Nick Cannon Apologizes for Anti-Semitic Comments, Takes a Break from Radio, Let's Unpack

There are quite a few things to unpack here from over the last few days. This has been quite an entanglement. First let's unpack the apology. Here it is from Nick Cannon's Twitter account from yesterday and today. Nick continues to tweet out contrite messages of apology. He's also let his listeners know he is stepping away from his radio show. It has been announced that Nick Cannon will continue to host The Masked Singer on Fox following his apology.

This post has been updated on 7/17/20: Nick Cannon sends cryptic message on Social Media from "Heaven." Details at the bottom.

Original post below:

We only have space to address his anti-semitic comments and its impact. His comments about white people doesn't really seem to be an issue at the moment.

Unpack number 1: Sincere apology from Nick. Is it enough?

First and foremost I extend my deepest and most sincere apologies to my Jewish sisters and brothers for the hurtful and divisive words that came out of my mouth during my interview with Richard Griffin.
— Nick Cannon (@NickCannon) July 16, 2020

Morning radio family. I have decided to take some time away from my radio show so I can commit myself to deeper, more thorough reflection and education.
— Nick Cannon (@NickCannon) July 16, 2020

I continue to express my gratitude to the Rabbis, community leaders and institutions who have reached out to me to help enlighten me.
— Nick Cannon (@NickCannon) July 16, 2020

Their input and friendship will help me as I further commit myself to more profound learning and towards strengthening the bond between the Black and Jewish cultures every day going forward.
— Nick Cannon (@NickCannon) July 16, 2020

Unpack number 2: It appears Charlamagne Tha God is being dragged into the controversy because he defended some of what Nick Cannon said.

“And if there’s one thing Jewish people has showed us, it’s they have the power, I can’t wait until the day black people are able to fire people for saying things about us that we deem racist. We can barely get cops fired for actually killing us!”

I respect @cthagod, but his comment that Nick Cannon’s firing proves “Jews have the power” is off base.

Did the hundreds of white people who have been fired over these past few months for disagreeing with the radical goals of black lives matter prove that we have the power?
— Candace Owens (@RealCandaceO) July 15, 2020

Unpack number 3: Don't underestimate the power of the word "some." No one person or group is ALL of anything.

Here's Russ Parr. Don't come after him or cancel Russ!

Russ did not address the anti-semitic comments, but the white people savage and evil comments. As we said earlier that seems to be a non-issue.

Unpack number 4: Coming to an understanding of the definition of the words "Semite" and "anti-semitism."

Here are the literal definition of these words in an American English dictionary:

Sem·ite | \ ˈse-ˌmīt: a member of any of a number of peoples of ancient southwestern Asia including the Akkadians, Phoenicians, Hebrews, and Arabs

an·ti-Sem·i·tism | \ ˌan-tē-ˈse-mə-ˌti-zəm: hostility toward or discrimination against Jews as a religious, ethnic, or racial group

Not everyone can come to an understanding of the definition of these words. That's a problem.
A good discussion between Ebro and Rosenberg.

Unpack number 5: Based upon the above understanding, many in the Black community, take new knowledge and run with it 100% in an attempt to explain the horrors of the past and the undeserved treatment of Black people in this country for the past 400 years.

Here's a tweet from Al Butler, the former Black talk radio host at WURD and WHAT radio in Philadelphia. Butler is bi-racial, not that it should matter.

I mean... Professor Griff got fired from Public Enemy for sayin wild shit...

This happens to a lot of us tho. Happened to me. You get those first tastes of knowledge that's been kept from us, you can't wait to share.. eventho you're not equipped to fully articulate it all https://t.co/cUMb4pvUsD
— Al B Abundant! (@ALBDamn) July 15, 2020

Point proven with Dwyane Wade who deleted a tweet in support of Nick Cannon.

I want to clarify my now deleted tweet. I was not supporting or condoning what Nick Cannon specifically said, but I had expressed my support of him owning the content and brand he helped create 🙏🏾
— DWade (@DwyaneWade) July 15, 2020

I was too quick to respond without being fully informed about his hurtful anti-Semitic remarks. As you all know I have ZERO tolerance for any hate speech!
— DWade (@DwyaneWade) July 15, 2020

Do we have to mention Eagles wide receiver DeSean Jackson or former NBA player Stephen Jackson?

Unpack number 6: Mentioning Farrakhan and having a political and socioeconomic entanglement with Professor Griff is always problematic. See number 5.

In much the same way the Black community has held on to the teachings of Malcolm X and Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. today, some people hold on to the teachings of Farrakhan in the same manner.

Malcolm and Martin were once vilified leaders, but are now revered. That was not the case in the 1960's. Many in the so-called "Negro community" were afraid to associate themselves with those civil rights leaders.That same sentiment is not the case with some when it comes to Farrakhan.

Professor Griff, was the “Minister of Information,” for Public Enemy. He is a Black Muslim, who spewed the most incendiary rhetoric of The Nation of Islam at the detriment of the rap group.

In 2020 and the way it's been for the last 30 years, mentioning Louis Farrakhan, the Nation of Islam leader will always raise the collective eyebrows in the mainstream media. Quoting him in any way or manner through the media will always be controversial! He is a polarizing figure.

Sports talk show host, author, and former NBA layer Etan Thomas.

#MalcolmX on how the media promotes an image of Black Ppl that creates fear in white america by painting us all as criminal elements which leads to their feeling that the police are justified when they harass, abuse, or even kill us. Malcolm X could’ve made this speech yesterday pic.twitter.com/AW5lQHaKYs
— Etan Thomas (@etanthomas36) July 5, 2020

This Etan Thomas tweet would not be supported by many in the Black community. See number 5 again.

I have no interest in what #Farrakhan had to say today. I don’t care what white ppl think about him. I don’t care about Farrakhan because of how he fostered the environment that led to the murder of #MalcolmX and these words cheering his death & calling him a traitor #NeverForget pic.twitter.com/OSYtklQnAH
— Etan Thomas (@etanthomas36) July 5, 2020

Unpack number 7: All of the other unpacks lead to-- Nick what were you thinking?

Let's sum everything up with this tweet from Naima Cochrane, a writer with VIBE magazine.

Head over to VIBE magazine and check out her article about how Public Enemy had to distance themselves from Professor Griff. Article: Music Sermon: How 'Fight The Power' Saved Public Enemy

Just saw the Nick Cannon/Viacom news, and... listen, if you decide you gonna build with Professor Griff in a taped conversation, and release it, you should have reconciled the risk of ending any mainstream media partnerships you had.
— Naima Cochrane (@naima) July 15, 2020

And I'm not knocking Nick. He'll be fine; that man keeps a venture poppin' and he's on a journey.
EYE'M just saying Viacom being like "Welp... we're good here" should inspire the opposite of shock and awe.
— Naima Cochrane (@naima) July 15, 2020

To frame how incendiary Griff is for any who may not know, Chuck himself was ready to disband PE because he was tired of dealing with fall-out from Griff’s antisemitism... but then “Fight the Power” became a hit.https://t.co/s8TVNv45qu
— Naima Cochrane (@naima) July 15, 2020

After the apology Nick Cannon went to Twitter and Instagram to express his feelings about the backlash he is receiving following his apology. Some are calling him a sell-out for apologizing.

I hurt an entire community and it pained me to my core, I thought it couldn’t get any worse. Then I watched my own community turn on me and call me a sell-out for apologizing. Goodnight. Enjoy Earth🙏🏾💙
— Nick Cannon (@NickCannon) July 17, 2020