Summer Walker Isn’t Here for Our Society’s Pleasure
The excessive demands on her energy and time have sinister, historical precedent
When Summer Walker canceled the rest of her tour in early November, she clearly explained her reason on Instagram. “As you know, I have been very open about my struggle with social anxiety. I want to continue to be healthy and to make music for y’all.” Her frequent transparency about her disorder was refreshing. Black women are so often maligned and stigmatized when it comes to expressing the state of their mental health. Walker grasping autonomy and wielding it to prioritize her well-being seemed like a radical act.
But others were upset with her decision. An acquaintance of mine took to Facebook to air her grievances in a now deleted post. There were many similar angry comments about the tour cancellation on Walker’s Instagram page. “You picked the wrong career to have social anxiety,” read one comment. Another read, “You’re literally a joke. People don’t wake up realizing that they have social anxiety…”
Fans and critics of Walker are incapable of grappling with the idea that they won’t have the access to her in the way that they desire.
