Singer and actress Janet Jackson’s recent remarks about Vice President Kamala Harris’ racial identity have sparked strong reactions online.
Harris, who became the Democratic nominee after President Joe Biden withdrew from the race on July 21, is expected to face former President Donald Trump, the Republican presidential nominee, in November.
However, as both candidates seek to reach out to voters in the black community, Harris’ racial identity has become a constant topic of discussion because, if elected, she would be the first black American woman and the first South Asian American to become president of the United States.
Harris, who has long expressed pride in being biracial, was born to Indian and Jamaican immigrants. She is the daughter of a Jamaican father and an Indian mother. She has said her mother deliberately raised her and her sister as black people because of the world’s view of them.
In an interview with The Guardian On Saturday, Jackson, the younger sister of singer Michael Jackson, spoke about her career, family and the election while interviewed by Nosheen Iqbal, host of The Guardian‘s Today Featured podcast, about Harris who is about to be elected the first black woman president.
“You know what they would have said? She’s not black. That’s what I heard. That she’s Indian. Her father is white. That’s what I heard. I mean, I haven’t watched the news in a couple days,” she coughs. “I heard they found out her father was white,” Jackson said.
Iqbal shot back and said: “Harris has a dual heritage, I say, and given the moment, does Jackson think America is ready for her?”
Jackson, however, distanced himself from the question: “I don’t know. I honestly don’t want to answer that question because I really don’t know. I think one way or another it’s going to be chaos. I think there could be chaos. One way or another, but we’ll see.”
Newsweek contacted the Harris campaign by email for comment.
Countess Jemal and Gilbert Carrasquillo/Getty Images
Since Jackson’s remarks, some have taken to X, formerly Twitter, to criticize the singer for not being informed before speaking out on the matter.
X user Leah wrote: “Janet Jackson is one of the most influential people in music history. It was just irresponsible of her to repeat something she “heard” about the very thing they are using against Kamala! Her own race. We are less than 50 days away from the election. We need to speak smarter!”
Journalist Yashar Ali wrote on X: “It’s clear that Janet Jackson has been reading things in the dark corners of the internet and it makes me very sad.”
TV host and X-rated user Brandon Pope TV wrote: “We are in the midst of a misinformation crisis in America. It was created and fueled with the intent of sowing distrust. It’s unfortunate to hear someone as well-known as Janet Jackson repeat this information, but it’s a reminder of how impactful it can be.”
Meanwhile, X user Asa Khalif commented: “Always love @JanetJackson.”
Jackson’s remarks come after Trump sparked outrage when he questioned Harris’ black identity during an interview at the National Association of Black Journalists (NABJ) convention in July.
“I didn’t know she was black until she turned black a few years ago, and now she wants to be known as black. I respect either one, but she obviously doesn’t, because she was Indian all her life, and then all of a sudden she changed color and became black.”
Her remarks were condemned by many, including White House spokeswoman Karine Jean-Pierre. During a briefing with reporters, Jean-Pierre said the former president’s questions about Harris’ racial identity were “disgusting” and “insulting.”
Jackson’s remarks also come less than a week after Harris spoke to a panel of three reporters at a NABJ event Tuesday, where she was asked about young black male voters who might feel left out of the current economy and support her opponent.
According to a poll released last week by the NAACP, the overall result showed that 63% of black voters favored Harris, compared to 13% for Trump. However, the gender disparity is notable. While support for Harris among black women remains strong (67%), it falls to 49% among black men under 50.
In response, Harris said: “Black men are like any other group of voters. You have to earn their vote. I work to earn the vote, not by assuming that I will get it because I am Black, but because the policies and perspectives that I have understand what we need to do to recognize the needs of all communities.”
