After weeks of reviewing the facts, rapper and businessman Jay Z has decided to move foward in his fashion collaboration BNY SCC with Barneys “under the condition that I have a leadership role and seat on a council specifically convened to deal with the issue of racial profiling,” a statement on Jay Z’s website said. The luxury retailer is under heavy scrutiny for racially profiling a Black college student and arresting him after he purchased a $350 belt from their department store in NYC.
Jay, who’s been under pressure to break his contract with Barneys, issued this statement regarding his stance on the issue: “I am in a unique position to use my voice to affect change to this disturbing issue,” he wrote. “The easy position would have been to walk away and leave policy making to others hoping that someone addresses the problem. … I will take this into my own hands with full power to recommend, review and revise policies and guidelines moving forward. I am choosing to take this head on.”
Jay isn’t the only celebrity to turn the other cheek to the Barneys boycott, Kanye West and Kevin Hart were spotted toting the signature black bag. It seems as if the old Jay, from Marcy’s projects in Brooklyn is gone.
Jay stressed how important the collaboration is to his charity. 100% of the collection’s proceeds will go to the Shawn Carter Foundation and “the foundation will receive 10% of all retail sales from Barneys New York stores nationwide and Barneys.com on Nov. 20.”
What do you think about Jay Z’s decision? Did he go the moral route?
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