Sexyy Red went viral on social media after posting an AI-generated photo with Martin Luther King Jr to celebrate MLK Day. Bernice King, MLK’s daughter, found the image, “intentionally distasteful, dishonoring, deplorable, and disrespectful,” to her family and father’s legacy. Even though her intention was harmless, Sexyy Red apologized to Bernice and took the post down on X. Despite taking accountability, Bernice’s call out stirred a lot of controversy, with some feeling it was justified while others thought it was uncalled for and hypocritical.
Some people understood Bernice’s perspective because the legacy of MLK is instrumental in American history due to his contributions during the civil rights movement. Sexyy Red’s action is a reminder that a person’s intent, no matter how innocent, can have a completely negative impact. As a result, it is important to listen to the harm caused by your actions instead of doubling down on your intentions; something Sexyy Red understood in this scenario. She was quick to apologize by taking down the post, yet some people were still triggered by the fact that she was called out and had to take responsibility in the first place.
Folks who felt Sexyy Red’s call-out was unnecessary cited that MLK’s image has been used distastefully in the past, so why would this incident be different? They claimed that people post crazy club flyers of MLK in Atlanta to promote various events, so it felt hypocritical for Bernice to highlight Sexyy Red’s post. Some even went as far as disparaging MLK’s legacy by asserting that he used to cheat on his wife, so her daughter should focus on that instead of calling out Sexyy Red. This leads to a bigger conversation about memefication, the turning of serious topics or important people into memes that are meant to be humorous.
The memefication of MLK leads to the watering down of his legacy and what he stood for, regardless of whether Sexyy Red or club organizers share those AI-generated images. It is important to take this into account because some Black folks feel that MLK’s radical politics has been heavily diluted over the years to make it more accessible to White audiences.
A nation that continues year after year to spend more money on military defense than on programs of social uplift is approaching spiritual death
MLK
This sense of revisioned history is further affirmed by making memes of MLK that don’t uphold or educate people on the values he stood for. In addition, because memes are videos, images, or texts that are meant to be funny for quick online distribution, they can be easily misconstrued when associated with serious topics such as honoring MLK’s legacy.
Ultimately, beyond the distasteful impact, Bernice probably called out Sexyy Red because she has a public platform, which comes with a responsibility due to her mass audience reach. Unlike regular social media users who also repost distasteful imagery of MLK, Sexyy Red is held to a different standard due to being a public figure. The most valuable takeaway from this incident is knowing when to apologize after being called out for offensive behavior. It is also important to be intentional when honoring the legacy of iconic figures such as MLK without watering down the values that defined them.
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