Beyonce’s Response FAIL to Criticism by Harry Belafonte.
Beyonce’s camp went on the defense today emailing a letter to the Wall Street Journal detailing some of her charitable contributions after remarks made by the legendary Harry Belafonte.
Belafonte accused Jay Z and Beyonce of not doing enough for the up-liftment of black people, basically stating that Bruce Springsteen does more. Belafonte did not take anytime mixing words, he said,
one of the great abuses of this modern time is that we should have had such high-profile artists, powerful celebrities. But they have turned their back on social responsibility.
‘That goes for Jay-Z and Beyoncé, for example. Give me Bruce Springsteen, and now you’re talking. I really think he is black.’
Beyonce’s camp sent a letter to The Wall Street Journal submitting what they call
‘an abbreviated list of the unselfish work Beyonce has done and continues to do.’
In this list, that I have not seen in its totality, reportedly mentions:
- The Survivor Foundation, , ‘a multi-purpose community outreach facility in downtown Houston’, which the singer co-founded.
- A 100K donation in 2008 to the Gulf coast Ike Relief Fund to aid Texas victims of Hurricane Ike’
- ‘MTV’s Hope For Haiti Now! Benefit in addition to making a generous monetary donation.’
To me all of these are not worth mentioning. By trying to justify and quantify your generosity you just make yourself look worse. There was nothing to gain by answering back. Fans like me, just assumed you did and gave more. Much more, then could be summarized in an email. So much that it didn’t need to be spoken of.
The mere fact that you mention a $100K donation in 2008 after the media reveals you are spending $400K to rent a house in the Hamptons for 1 month is comical. Fans are quick to defend Jay and Beyoncé but we also need to be real.
Jay Z is worth $460 million and Beyoncé is worth $300 million. That is a combined net worth of $760 million. More than Three Quarters of a Billion dollars. A $100,000 donation in 2008 should not make an abbreviated list.
To put it in perspective, let’s assume you make $100K per year and you have a net worth of about $480,000. Beyoncé donating $100,000 is equivalent to you spending just $160. Beyoncé and Jay-Z should be donating about $500K per month – which would be like you and your wife or husband donating a combined $800. There should be so many $100K donations made in the last year that a $100K donation made 4 years ago, should not appear on an abbreviated list.
Do you see Harry Belafonte’s point now, I do.
