Kid Rock is to be honoured by the NAACP and black leaders have slammed the choice due to his use of the Confederate flag.
Rock AAA reports that the National Association for the Advancement of Coloured People are to honour Kid Rock at an awards ceremony in May.
He will be given the Great Expectations Award for his commitment to Detroit at their annual Freedom Fund dinner at Cobo Conference and Exhibition Center.
Detroit NAACP interim executive director Donnell R. White endorsed Kid Rock, saying he “has consistently lifted up the Great Expectations of many persons … concerning the future of the city.”
But academic and author Dr. Boyce Watkins has slammed the nomination, primarily due to Kid Rock’s appropriation of the Confederate flag, a symbol commonly associated with slavery and racism.
Watkins said, “The Confederate flag, for African Americans, stands as a symbol that is no less tragic than the Swastika for Jewish Americans. This flag is the calling card of those who’ve longed for the days in which black people were raped, beaten, hanged, castrated, burned alive, had their families torn apart, and were forced into involuntary servitude.
“It’s one thing for the NAACP to remain quiet about Kid Rock’s use of one of the most traumatic symbols in American history, but quite another for them to step up and give him an award for it. Yes, my friends, this certainly makes me sick.”
Adolph Mongo of Detroiters for Progress said the group plan to boycott the fundraiser.
Mongo said, “Kid Rock has made the Confederate flag a symbol at all his concerts. It's been a problem since 2005.”
Rock AAA notes that Kid Rock has defended his use of the flag before, saying in 2008, “I still use the confederate flag. Why should someone be able to own any image and say what it is? Sure, it’s definitely got some scars, but I’ve never had an issue with it. To me it just represents pride in southern rock n’ roll music, plus it just looks cool.”
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