Rapper Nick Cannon in July 2020 -

Dennis Van Tine / STAR MAX / IPx / AP / SIPA

It is the story of a man who made anti-Semitic remarks, having offended the Jewish community.

But who has made efforts, many efforts to understand.

And who is calling today to help it further progress more "culture advice", and less "cancel culture", a practice whose existence is controversial and with blurred outlines, also called "culture of cancellation" , consisting in blacklisting and sanctioning those who make sexist, homophobic or discriminatory remarks.

This man is Nick Cannon, rapper, actor and radio host - and incidentally also ex-husband of singer Mariah Carey.

He was speaking Tuesday in ABC's miniseries

Soul of a Nation

, as spotted by the

Los Angeles Times

.

In June 2020, in his

Cannon's Class

podcast

, Nick Cannon explained that African Americans were the “true Hebrews” and that the Jews had usurped that identity.

He also rejected the idea that speeches against Jews could be qualified as anti-Semitic.

He also praised the anti-Semitic leader of the Nation of Islam, Louis Farrakhan, and echoed conspiratorial theories regarding the Rothschilds or the banking system that would be controlled by the Jews.

"I'm ashamed to have said these words"

These remarks aroused many and sharp criticisms on the other side of the Atlantic, which led the company with which he had worked for twenty years, ViacomCBS (which notably owns the MTV channel), to fire him.

At first, Nick Cannon dismissed these criticisms, but a few days later he apologized: “First of all, I would like to apologize to my Jewish brothers and sisters for the harsh words that are. came out of my mouth during my interview with Richard Griffin.

They reinforced the worst stereotypes of a proud and beautiful people and I am ashamed to have said those words.

"

"I am looking to grow"

Subsequently, Nick Cannon forged links with leaders of the Jewish community, including the American Jewish Committee (AJC), to "learn," he says.

He explained that he realized to what extent remarks similar to those he made had been "used for propaganda during the Holocaust".

He also read and commented on Instagram on former

New York Times

reporter

Bari Weiss' book

How to Combat Anti-Semitism

.

After these efforts, Nick Cannon was reinstated by MTV last month.

Some will say that these efforts are self-interested, and that his apologies are not sincere, the rapper does not care, and does not intend to stop there, he says in

Soul of a Nation

.

“I am not looking for forgiveness, I am trying to grow […].

My journey isn't going to end if people watching this forgive me, he told reporter Linsey Davis.

I hope to continue this process, to continue to be on the right side of the story, and to try to bring people together.

"

Culture

Serge Gainsbourg: Thirty years after his death, can we listen to his songs without feeling guilty?

Culture

"Balance Ton Père" by Eric Brion and "La haine en ligne" by David Doucet fight against "cancel culture"

  • Discrimination

  • Anti-semitism

  • Racism

  • Culture

  • People