant and uninformed, stating that the “Yeezuz” rapper would still be on a plantation were it not for the sacrifices the likes of Tubman made of the emancipation of the black race in America.
“If we were left alone, we would be in an entirely different place. And he needs to understand that if it weren’t for people like aunt Harriet, especially her… because she was already free, she didn’t have to come back, she didn’t have to risk her life but she did it countless times.
“And if it hadn’t been for people like her, he would still be on that plantation, he would not be able to be out there saying the things he said and he wouldn’t have the money he makes,” Wyatt told TMZ.
West is no stranger to controversy. Last year he claimed bizarrely that he was free from the clutches of the Democratic Party following his acceptance of Jesus.
West told veteran Los Angeles radio and morning show host, Big Boy in an interview that the Democratic Party for years brainwashed the black community into patronizing abortion.
“We’re brainwashed out here, bro,” said West. “Come on, man. This is a free man talking. Democrats had us voting [for] Democrats with food stamps for years. What are you talking about? Guns in the 80s, taking the fathers out the home, Plan B, lowering our votes, making us abort our children…Thou shall not kill.”