Solange Knowles Tweets, Black Women In White Spaces

Photo: Dave Benett/Getty Images.

Over the weekend, Solange Knowles took to Twitter to share her awful experience at a Kraftwerk concert at the Orpheum Theater in New Orleans. The thread has gone viral for highlighting why Black people "don't feel safe in white spaces." In the series of tweets, Knowles explained that she, her husband Alan Ferguson, her 11-year-old son Julez, and his friend attended an electronica concert. She noted that they were "4 of about 20 Black concert goers" at a concert she estimated to have as many as 1,500 people. While dancing to a song, Knowles says that a group of four white women demanded that she and her son sit down. Reportedly, after Knowles refused to sit, the women threw a lime at her. On Twitter, Knowles said, "I'm just going to share my experience...So that maybe someone will understand, why many of us don't feel safe...in many white spaces..."

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Let me tell you about why black girls / women are so angry....
— solange knowles (@solangeknowles) September 10, 2016

I took my son, his friend, and my husband to see Kraftwerk in New Orleans...
Was very excited to dance and enjoy a band I love.
— solange knowles (@solangeknowles) September 10, 2016

We are 4 of about 20 black concert goers out 1500 here.
4 out of maaaybbe 20 out of 1500.
— solange knowles (@solangeknowles) September 10, 2016

We walk in, and one of my favorite songs, Machine, is on. I'm excited to tell my son about how hip hop sampled Kraftwerk. We are dancing.
— solange knowles (@solangeknowles) September 10, 2016

4 older white women yell to me from behind, "Sit down now" . I tell them I'm dancing at a concert. They yell, "u need to sit down now"...
— solange knowles (@solangeknowles) September 10, 2016

We are at an ELECTRONIC and DANCE music concert and you are telling...not asking me...to sit down. In front of my child.
— solange knowles (@solangeknowles) September 10, 2016

They proceed to throw something at my back....
— solange knowles (@solangeknowles) September 10, 2016

But in this moment, I'm just going to share my experience...
So that maybe someone will understand, why many of us don't feel safe...
— solange knowles (@solangeknowles) September 10, 2016

...in many white spaces...

We don't "bring the drama"....

Fix yourself.
— solange knowles (@solangeknowles) September 10, 2016

But what happened next is nearly as upsetting: Solange was attacked on Twitter for sharing her experience. One user said the incident occurred because, "Your culture is rude, ignorant, loud, and classless..." Another said, "What is a 'white space'? Another label/idea/myth to justify your bigotry, new segregation? Keep peddling that broken product."

@solangeknowles it's because your culture is rude, ignorant, loud and classless...
— Lil Santana Abraxas (@lilsantabrax) September 10, 2016

@solangeknowles , the only two things you can count on a black woman to bring, is drama & violence.
— pixalkiller31 (@pixalkiller31) September 10, 2016

@solangeknowles What is a 'white space'? Another label/idea/myth to justify your bigotry, new segregation? Keep peddling that broken product
— Ron Noble (@zeph1) September 10, 2016

Knowles responded to the "haters" immediately, tweeting, "Peeps try to give POC, a 'u can only speak out racism 3 strikes...or U r the problem' card [...] But surely after that, YOU are the problem."

Peeps try to give POC, a "u can only speak out racism 3 strikes...or U r the problem" card.
Some can kind of trust u the first 3 times...
— solange knowles (@solangeknowles) September 10, 2016

But surely after that, YOU are the problem.
??? Surprise guys! ??
It happens to us ALL summer 16 ?? ??
— solange knowles (@solangeknowles) September 10, 2016

Knowles also posted a screenshot of some of the horrible things people were tweeting at her, along with her responses. Perhaps the most powerful post came on Saturday: Knowles posted an image of singer Nina Simone with a formidable caption. Knowles wrote, in part, "The world. Loves Black folks to make art about being Black. Really dislikes Black folks to talk about being Black."

The world. Loves black folks to make art about being black. Really dislikes black folks to talk about being black. Black music, films, shows at an all time high. It's profitable to be black and share your black stories to entertain, but not profitable to talk about your black experience. They want us to "let the work speak for itself" but not the the work speak for itself. Or let the worth speak for itself. We will continue to raise you up Nina. Forever more.

A photo posted by Solange (@saintrecords) on Sep 9, 2016 at 9:57pm PDT

She added, "Black music, films, shows at an all time high. It's profitable to be Black and share your Black stories to entertain, but not profitable to talk about your Black experience."

Knowles isn't the first person to talk about the experiences people of color have when they are in predominately white spaces. Additionally, she isn't the only person of color in recent weeks to receive backlash for using their platform to talk about race in America. And sadly, the vitriolic and racist reactions to her story only highlight a truth that people of color and other oppressed communities know all too well. It's not just physical places that make people of color feel unsafe — it's the internet, too.

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