Ice Cube wants to make one thing clear: “I haven’t endorsed anyone.”
The social media heat turned up on the legendary hip-hop star and actor is enough to melt the ice in his name, yet Cube is standing firm in his decision to work with President Donald Trump on a “Platinum Plan for Black America.”
Through a spokesman, Cube said he only wants what’s best for African Americans, emphasizing that it’s always been his position and nothing has changed despite a flurry of negative social media posts.
“I will advise anybody on the planet who has the power to help Black Americans close the enormous wealth gap,” Cube said. “Black progress is a bipartisan issue. When we created the Contract With Black America, we excepted to talk to both sides of the aisle. Talking truth to power is part of the process.”
Cube, whose real name is O’Shea Jackson, noted that while Democrats asked that he wait until after the election to discuss specifics of Joe Biden’s plan for Black America, the Trump administration embraced his demands.
He said the president had promised as much as $500 billion outlined in Cube’s “Contract with Black America.” The contract outlines 13 separate bills that Cube believes will greatly help African Americans moving forward.
In signing the agreement, Trump agrees to support and demand an open debate and a transparent and fair vote within the first 100 days of the 117th Congress in 2021.
Among the 13 pieces of legislation demanded is a bill to guarantee Black opportunity and representation, bank lending reform and federal funding of baby bonds.
The document also includes government pensions, finance oversight to look at Black and minority lending, and guidelines regarding arrest records that allow similar privacy and accuracy protections and the right to dispute and correct inaccurate credit reporting data.
The contract also calls for abolishing privately run prisons, disallowing prison labor without consent, and freedom for nonviolent offenders incarcerated for ten or more years, provided acceptable behavior standards are. It also calls for the immediate release of all prisoners convicted of marijuana possession.
The contract’s judicial and police reforms include eliminating mandatory minimums, three-strike laws and qualified immunity.
Cube asked for a requirement of mandatory malpractice insurance for police officers, making municipalities liable for unconstitutional actions by police, and the mandatory use of dashboard and body cams.
Additionally, the contract calls for eliminating chokeholds and “no-knock” warrants, establishing residency requirements, de-escalation training, and the requirement to update training and severe penalties for evidence tampering, including withholding DNA.
“I put out the CWBA. Both parties contacted me,” Cube said. “Democrats said we’ll address the CWBA after the election. Trump campaign made some adjustments to their plan after talking to us about the CWBA.”
Still, the hip-hop legend received a firestorm of backlash.
“A reminder that Biden’s plan for Black America has been on his website for a really long time,” tweeted renowned activist April Reign. “Specific policies… in case you want to compare.
“At some point we should discuss the entitlement Ice Cube exhibits to assume that he can create a ‘contract’ and immediately get the ear of presidential campaigns, having never really been political before,” Reign added. “When there are Black women who have been doing this work for years.”
Black Women Views issued a scathing rebuke from its Twitter feed: “Be clear: Trump ain’t [expletive], Ice Cube ain’t [expletive], and the Platinum Plan ain’t [expletive] but a scam. Black people, there is no $500 billion from Trump for us. His plan for us is herd immunity, to wipe us out. Trump blew smoke up Cube’s [butt] while the rest of us will get a kick in the [butt].”
CNN canceled a planned interview with Cube while Dr. Boyce Watkins joined the chorus of those blasting Cube:
“I don’t care what Ice Cube says. Trump never apologized to the Central Park Five. He never apologized to President Obama for birtherism. He never apologized to Black NFL players. He never apologized to Black countries he called s-holes. He never apologized for Black lives lost to COVID.”
While there were supporters of Cube, many others said he’d gone to the dark side.
“Every side is the Darkside for us here in America,” Cube tweeted in response. “They’re all the same until something changes for us. They all lie and all cheat, but we can’t afford not to negotiate with whoever is in power, or our condition will never change. Our justice is bipartisan.”