Stray Kids’ Bang Chan Issues Personal Apology For Imitating The Jim Crow Pose From “This Is America” In Resurfaced Video

“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.”

On August 3, Stray KidsBang Chan posted a heartfelt apology on Bubble after an old video of him dancing to Childish Gambino‘s “This Is America” resurfaced on social media. While simply dancing along wouldn’t normally be considered offensive, Bang Chan imitating the Jim Crow pose at the end is what fans said was the problem.

In order to better understand the similarities, here are the original images:

Childish Gambino in “This Is America” and the Jim Crow illustration | Donald Glover/Youtube and Firth & Hall, No.1 Franklin Sq.

And here is the video of Bang Chan:

For those who don’t know, Jim Crow is a symbol for “the racial caste system which operated primarily, but not exclusively in southern and border states, between 1877 and the mid-1960s” which “represented the legitimization of anti-black racism.” This is why Stays were disappointed in Bang Chan’s actions and wanted him to learn from his past mistakes.

Only a few hours after the original video went viral on Twitter, Bang Chan took to Bubble and typed out a long, heartfelt apology:

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 to those who have been offended. 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.

– Bang Chan

While it’s up to each affected Stay individually whether or not they choose to accept the apology, many have shared how they are grateful for his fast reply. They believe Bang Chan posted to the messaging app as quickly as possible in order to prevent JYP Entertainment from making edits to his true feelings and further delaying his response.

What do you think about the situation?

Source: Ferris State University

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