Kazembe Ajamu has a word for Hollywood.
Zendaya’s dad, Kazembe Ajamu, feels as though he and a handful of other Black fathers have been “shunned” by Hollywood, according to a recent Instagram post. Late last night, he shared a screenshot of an E! News article quoting his daughter, seemingly throwing some shade at the industry in the caption.
“I have standards I don’t plan on lowering for anybody… Including myself,” the message from the Euphoria actress and co-producer says. For his part, her dad chimed in with, “Black fathers are too often shunned for having successful daughters in Hollywood.”
He went on to list the names of Matthew Knowles – father of Beyoncé and Solange, as well as King Richard, who is the patriarch of Venus and Serena Williams’ family, and finally, his own as people who have been disrespected by the industry, in his opinion.
In the comment section of his post, plenty of fans have taken the time to give Ajamu his flowers. “You’re a part of something legendary,” one person wrote. “If it wasn’t for you we wouldn’t have your daughter, she wouldn’t be my biggest inspiration… So thank you so much for that.”
Over on @theneighborhoodtalk’s Instagram, however, people appear to be confused by Zendaya’s father’s comments. “I could see him walking down the street and wouldn’t recognize him,” one user joked, referencing Keke Palmer’s viral Vanity Fair interview.
“He needs to stop, ain’t nobody saying ‘omg! That’s Zendaya’s daddy!” Others added, “What is he talking about?” and “Shunned by who?”
