The Kanye, Candace and Donald Show

The reasons escape me, but Kanye West’s affection for President Donald Trump has been all over the news.

I have two side-thoughts on the West-Trump bromance, both of which has been largely ignored in the media.

First, when Kanye West was hospitalized for what they call ""exhaustion in late November, 2016, the president-elect reached out to him. Apparently, they knew each other and called each other friends. Trump did what any decent human being would do when a friend was in trouble. Trump reached out and invited West to visit him at his headquarters at Trump Tower on Fifth Avenue.

West and Trump met in December, 2016… to discuss matters that concerned West, especially the state of the black community in his hometown of Chicago. The Obama years were not very good to Chicago blacks.

What’s the point? Simply, that Trump made a kind gesture, a gesture of respect and recognition, to a man who was down. He didn’t wish him well in therapy. He didn't tell him to get in touch with his feelings. He met with him publicly to discuss his concerns. The gesture enhanced West's self-respect, a good thing for someone who is feeling depressed.

No one notices such gestures, but, in the course of human existence, they count for more than the grand dramatic confrontations that fill up our news shows. During the recent brouhaha West noted that Obama had never met with him.

My second thought is this: those of us who are not very tuned in to the antics of the younger set now know the name of Candace Owens. As you know, the current brouhaha started when West saw Owens in action and declared on Twitter that he liked the way she thought. He was quite right to say so. 

Owens, who has gained enormous media exposure, is an exceptionally bright young woman. Disregarding the issue of her being on one side or another of the political divide, hasn’t it crossed your mind that the African-American community needs more role models who show academic excellence? There are many reasons why a community produces children who excel academically. One of the factors must be that those who do exceptionally well in school, who demonstrate uncommon intelligence, are revered and admired within the community.

Think what you want about Owens’ opinion. She ought to be praised for her brilliant mind. West did precisely that. A community that rises up against someone who is that smart is not going to produce too many children who excel academically.