Chance The Rapper Says Donald Trump Is Symptom, Not Root Of Racism

It's no secret that the election of Donald Trump as President of the United States has led to the dividing of the American populous, going beyond political disagreement and transforming into a vitriolic beef between minority groups who continue to protest their misfortune at the hands of Washington's elite and those who are against the equal treatment of non-whites, in terms of privileges and benefits they may receive from society. There's also the question of free speech, which has been a basic human right that Trump's White House administration has continually been warring against from their first day in office, be it calling reputable news organizations "fake news" or calling NFL players "[sons] of a bitch" because they exercised their right to speak up against injustice. It's a heavy topic of discussion, but it's one that Chance the Rapper, one of hip-hop's most recognizable activist forces, had with his fans recently over Twitter. Surprisingly, he doesn't think Trump is actually the cause of all the hate and divisiveness that is currently going on in the United States.

Chance called the President a "symptom" of the racist times we live in, not necessarily the "root" of such behavior, in a new series of posts he shared on one of his social media accounts. On Twitter, the rapper further explained this point, that "racism is NOT enacted through name calling or ways of thinking, it comes through laws and policies and tangible systemic functions." He added that discrimination cannot be eradicated in one sweeping motion, but that it must come slowly (and thus permanently) over time. "You can NOT defeat racism through symbolism alone," he said, "you have to incrementally pick at it through the same systems that allow it to operate." He also offered up his Twitter feed as a forum of sorts for his fans to speak their minds on the issue at hand. Many decided to chime in, with some responses shown below.

Is Chance right about Trump? Sound off in the comments.

Chance The Rapper