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Diddy: What Did He Do and How We Discuss What He Did

Panama Jackson joins Michael Harriot to explain what happened in the Sean Combs trial.

Here’s everything I know about the Diddy trial:

Hip-hop person Sean “Diddy” Combs was acquitted on Wednesday after a federal jury convicted him of ordering his business partner Rico to do something with baby oil and pink cocaine.

Anyone who knows me would guess that I haven’t followed the Diddy trial (after all, I still refer to him as “Puffy”). I wasn’t necessarily interested in the salacious details or the legal justification of the outcome; I wanted to know about the cultural aspects of the case. That’s why I asked music critic, culture writer and professional Black man Panama Jackson to bring me up to speed and answer questions like:

  • Who are the Diddy supporters?

  • Did Diddy actually do what he was accused of doing?

  • Are there enough people willing to overlook his behavior to support a comeback?

  • Why do people excuse or justify such heinous behavior?

  • Is it possible to acknowledge the systemic racism embedded in the criminal justice system and still believe that there are Black men who are guilty of sex crimes?

  • How will this conviction affect the price of baby oil?

If you’re like me and need someone to explain the Diddy trial like you’re 5 years old, check out my conversation with Panama.

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