Cassandra Wilson died this past Wednesday at age 70 and most of the reaction to this transformative singer’s passing has been reverential. As it should be. Folks are contemplating her genre-bending voice and unusual contralto. The way she effortlessly blended jazz, folk, pop, gospel, R&B, country, and diasporic music.
“Soft warm sand. Deep purrs. Grand pourings. Passionate sincerity. Grace. Intensity.” That’s how singer Jill Scott described Wilson’s music.
John Horhn, mayor of her hometown Jackson, Mississippi called her an “extraordinary native daughter.” He said Wilson carried “the sound, spirit and history of Mississippi” everywhere.
The Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority Inc., posted a brief tribute on their Facebook page saying, “… we celebrate a life beautifully and boldly lived.”
Indeed, Cassandra Wilson deserves all these beautiful tributes and her flowers. But there’s another story that has not been seriously engaged — her support of Donald Trump. I had not known this about her so I was deeply disturbed when I started reading chatter about her politics on Black social media and I read Michael Arceneaux's November 25, 2020 essay about her championing Trump on Twitter.
I’m sitting here stuck right now, Y’all. In this audio piece, I am struggling to understand how this Black woman was able to sing such soulful humanizing songs about Black life and still find political kinship with the racist Trump regime.
Come sit down with me and let’s reason together.
Listen here.
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THIS CONTENT IS WRITTEN IN THE AUTHOR’S PERSONAL CAPACITY. ANY OPINIONS EXPRESSED ARE THE AUTHOR’S OWN AND SHOULD NOT BE ATTRIBUTED TO HOWARD UNIVERSITY OR MORGAN STATE UNIVERSITY.
