Is This Black Lives Matter Leader Right About a ‘Racist’ Taylor Swift-Travis Kelce Obsession?

Melina Abdullah, the co-founder of Black Lives Matter Grassroots, has been getting raked over the coals for speaking her mind about the whiteness of Taylor Swift fans.

Abdullah, who works as a professor of Pan-African Studies at Cal State University, started going off on X/Twitter on February 11—the day of the Super Bowl. “Why do I feel like it’s slightly racist to be a Taylor Swift fan?” Abdullah wrote.

She then clarified: “I said FEEL, not think. Kind of like that feeling I get when there are too many American Flags.”

Alright Ethan George from Texas…
If this is what a tweet about @taylorswift13 fans being “slightly racist” brings, I’ll edit myself…
Y’all are full-fledged violent white-delusionists. pic.twitter.com/y0zux6wz9M

— Melina Abdullah (@DocMellyMel) February 24, 2024

After Swift’s boyfriend, Travis Kelce, helped bring his team (the Kansas City Chiefs) to victory, Abdullah then commented: “Why do I feel like this was some right-wing, white-supremacist conspiracy?!?!”

Of course, it didn’t take much time for Swift fans—or white people in general—to respond to Abdullah’s words. Still, she had no problem defending herself. “Folks think they’re attacking me by asking why I think everything is racist…I’m not offended,’” she said. “Virtually everything is racist.”

In response to one commenter, the activist clarified: “And I’ve also decided to work with all my might and in a community of committed people to upend racism and oppression.”

Then on February 23, Abdullah shared a disturbing voice message she received from one online user after outlets like Fox News shared her tweets. “Here’s the thing… When fake ass journalists from right-wing outlets turn tweets into news, they spur actual violent responses from their idiotic white-delusionist followers.”