Raven Symone Verbally Abused for Wanting Rosa Parks on $20 Bill Instead of Harriet Tubman
Former Cosby Show star Raven Symone said that she would rather see Rosa Parks on the $20 bill than Harriet Tubman — which people apparently interpreted as her saying that she hates Tubman and therefore deserved to be verbally abused on Twitter.
While guest-hosting The View on Thursday, after hearing that Tubman had won an unofficial contest to replace Andrew Jackson on the $20 bill, Symone said:
No offense to everyone who’s going to be mad at me for saying this: I don’t like that idea. I don’t like it. I think we need to move a little bit forward.”
Let me just preface [by saying], I understand the history. I get it, trust me. I was taught, I’m in that culture. But there’s also Wilma Mankiller, there’s also Rosa Parks, Eleanor Roosevelt, and Harriet Tubman.
Me personally, I would’ve chosen Rosa Parks. I would have chosen someone that is closer to the progression that we’re doing now. I know you have to understand history so you don’t repeat it, but that doesn’t happen in our world, because we still repeat history of hating other cultures over and over again. So I would choose a different one, no offense.
Well — it looks like Symone was right on money in guessing that people were “going to be mad.” She was hit with insults ranging from accusations that she liked to act “retarded” on purpose to declarations that she was not welcome to be a part of the black race any longer:
https://twitter.com/Joe_VietnamE33/status/598949079431782401
Like Raven Symone really urked my soul 😒 like some people should just keep quiet
— Carol !!! (@ItsCarolbaby13) May 14, 2015
https://twitter.com/LeRireDuGhana/status/598948693509701632
I'm going to need Raven Symone to disassociate herself from any questions dealing with the African American race, since she is not. Thanks.
— The gun. The beast. The savage. (@thegayauntie) May 14, 2015
It's official we need to trade Raven Symone' she no longer deserve the right to be apart of this race 😒
— Carol !!! (@ItsCarolbaby13) May 14, 2015
#RavenSymone please shut up. Based on what I've read from my #BlackTwitter friends, you have been #dismissed.
— المكسيكيه (@almeksikiya) May 14, 2015
Girl…Sit your young, old looking, tired ass down somewhere. No one is picking up what you're throwing down, boo! 👊👎🙈🙉🙊💩 @MissRavenSymone
— Desirē Nicole💋 (@Luv2bDesi) May 14, 2015
https://twitter.com/__Dutch/status/598961967290839041
Raven-Symone is a disgrace to the race.
— Champagne♊️Lace (@_ChampagneLace) May 14, 2015
https://twitter.com/Wayne85Live/status/598961258084216832
https://twitter.com/OverstandJazz/status/598961071546859520
I question if #HarrietTubman would want 2be on a $20-a consolation prize 4her work BUT #RavenSymone saying she doesn't "deserve it"?WOW!
— 👑 𝓞𝓻𝓲𝓽 𝓥𝓲𝓫𝓮𝓼™ (@Empress_Orit) May 14, 2015
But here’s the thing: Symone did not say that Tubman didn’t “deserve” to be on the bill — only the headlines covering her remarks did. Symone had actually said she understood Tubman’s cultural and historical importance.
Perhaps some of the people who got so upset could have bothered click on the story to learn this small detail before deciding to barrage her with insults — but hey, who has time for that?
— Katherine Timpf is a reporter for National Review Online.