In addition to being an unapologetic bisexual Latina teen at the frontlines of the student movement for gun control reform, Emma González is also apparently stellar at handling unwelcome praise from controversial figures.
On Saturday, everyone’s fave-turned-I-Can-Only-Tolerate-Pre-2010 rapper, Kanye West, continued his series of contentious tweets.
After posting a photo of a bright red MAGA hat, which was signed by President Donald Trump, on Twitter last week, and receiving thousands of tweet flack from former fans and gaining a new base in white supremacists, West over the weekend called the Parkland shooting survivor his “hero.”
my hero Emma Gonzalez pic.twitter.com/aSdFmraenU
— KANYE WEST (@kanyewest) April 29, 2018
“My hero Emma Gonzalez,” West said in a tweet on Saturday night, followed by a fresh shaved photo of himself with “inspired by Emma” as his caption.
inspired by Emma pic.twitter.com/TiZMthLK92
— KANYE WEST (@kanyewest) April 29, 2018
As could be expected, the rapper-producer-fashion designer’s newfound conservative following was upset that he saw a champion in the NRA’s biggest opponent. What wasn’t anticipated was González’s response to the megastar’s tweet.
my hero James Shaw Jr. pic.twitter.com/BRnuYEURdv
— Emma González (@Emma4Change) April 29, 2018
“My hero, James Shaw Jr.,” the young cubana tweeted, mimicking West’s language to send her praises to the African-American man who disarmed the gunman at a shooting at a Waffle House in Nashville last week, a hero who the president has yet to acknowledge.
González may not be jumping for joy to be West’s hero of the moment, but her brilliant response, along with her everyday actions for justice, shows why she’s our heroine.