Black activists trademark 'White Lives Matter' to stop Kanye West from profiting off it
Two black radio hosts have trademarked ‘White Lives Matter’ in a bid to stop Kanye West from profiting off it.
West recently came under fire after debuting a White Lives Matter t-shirt at Paris Fashion Week, where he was showcasing season nine of his Yeezy clothing line.
The 45-year-old's attire sparked mass outrage online, with Jaden Smith - son of actor Will Smith - even tweeting he had to remove himself from the fashion show after seeing Ye's attire.
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In the wake of the backlash, West took to Instagram to say: "Everyone knows that Black Lives Matter was a scam. Now it's over. You're welcome."
Now Phoenix-based activists Ramses Ja and Quinton Ward, who host radio show Civic Chapter, have revealed they've trademarked the controversial phrase.
In an interview with radio station Real 92.3, Ja said: “We are the holder of the federal trademark for White Lives Matter.
“If you want to sell that shirt, you have to come knock on my door, or you have to face Morris, my lawyer.”
Indeed, federal records confirm that Civic Chapter LLC is now the owner of the ‘White Lives Matter’ trademark after it was first registered on 3 October.
In another interview with news site Capital B, the pair explained how the trademark was originally registered by one of their listeners, but that the fan transferred it to them, adding that the process had recently been finalised.
Ja said: “This person who first procured it didn't really love owning it, because the purpose was not necessarily to get rich off of it; the purpose was to make sure that other people didn't get rich off of that pain.”
The duo said any money made from the use of the trademarked phrase went to benefit black and brown communities.
“We know that phrases like 'White Lives Matter,' 'All Lives Matter,' and 'Blue Lives Matter' continue to cause harm and to dilute the narrative that was intended to be established by Black Lives Matter," Ja continued.
“Those phrases are all piggybacking off of black people's creativity and efforts, so we're all for helping to use this as a measure to allow black people to retain a little bit of ownership."
If you have been affected by any of the issues in this article and wish to speak to someone in confidence, contact Stop Hate UK by visiting their website www.stophateuk.org
Topics: Kanye West, Celebrity, Business
Jess Hardiman