Zendaya's Dad Lists Himself, Matthew Knowles & King Richard As Black Fathers "Shunned" By Hollywood

BYHayley Hynes34.1K Views
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Zendaya & Kazembe Ajamu
Kazembe Ajamu has a word for Hollywood.

Zendaya's dad, Kazembe Ajamu, feels as though he and a handful of other Black fathers have been "shunned" by Hollywood, according to a recent Instagram post. Late last night, he shared a screenshot of an E! News article quoting his daughter, seemingly throwing some shade at the industry in the caption.

"I have standards I don't plan on lowering for anybody... Including myself," the message from the Euphoria actress and co-producer says. For his part, her dad chimed in with, "Black fathers are too often shunned for having successful daughters in Hollywood."

Zendaya's Dad Lists Himself, Matthew Knowles & King Richard As Black Fathers "Shunned" By Hollywood
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He went on to list the names of Matthew Knowles – father of Beyoncé and Solange, as well as King Richard, who is the patriarch of Venus and Serena Williams' family, and finally, his own as people who have been disrespected by the industry, in his opinion.

In the comment section of his post, plenty of fans have taken the time to give Ajamu his flowers. "You're a part of something legendary," one person wrote. "If it wasn't for you we wouldn't have your daughter, she wouldn't be my biggest inspiration... So thank you so much for that."


Over on @theneighborhoodtalk's Instagram, however, people appear to be confused by Zendaya's father's comments. "I could see him walking down the street and wouldn't recognize him," one user joked, referencing Keke Palmer's viral Vanity Fair interview.

"He needs to stop, ain't nobody saying 'omg! That's Zendaya's daddy!" Others added, "What is he talking about?" and "Shunned by who?"

Zendaya's Dad Lists Himself, Matthew Knowles & King Richard As Black Fathers "Shunned" By Hollywood
@theneighborhoodtalk/Instagram

Let us know what you think about Kazembe Ajamu's Instagram comments below.

[Via]


About The Author
Hayley Hynes is the former Weekend Managing Editor of HotNewHipHop, she stepped down after two years in 2024 to pursue other creative opportunities but remains on staff part-time to cover music, gossip, and pop culture news. Currently, she contributes similar content on Blavity and 21Ninety, as well as on her personal blog where she also offers tarot/astrology services. Hayley resides on the western side of Canada, previously spending a year in Vancouver to study Fashion Marketing at Blanche Macdonald Centre and Journalism at Mount Royal University in Calgary before that. She's passionate about helping others heal through storytelling, and shares much more about her life on Instagram @hayleyhynes.
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