Photo: Dominik Bindl / Getty Images Entertainment / Getty Images
Pharrell Williams addressed growing backlash over his comments about politics and support for Black-owned businesses while accepting Shoe of the Year at the 2025 Footwear News Achievement Awards in New York City.
Williams opened by acknowledging how quickly his remarks get clipped online, saying his words are often “reduced to snippets.” He told the audience, “Sound bite this. Since most people don’t like to read or do research anymore, sound bite this. God is the greatest. Sound bite this. I’m from Virginia. Sound bite this. You don’t know what I know. You ain’t seen what I saw. No, you ain’t been where I go. I’m from the mud. As a child, nobody’s been evicted more times than me. Lights turned off, water turned off, and at times, had to pump the water.”
He then described his background as working-class, saying people shouldn’t mistake his current success for privilege. He stated, “I’m proletariat. In fact, I’m lumpenproletariat,” adding that his struggles don’t compare to the generations before him, “who arrived as captives, enslaved, who had no shoes yet had to stay on their feet… As Black and Brown people on this earth, we have to stay on our feet. We have never had a choice.”
Williams also encouraged people to think independently of headlines, telling the crowd, “At least a couple times a day, put down your phone and think on your own.”
His remarks come weeks after he told founders at Black Ambition’s Demo Day that he “hated politics… despise[s] them. It’s a magic trick. It’s not real. I don’t believe in either side,” and questioned meritless support for businesses, asking whether someone wants backing “because you’re Black or because you’re the best.” Critics argued his stance dismissed systemic inequity, but on Wednesday he insisted his frustration was contextual and reaffirmed his commitment to funding Black entrepreneurs, promising he will “never stop fighting” and “never stop raising money to help level the playing field.” Black Ambition plans to allocate $85 million to Black and Brown founders.
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