Very few things can keep Kanye West silent. The rapper is known for being outspoken and sharing his opinions on anything from pop culture to politics. But West has yet to respond to an Alabama student who is asking him to speak out against a controversial immigration law.
William Anderson, a senior at the University of Alabama at Birmingham, started a petition asking West to denounce HB 56, the state's law that has initiated a nationwide debate and is the strictest immigration legislation of any similar laws passed in Arizona, Utah, Indiana and Georgia.
The law allows police to detain anyone suspected of being in the country illegally who cannot present proper documentation if stopped by authorities,Reuters reports. It also requires publics schools to question students' legal residence and prevents illegal immigrants from obtaining a business or driver's license.
Anderson pushed to get West's response while the rapper was in Alabama, kicking off the "Watch The Throne" tour with Jay Z. The student's message gained media attention, but failed to incite any action from the musician.
This didn't discourage Anderson. He went on to reach out to West and other celebrities to gain their support against the law.
"I want to try to create a bridge between people who have the power to reach millions and the people who are fighting here on the ground in Birmingham," Anderson said. "We need help here on the ground. We need for celebrities to stop being silent. We need people to speak out on every level, because silence is a form of compliance and agreement.
Last year, West and other musicians joined Sound Strike, promising not to perform in Arizona in protest against the state's immigration legislation which, at the time, was the toughest law in existence. Anderson says he hopes to see similar response to Alabama's law.
The student did manage to get some attention from Rosario Dawson, Change.org reports. The actress tweeted his video, saying "I hope @kanyewest responds to this."
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/11/11/kanye-west-silent-on-cont_n_1088787.html?ref=fb&src=sp&comm_ref=false
