By Ryan Steal
(YourBlackWorld):
Kazembe Ajamu, Zendaya’s father, is criticizing Hollywood for what he sees as a “shunning” of Black fathers of successful daughters.
On Monday, Ajamu shared a screenshot of an E! News article with a glam image of his daughter and a direct comment from her on Instagram. “I have standards I don’t plan on lowering for anybody… Including myself,” Zendaya stated.
“Black fathers are too often shunned for having successful daughters in Hollywood, i.e. Mathew Knowles, King Richard and Kazembe Ajamu,” Ajamu tagged his post.
Knowles, the father of Grammy-winning daughters Beyoncé and Solange, and Williams, whose recent movie about mentoring his daughters Venus and Serena to become tennis champions helped Will Smith win his first Golden Globe for Best Actor.
The image was acquired from Ajamu’s Instagram Story, where his father continued to rant.
“Ladies, you not her yo pops @kazembeajamu,” he posted over a picture of his daughter. “They gon have to understand you was and behind this amazing soul. They like the idea but don’t wanna put in that pain aka work.”
Many people reacted positively to Ajamu’s statements, while others had mixed feelings.
“Not just Hollywood in America – Joe Jackson, Lavar Ball, Drederick Irving, Diddy, Will Smith,” one user remarked.
“You’re apart [sic] of something legendary; if it wasn’t for you we wouldn’t have your daughter,” one fan applauded Zendaya. “She wouldn’t be my biggest inspiration esp. with both of us being the same age. So thank you so much for that.”
“Sir, with all respect, you are publicly a much better father than Mathew Knowles,” the user added. “He wasn’t shunned for his daughter being successful but for his own indiscretions.”
“We applaud you sir and Richard just not Matthew, he did Tina wrong,” someone else sated.
Zendaya Maree Stoermer Coleman, better known by her stage name Zendaya, is an actress and singer from the United States. She has won a Primetime Emmy Award, a Satellite Award, and a Saturn Award, among other honors. Zendaya began her career as a backup dancer and child model.
