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Vox Took A Big Risk With This Headline About Black Guys. Trouble Is, Some People Took It Literally.

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News outlet Vox released an article with a questionable headline Thursday that many Twitter users took to be racist.

The article in question was headlined “With 4:44, Jay-Z is being celebrated for owning his mistakes. For a black man, that’s rare.” The article argued that many black men don’t have the luxury of growing old and making mistakes, due to police brutality, so it’s rare that they are celebrated for overcoming their flaws.

“Growing up, for those who are afforded the chance, is a fluid and always-functioning thing. Those who are not afforded the chance serve as a reminder to those of us still living: It is one thing to look grown, another to act grown,” Hanif Willis-Abdurraqib wrote.

The headline, though, was awkwardly worded, causing many Twitter users to take it literally. They thought Vox was saying that most black men don’t own their mistakes, and responded to the tweet with gifs and memes calling out Vox for its alleged racism against black people.