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News One reported Tamika Mallory responded to social media claims by Tamir Rice’s mother that she was “clout chasing” on her Thursday podcast, “For The Record: Chasing Freedom.”
Samaria Rice named Mallory in a series of social media posts following Mallory’s appearance with Lil Baby in a performance at the Grammys on March 14, saying, “Look at this clout chaser. Did she lose something in this fight? I don’t think so.
That’s the problem. They take us for a joke. That’s why we never have justice cause of s**t like this.”The posts went viral and had many wondering what Mallory would have to say about Rice’s claims.
Mallory first let her viewers know that she had made contact with Rice following her statements. She went on to say that she was not going to attack Rice for expressing her feelings.
“Nothing we say today is an attack against Ms. Rice. I want to make sure that that is stated from the very, very beginning. Quite frankly, Ms. Rice is right. I support 100% how she feels and what she has stated in terms of her pain related to her son.”
Mallory continued by saying that she would not speak ill of Rice and that she believes “we all have failed her,” and that she understands why Rice is angry.
Later in the podcast, Mallory assured her viewers that she does not profit from Rice’s pain nor that of any other family who has experienced a similar loss. She said she does not use Tamir’s name for fundraising but to raise awareness about the brutality Black Americans face by police every day.
From now on, she said she “will be very, very careful going forward to ensure that I will respect her wishes,” and not use Tamir’s name in any of her activism.