Janet Jackson’s Kamala Harris Remarks Spark Backlash

Singer and actress Janet Jackson’s recent comments about Vice President Kamala Harris’ racial identity have sparked a backlash online.

Harris, who became the Democratic nominee after President Joe Biden dropped out of the race on July 21, is set to face former President Donald Trump, the Republican presidential nominee, in November.

However, as both candidates aim to reach out to voters in the black community, Harris’s racial identity has become a constant point of discussion, as, 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 her mixed-race heritage, was born to immigrant parents from India and Jamaica. She is the daughter of a Jamaican father and an Indian mother. She said her mother intentionally raised her and her sister as black because of how the world viewed them.

In an interview with The Guardian Jackson, the younger sister of singer Michael Jackson, spoke Saturday about her career, family and the election when asked by Nosheen Iqbal, host of the show The Guardian‘s Today in focus Podcast, about Harris’s close to winning the vote as the first black female president of the United States.

“Well, you know what they supposedly said? She’s not black. That’s what I heard. She’s Indian. Her father is white. That’s what I was told. I mean, I haven’t watched the news in a few days,” she coughed. “I was told they found out her father was white,” Jackson said.

Iqbal responded, “I say Harris has a dual heritage, and at this moment, does Jackson think America is ready to receive her?”

But Jackson distanced herself from the question, saying: “I don’t know. Honestly, I don’t want to answer that question because I don’t really know. I think whatever path it takes is going to be messy. I think there could be messy. Whatever path it takes, but we’ll have to wait and see.”

Newsweek The Harris campaign was reached out to via email for comment.

Since Jackson’s comments, some have taken to X, formerly known as Twitter, to criticize the singer for not being informed about the case before speaking out.

User X Leah wrote, “Janet Jackson is one of the most influential people in music history. It was simply irresponsible of her to repeat something she “heard” regarding the same thing they are using against Kamala! Her race. We are less than 50 days away from the election. We need to speak smarter!”

“Janet Jackson has clearly been reading things in the dark corners of the internet and it makes me very sad,” journalist Yashar Ali wrote on X.

“We have a misinformation crisis in America,” wrote TV host and X-rated user Brandon Pope TV. “It’s created and fueled with the intent of sowing distrust. It’s unfortunate to hear someone as prominent as Janet Jackson repeat it, but it’s a reminder of how powerful it can be.”

Meanwhile, X user Asa khalif commented, “I still love @JanetJackson.”

Jackson’s comments come after Trump sparked outrage when he questioned Harris’s black identity during an interview at the National Association of Black Journalists (NABJ) conference in July.

“I didn’t know she was black until a few years ago when she turned black, and now she wants to be known as black. I respect either of them, but she definitely doesn’t respect him because she was Indian all along, and then suddenly she turned black.”

His comments were condemned by several people, including White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre. During a briefing with reporters, Jean-Pierre said the former president’s questioning of Harris’ racial identity was “disgusting” and “insulting.”

Jackson’s comments also come less than a week after Harris spoke to a panel of three journalists at an NABJ event on Tuesday, where she was asked about young black male voters who might feel excluded from the current economy and support her opponent.

According to a poll released last week by the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, the overall result was 63 percent support for Harris compared to 13 percent support for Trump among black voters. However, the gender disparity is notable. While Harris’ support among black women remains strong at 67 percent, it drops to 49 percent among black men under 50.

In response, Harris said: “Black men are like any other voting group. You have to earn their votes. I work to earn the votes, not on the assumption that I will get them 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.”