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Stray Kids member Bang Chan released a lengthy apology on Bubble after his video from the past, where he strikes a pose similar to that of Jim Crow, went viral.
This was perceived as offensive, and many people who watched the video believed that the K-Pop idol intentionally struck the pose. There was backlash against Bang Chan, as many took to social networking sites to call him a racist.
Why are international fans mad at Stray Kids member Bang Chan?
In the old clip of the 23-year-old, which has resurfaced online, he was seen dancing to Childish Gambino’s song “This Is American.” Chan seems to copy the pose that Childish Gambino had struck in the original video. This is a Jim Crow pose, which resulted in the star getting accused of being a racist.
To give some context regarding Jim Crow — it is connected to the legitimization of anti-black racism between 1877 and the mid-1960s. Jim Crow is a symbol of the racial caste system prevalent in many border and southern states.
In the video of This Is America, Donald Glover dubs this symbol as a dark and satirical representation. Bang Chan’s imitating of the same step, however, has offended and disappointed many.
Bang Chan released an apology note on Bubble
The Seoul native apologized unconditionally and said that he did not intend to hurt anyone, yet the fact that it hurt so many people was because of his incorrect decision. So he apologized to everyone for making an uninformed decision:
“STAY~ As a member of Stray Kids, ‘Stray Kids Everywhere All Around The World’ is a very precious slogan. Even if my intentions meant no harm, it doesn’t matter at all because there are people out there who were very hurt by my decisions. I should have thought it out more thoroughly and clearly before initiating those actions. Once again, I am very sorry and would like to ask for forgiveness from those who have been offended.”
He added:
“We, Stray Kids, do not support racism in any form and matter. As you all know, I’m still lacking a lot in many aspects. But with the unconditional love and support that I receive from STAYs, I can keep chasing my dreams to become a great artist, and overall, become a better human being. STAY, thank you so much for everything that you’ve done for me.”
Fans react to Bang Chan imitating the Jim Crow pose, with many supporting the star
Fans of Stray Kids, officially called STAY, decided that what Bang Chan had done was a mistake. However, they also pointed out that this was a mistake made in ignorance.
Many Black individuals had also confessed that they were not aware that the pose featured in the video of This Is America was connected to Jim Crow. So they believe that an apology was necessary, which was something that Bang Chan should learn from.
However, what the fans were not okay with was Bang Chan getting canceled for a mistake made in ignorance.
