Al Sharpton’s Group: Nicki Minaj ‘Uninformed,’ Spread ‘False Information’

 The activist group started by Al Sharpton lashed out at rapper Nicki Minaj on Thursday evening, accusing the hip-hop superstar of spreading misinformation about the COVID-19 vaccine on social media and “denigrating” the “superior journalism” of MSNBC host Joy Reid.

“In the wake of a week where information was reduced to memes and false information by a popular female rapper and the GOP, there needs to be a reality check on the information superhighway,” said the National Action Network in a statement that Sharpton shared on Twitter Thursday evening. “It’s imperative that credible information resonates and we not validate false narratives spread by uninformed individuals in the name of click bait.”

“Though we respect Nicki Minaj as an artist and a woman of color breaking barriers in entertainment and leading in her field,” NAN said, “we would hope that she would seek dialogue with Joy-Ann rather than denigrate her.”

But it was Reid who began the fracas by denigrating Minaj over her viral tweet about an alleged side effect of the vaccine.

“People like Nikki Minaj — I have to say this — you have a platform, sister, that is 22 million followers,” said Reid during a panel discussion on MSNBC with Charlie Sykes and Dr. Joseph Allen. “For you to use your platform to encourage our community to not protect themselves and save their lives — my God, sister — you could do better than that.”

Minaj replied that Reid had decided to “spread a false narrative about a black woman” and cited Reid’s long and recent history of vaccine skepticism, as well as the host’s discredited claims that hackers had posted anti-gay comments on her defunct blog before calling her a “lying homophobic [expletive].”

“Black women can have discussions on vaccinations, but to call Joy-Ann Reid names — who has stood for and symbolized [b]lack excellence — is unfair and unwarranted,” NAN chided Minaj. “Joy-Ann has done superior journalism and advocacy with integrity and should be protected and supported.”

Minaj’s tweets have touched off a cultural conversation about the COVID-19 vaccination and the growing advocacy of coercion to assure its acceptance, uniting millions of Americans across the political divide. After top-rated Fox News host Tucker Carlson defended Minaj in a segment on his show, the rapper tweeted a clip of the monologue with a “bullseye” emoji. “Suddenly, her mentions were full of individuals warning Minaj that she was tweeting a ‘white supremacist’ and that she should refuse to trust Republicans,” reported Daily Wire’s Emily Zanotti. Carlson went on to defend Minaj on Wednesday evening as well.

Reid’s show piled on Minaj again on Wednesday night, as Morgan State University professor Jason Johnson dragged the performer for “sitting here, cozying up with Tucker Carlson. This is why she lost to the people’s champ, Cardi B., because nobody who actually cares about their fans, supporters, or COVID would want to align themselves with Tucker Carlson.”

Reid then suggested Carlson go to Trinidad to do “a deep investigative report on the cajones” of Minaj’s acquaintance, whose testicles allegedly swelled after his vaccination, rendering him impotent. The island’s health minister has said he could find no such case.

“I want him to go down there like he went to Viktor Orban, and I want him talk with that gentleman and find out … just how large these melons were,” Reid said. “It’s an investigative report that we need. Go and do it, Tucker. I know you want to. You really, really want to,” said Reid.

“We critically need Joy-Ann’s continued journalism and her platform to amplify the conscious voice of [b]lack women and push the issues to keep them relevant and vocal in prime time media,” said NAN in its press release.

The entrance into the debate of NAN, which Sharpton founded in 1991, represents a strong defense by Sharpton of his MSNBC colleague. Reid is part of MSNBC’s primetime line-up as host of “The ReidOut” weeknights at 7 p.m. Eastern; Sharpton hosts “PoliticsNation” on Saturdays and Sundays.

The group’s statement reads in full:

STATEMENT FROM NATIONAL ACTION NETWORK (NAN): WOMEN LEADERS SUPPORT JOY-ANN REID

Black women can have discussions on vaccinations, but to call Joy-Ann Reid names — who has stood for and symbolized [b]lack excellence — is unfair and unwarranted. Joy-Ann has done superior journalism and advocacy with integrity and should be protected and supported.

Though we respect Nicki Minaj as an artist and a woman of color breaking barriers in entertainment and leading in her field, we would hope that she would seek dialogue with Joy-Ann rather than denigrate her. We need her art and we critically need Joy-Ann’s continued journalism and her platform to amplify the conscious voice of [b]lack women and push the issues to keep them relevant and vocal in prime time media.

The COVID-19 pandemic is disproportionately impacting [b]lack and [b]rown communities worldwide and vaccine education is crucial to saving lives. In the wake of a week where information was reduced to memes and false information perpetuated by a popular female rapper and the GOP, there needs to be a reality check on the information superhighway. In fact, according to scientists there is no credible evidence demonstrating that any of the COVID-19 vaccines available in the U.S. negatively impact male fertility. Furthermore, according to Dr. Anthony Fauci, there is no established link between COVID-19 vaccines and lower sperm counts.

According to research as of late July 2021, [b]lack and Hispanic people remain less likely than their [w]hite counterparts to have received a vaccine, leaving them at increased risk, particularly as the variant spreads. Therefore, it’s imperative that credible information resonates and we not validate false narratives spread by uninformed individuals in the name of click bait.

Let us be reminded the Tuskegee experiments often cited as a reason for not taking the vaccine is a historically twisted narrative. Those who were experimented on and forced to suffer didn’t get sick because of the vaccine but due to a lack of treatment. We must dispel misinformation to keep moving forward. Wear your masks, wash your hands, and spread factual vaccine information so Americans are properly informed when making the choice to get vaccinated.

National Action Network has been diligently working in communities across the country to spread vaccine awareness. Visit www.nationalactionnetwork.net for more information[.]