Agreed. However, the most powerful part of this isn’t Kayne West, it is the fact that he has many people who (for better or worse) look at him as a cultural indicator on whether or not they can feel a certain way about something or someone.
It’s weak, but blacks aren’t the only ones who do this, all segments of society do this too greater or lesser degrees.
The fact that he sent the name “Thomas Sowell” outward to a group of tens of millions of people who may have had no idea who Thomas Sowell is, and the fact that they may now not only know the name of Thomas Sowell, they also know that someone like Kanye West (who they may admire) has taken to quoting Sowell...and that (quoting) is generally regarded as a sign of respect by most people.
Very powerful.
Personally, I knew nothing about Kanye West except that when my wife realized I had no idea who Kim Kardashian was as I saw her on Television and asked my wife “Who is that?” she said “Geez. You don’t know who Kim Kardashian is? You know she is married to Kanye West, don’t you?” I had to shake my head weakly. I have lost touch with a lot of popular culture since I stopped watching television back in the late Nineties.
Hopefully those who needed permission to think for themselves will take it and grow up from there.