Last week, a Rhode Island state senator by the name of Tiara Mack caused a stir after she shared a video of her twerking on TikTok, which ultimately saw her hit with a lot of backlash. Despite the criticism, the politician has kept her head held high, making it clear during a new interview that she refuses to be anything less than herself.
“I am not going to apologize for being myself,” she confidently said during a video call with TMZ. “Or for living a joyful life, and for being unapologetically myself in every instant and enjoying a beautiful day.”
@mackdistrict6 a promised senator thirst trap at Block Island 😈
“I’m not going to apologize for showing exactly and telling exactly who I am every single step of the way of my campaign,” she continued. “For the folks who voted for me, they know that Tiara Mack is a silly, authentic, and sometimes bold leader.”
Mack said that she won’t be apologizing for being who she is or fiercely leading her community with a new and fresh voice that has allowed her to mobilize more citizens to stand up for their rights alongside her.
“I will not apologize for showing young, queer Black women that they can live a joyful life and still make a positive impact on their community, and I will not apologize for being able to do a headstand, and I will not apologize for, you know, having enough cake to twerk.”
Elsewhere in the interview, Mack said, “It’s not shocking that criticism about me enjoying my free time and using my body to express joy with a small ground of friends while on the beach in a bikini – that many people wear – is coming on the heels of the overturning of Roe v. Wade.”
“Since the twerking video came out, there has been a subsect of racist, misogynistic people who have called me anything and everything from the n-word to fat to a gorilla. Many of the negative comments I have received have been racially motivated, they have been racially disgusting, they have been comments on my body, and none of them have to do with policy.”
She added, “Again, it’s very convenient for the GOP to try and create a narrative that Black people and people of colour are changing society. There is a status quo, and just because [that’s] changing and the people who lead our country look different doesn’t mean that it’s bad – it’s just different.”
Check out everything that Senator Tiara Mack had to say below, and tap back in with HNHH later for more pop culture news updates.
[Via]