Karol G apologizes for using black-and-white dog to promote Black Lives Matter in tone-deaf tweet
After a weekend of questionable tweeting, Colombian singer Karol G issued an apology on Monday for a post many fans found especially tone-deaf.
The reggaeton musician, in response to the civil unrest over George Floyd's death, tweeted a now-deleted photo of her black-and-white-coated dog with the caption (translated from Spanish to English): "The perfect example that Black and White TOGETHER look beautiful," along with the hashtag #BlackLivesMatter.
People quickly mocked her tweet, with one user writing, "Karol G really used her black and white dog to try and make a point about racial justice........"
On Monday, she released an apology in both English and Spanish.
"I was wrong and I apologize. I want to make clear that my intentions were right in the photo I posted earlier. I meant to say that racism is terrible and that I cannot begin to understand it," she wrote. "These past few days have been hard and its extremely painful to see it continue to happen. IT NEEDS TO STOP. There is only one race and that is the human race. I recognize that the way I expressed myself was not right."
The 29-year-old went on to say that she supports Black Lives Matter and the protests occurring across the U.S., and will strive to do better.
"I am still learning and taking active steps to help, aid and evoke change and I continue educating myself to understand the experience," the singer wrote.
Some people took issue with the message "there is only one race" in Karol G's apology, and just the day before, she caught flak for a tweet claiming race didn't exist.
"I don't know who it occurred to divide society by 'Race.' You don't have a white friend, a Black cousin, or a caucasian partner. You have a friend, a cousin, and a partner. F--- that," the translated message read.
One fan criticized the Latin artist in Spanish, responding that ignoring race "invalidates minorities' historic fight for their rights." Another, in English, said, "My people are losing there life BECAUSE of the color of their skin. you might not see color but racist do."
Criticism over Karol G's social media posts has been building for days. On Friday, she was slammed for tweeting a photo of herself relaxing on a boat amid the protests, captioning the post, "It's all about living it. Today I'm happy"
Some fans have also used Karol G's missteps to highlight a perceived silence from other non-Black Latin musicians, especially reggaeton artists, over Black Lives Matter. Fans have called out popular artists like Bad Bunny, Maluma, J Balvin, Nicky Jam, and more, for their lack of response.
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- Campaign Zero, which is dedicated to ending police brutality in America through research-based strategies.
- Color of Change, which works to move decision makers in corporations and government to be more responsive to racial disparities.
- Equal Justice Initiative, which provides legal services to people who have been wrongly convicted, denied a fair trial, or abused in state jails and prisons.
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