Letters to the Editor: Ice Cube isn’t selling out by talking to Trump about Black issues

To the editor: Anyone who has watched Ice Cube’s interviews on his Contract With Black America knows that he has made it very clear that he in no way endorses or supports President Trump’s reelection. (“To understand why some Black men support Trump, start with Ice Cube,” Oct. 17)

Rather, he reached out to both presidential campaigns and requested meetings to discuss his advocacy. The Trump campaign accepted the invitation, and former Vice President Joe Biden’s campaign said it would take up the Contract With Black America after the election, which I believe was a big mistake.

Ice Cube took the opportunity to try to educate the Trump campaign about his work. It is beyond my comprehension why anyone would think that trying to educate a seemingly racist president about the issues facing Black citizens is a bad thing or indicative of why some Black men might vote for Trump.

One of the main reasons I support Biden is that he has always been willing to discuss issues and forge compromises. I’ve spent my professional life in negotiations, and almost every issue required some compromise from both sides.

No pun intended, but Ice Cube got a bad rap in Erika D. Smith’s column.

David Gershenson, Los Angeles

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To the editor: Like Smith, Ice Cube did not consult with me when he presented his Contract With Black America. Given his recent interest in politics, I assume his contract is well meaning but lacking in substance. That he would think a serious political party would take him as earnest is at best “Kanyesque.”

I recall when Ice Cube was interviewed on my wife Tanya Hart’s BET program in early 1992. A few months later that interview was sampled in a track on his new album. He never asked her permission, nor has she ever received a royalty.

I have been a voter since I turned 18, and since that time have put forward more plans to benefit our nation’s Black communities than Ice Cube could ever fathom. For any Black American to think Trump has their interests in mind is truly delusional.

Philip S. Hart, Los Feliz