Forever young Pharrell Williams Covers November 2014 “Men’s Issue” of ebony magazine. He was asked to give his thoughts on the Ferguson case, and how it’s been affecting the country. During the interview, Pharrell was asked if he saw the footage that allegedly showed Mike Brown in an altercation with a convenient store owner moments before his death. He commented that he felt as though Mike’s behavior was “bully-ish,” and wondered why people haven’t talked about that.
He also shared his thoughts on Cosby’s critique of young black men back in the day, which he agreed with, but said he definitely doesn’t think Mike Brown should have been killed, and he does think Officer Wilson should have been punishe
Read the highlights (left in context):
Since you mentioned Ferguson, let’s just jump right into it. What’s your take on what’s been happening in America?
Wow. I do not want to get myself in trouble, but I felt like the president should have gone down there. I think sending Attorney General Eric Holder was a kind gesture, but the president should have gone. He didn’t have to go and take a side; all he needed to do was show his presence and everybody would have straightened up. But he didn’t go. I won’t fault him. He’s a man with a lot of weight on his shoulders, but I personally would have gone because being a “man of the people” means you’re right there with them in it. Gandhi and Martin Luther King Jr. led by example.
Did you see the video allegedly showing Michael Brown stealing from a convenience store minutes before his death?
It looked very bully-ish; that in itself I had a problem with. Not with the kid, but with whatever happened in his life for him to arrive at a place where that behavior is OK. Why aren’t we talking about that?
You can almost hear the gnashing of Bill Cosby’s teeth.
And I agree with him. When Cosby said it back then, I understood; I got it. Listen, we have to look at ourselves and take action for ourselves. Cosby can talk that talk because he created Fat Albert, he tried to buy NBC, he portrayed a doctor on The Cosby Show and had all of us wearing Coogi sweaters. You’ve got to respect him.
I believe that Ferguson officer should be punished and serve time. He used excessive force on a human being who was merely a child. He was a baby, man. The boy was walking in the middle of the street when the police supposedly told him to “get the f–k on the sidewalk.” If you don’t listen to that, after just having pushed a store owner, you’re asking for trouble. But you’re not asking to be killed. Some of these youth feel hunted and preyed upon, and that’s why that officer needs to be punished.
He also goes on to share his plans on raising his son Rocket now that kids of today aren’t seeing race for what it used to mean.
My son is growing up at a time when he doesn’t have the same understanding of race. Most kids today don’t understand race in that way. They do in certain parts of the country, but in general, they don’t have a grasp of race, gender and sexual orientation the way our parents did. We live in different times, so I’m going to teach him about what’s good and what’s bad. I’m also going to teach him what it means to be himself, and a huge part of who he is is being Black. His mom is part Laotian, so he’s three-quarters Black. But his spirit is Rocket.
Read more over at Ebony Magazine