All About Laughs
Sean “Diddy” Combs has the social-mediasphere calling him out for his “audacity” after penning an open letter to corporate America. On Thursday, the Bad Boy mogul shared an open letter that he penned to corporations that he feels have been benefitting off of the African American communities and Black-owned media for decades while we continue to struggle.
Diddy starts the open letter off with a Desmond Tutu quote. “If you are neutral in situations of injustice, you have chosen the side of the oppressor,” he begins the letter entitled If You Love Us, Pay Us, posted on Revolt. “The same feet these companies use to stand with us in solidarity are the same feet they use to stand on our necks.”
Combs claims his purpose for writing the letter on behalf of the African-American community is that he believes it is time for “radical change.” In the letter, he writes, “We demand that Corporate America reinvest an equitable percentage of what you take from our community back into our community. If the Black community represents 15% of your revenue, Black-owned media should receive at least 15% of the advertising spend.”
He then targets General Motors (GM), whom he says listed Revolt as a Black-owned company it supports when “confronted by leaders of several Black-owned media companies.” Diddy goes on to write that “corporations like General Motors have exploited our culture, undermined our power, and excluded Black entrepreneurs from participating in the value created by Black consumers. In 2019, brands spent $239 billion on advertising. Less than 1% of that was invested in Black-owned media companies.”
We’re done letting corporations manipulate our culture into believing incremental progress is acceptable action.
— Diddy (@Diddy) April 8, 2021
IF YOU LOVE US, PAY US.
Here’s my letter to corporate America.https://t.co/zm0zNtaX7p
After stating his demands, Diddy tells them that we are prepared to do whatever it takes. “The same way you understand the power of our dollars, we understand our power to take them away from any corporation that doesn’t give us the economic inclusion we deserve,” he states. “We are prepared to weaponize our dollars.”
Upon reading what Diddy thought would be a cry for the people and a call to arms, a lot of “the people” called him out on his audacious move. “The call is coming from inside the house,” tweeted one user among other overwhelming responses that the mogul should look within, especially with years of claims that he has not paid his own artists fairly.
Diddy, you ARE corporate America!
— Ayana (@Ayalectics) April 8, 2021
I swear to god why are billionaires so good at trolling us
“Diddy, you ARE corporate America! I swear to god why are billionaires so good at trolling us,” wrote a Twitter user in response.
Another commented, “Free Mase brother, you can’t lecture corporations when you’ve stifled a black brother. Allow Mase to own his records, take a reasonable price otherwise you ain’t different from these corporations manipulating artists.”
“This is rich, coming from someone who is rich though. Open your books and records and see how well you pay your employees,” writes another.
More reactions to Diddy’s open letter below.
— 🧞♀️ (@thisisporche) April 8, 2021
Would you walk across the Brooklyn Bridge for some cheesecake?
— 🎮🇨🇺 I got to shut the studio down! 🇨🇺 🎮 (@LadyInfamous415) April 8, 2021
Black capitalists such as yaself dont care about Black creators being robbed. You just want to be the one to rob them & act like there is supposed to be some solace in the thief being another Black person.
— – (@Pisceanluvher) April 8, 2021
— 🥶𝕲𝖆𝖒𝖊 (@ALLDVY) April 8, 2021
