Nas and Colin Kaepernick are catching backlash for praising Fidel Castro.
Kaepernick spoke highly of Castro during a news conference in Miami Sunday (Nov. 27), while Nas shared a post dubbing the 90-year-old former Cuban leader a “revolutionary,” and ally in the struggle,” Saturday (Nov. 26).
“RIP KING FIDEL CASTRO#revolutionary only 5% understand,” Nas wrote next to a photo of Castor with Malcolm X. “I’m not Cuban, I don’t fully know how he affected my Cuban family, so I’m sending strength and power for your pains. But lots Of us, as Black people, n some others in the USA, we saw him as an Ally in the Struggle.”
Before long, fans started blasting the MC for the post.
“Your ‘ally in the struggle was going to allow the USSR to park NUCLEAR MISSILES in Cuba and point them at the United States.. you think he cared what color the targets were??,” read one lengthy comment. “The man killed his own people for over 50 year[s] and some were willing to risk the lives of there entire families just to get away from him. A few pictures with prominent African American activist does not erase that. The man was manipulative and would not have done any of that unless he thought it would further his cause. People are incredible hypocrites for talking against oppression and then backing this monster. The world is a better place without him.”
An additional comment read, “You’re so dumb, he deserved to die,” while another response claimed that, “any black person that supports black lives matter and at the same time think Castro was a good leader are stupid ignorant f*cks who deserve to be ‘targeted’ by our [government].”
It wasn’t all bad though, one fan wrote “I love this,” and a second noted that Castro was “bad only because the US painted him that way.”
As for Kaepernick, he shared a clearly unpopular view on Castro in defense of wearing a T-shirt featuring the deceased politician.
“I’m not talking about Fidel Castro and his oppression,” he explained.
The 49ers quarterback went on to salute Castro’s work on education. “One thing that Fidel Castro did do is they [Cuba] have the highest literacy rate because they invest more in their education system than they do in their prison system, which we do not do here, even though we’re fully capable of doing that.”
Football fans responded by booing Kaepernick as he took the field during Sunday’s (Nov. 27) game against the Miami Dolphins.
Castro passed away on Friday (Nov. 25). Following his death, several Cuban Americans took to the streets in celebration.