Activist Shaun King is facing backlash after a Twitter user discovered he used Chadwick Boseman’s death to promote his new book in an email.
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The Twitter post created by user @AVeryWhiteGuy, shows screenshots of the email with the following caption, “Shaun King is using Chadwick’s death to sell books, he claims don’t make him any money. I’m so tired of SK profiting off of Black death.” King’s email begins with him asking how they’re dealing with the pandemic and mentioning the death of actor Chadwick Boseman.
Shaun King is using Chadwicks death to sell books, he claims don’t make him any money. I’m so tired of SK profiting off of Black death. pic.twitter.com/XEd8s8tJd1
— Fidelity to Facts, Science & Logic (@VeryWhiteGuy) August 29, 2020
“Yesterday I sent an email checking in on everybody-and just a few hours later we learned of the death of Chadwick Boseman. Life is so very fragile. Tomorrow is not promised. Over the past 6 years of the Black Lives Matter Movement, I have traveled to 47 states-teaching, organizing, learning, and leading. And for all 6 years, everywhere I go, people ask me, “Shaun how do I actually use my life, my skills, my time, energy to impact and change the world?”
The email further mentions the book along with various affiliate links to different platforms which include Amazon and Barnes and Noble. The tweet went viral instantly and Black Twitter expressed their thoughts on King’s promotional email amid the beloved actor’s death.
Shaun you don’t add the death of someone you spend 24hrs grieving over as an add on to your email selling a product. If you must email about him, send out a separate one in honor of Chadwick whom you say you admire and if you must sell, a direct link to cancer research NOT YOU!
— ChamarLatanja ♏ (@ChamarLatanja) August 30, 2020
That was in poor taste. You could’ve just as easily sent out a completely different email solely about Chadwick’s passing WITHOUT the book promo.
Man, c’mon. pic.twitter.com/YyFUQUa3CH
— Rob (@RobCabrera) August 30, 2020
Wait did Shaun King really write in that email that it’s not about making money from his book and he got paid from it last year? 😩
It’s called an advance. Yes he made money but he could make more the more he sells and he is scum for tryna profit off of Chadwick Boseman’s death— Ms.Kamisa (@KamisaFreeman) August 30, 2020
Could you imagine not sending out your regularly scheduled email, and instead, write a different email that centers Boseman and his work and affiliated charities? The man just died; you still have tomorrow, next week, and many more years to send out emails about yourself
— Dan Nguyen »»» (@dancow) August 30, 2020
Maybe you send out an email WITHOUT invoking Chadwick to sell your book? You could have avoided this by sending out two emails. Instead you continued to use the death of a black person to pad your bank account.
— The 🌈 Establishment 🍩 (@FredBVKarl) August 30, 2020
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Shaun King said in a tweet that he didn’t intentionally use Boseman’s passing to promote his book and said he mourned with his family for hours.
I couldn’t imagine sending an email this morning that didn’t mention Chadwick.
The original email that was scheduled to go out, didn’t mention him, actually, because it was written a few days ago.
I decided to mention him – just knowing that people were hurting.
— Shaun King (@shaunking) August 30, 2020
Not being flippant, but I don’t think about what Twitter might say when I write emails – or do any of the work I do in the world for that matter.
Twitter generally loathes me.
It doesn’t bother me.— Shaun King (@shaunking) August 30, 2020
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