Normani responds to Camila Cabello’s past ‘racist’ tweets

Normani doesn’t want her thoughts to be “misconstrued” when it comes to the racism she’s endured.

During the cover story interview for Rolling Stone’s Women Shaping The Future, the 23-year-old singer discussed her forthcoming album (the release date is yet to be announced), as well as the impact that being a member of Fifth Harmony had on her career.

While the girl group garnered much success - from its 2012 debut on the American version of the reality competition series, The X Factor, until its “indefinite hiatus” announcement in 2018 - its members were also subjected to an exhaustive work schedule and online bullying.

Normani found herself a target of racist remarks on social media following a 2016 interview with Fifth Harmony that has remained a subject of interest. After fans of the group felt Normani had slighted fellow member Camila Cabello by calling her “quirky,” the singer was forced to “take a break” from Twitter to avoid harassment.

The ‘Motivation’ singer has weighed in on her experience in the past, speaking with The Fader as recently as December 2019. But when racist Tumblr posts from Cabello’s old account resurfaced following Normani’s interview with The Fader, it sparked renewed interest.

When asked by Rolling Stone about Cabello’s past Tumblr posts (for which she recently released an apology for), Normani asked if she could “get back to” the publication on her response, noting, “I just want to make sure that anything I say is exactly what I mean.”

Elaborating on her feelings in a separate email, Normani wrote, “I want to be very clear about what I’m going to say on this uncomfortable subject and figured it would be best to write out my thoughts to avoid being misconstrued, as I have been in the past.”

The singer then clarified her thoughts in a lengthy statement, that said, “I struggled with talking about this because I didn’t want it to be a part of my narrative, but I am a black woman, who is a part of an entire generation that has a similar story.”

Noting that she’s not the only person of color to be the target of hateful messages, Normani explained, “I face senseless attacks daily, as does the rest of my community. This represents a day in the life for us. I have been tolerating discrimination far before I could even comprehend what exactly was happening. Direct and subliminal hatred has been geared towards me for many years solely because of the color of my skin."

“It would be dishonest if I said that this particular scenario didn’t hurt me,” Normani said of Cabello’s actions in particular. “It was devastating that this came from a place that was supposed to be a safe haven and a sisterhood, because I knew that if the tables were turned I would defend each of them in a single heartbeat.”

She continued, “It took days for her to acknowledge what I was dealing with online and then years for her to take responsibility for the offensive tweets that recently resurfaced. Whether or not it was her intention, this made me feel like I was second to the relationship that she had with her fans.”

Normani offered a positive outlook on the situation, as she added, “I don’t want to say that this situation leaves me hopeless because I believe that everyone deserves the opportunity for personal growth. I really hope that an important lesson was learned in this. I hope there is genuine understanding about why this was absolutely unacceptable. I have spoken what is in my heart and pray this is transparent enough that I never have to speak on it again,” she added before she concluded her statement.

“To my brown men and women, we are like no other. Our power lies within our culture. We are descendants of an endless line of strong and resilient kings and queens. We have been and will continue to win in all that we do simply because of who we are. We deserve to be celebrated, I deserve to be celebrated and I’m just getting started.”

Normani also discussed her successful career as a solo artist, which has already won her praise from singers like Beyoncé, Rihanna and Janet Jackson. “I’m at a loss for words because it’s just all of the women that made up who I am,” she said. “They respect what I do. Like, they actually respect what I do and want me to win. Little-girl me would have never been able to even comprehend that.”