The neo-soul singer is now facing criticism after sharing an Instagram video on August 29 in which she imitated a sign language translator while sharing a split screen with CNN's Erin Burnett.
"It occurred once more. Another interpreter using sign language is accused of signing nothing but rubbish. This time, it was at the police news conference where an arrest in the Tampa serial killings was announced, standing to the side and ostensibly translating every word, the CNN anchor stated.
Many of Badu's fans were angered by the "Next Lifetime" singer's apparent jest about the news, and they flooded the comment section with complaints about how "incredibly disrespectful" the video was.
The chart-topper can be seen swinging her arms and making goofy motions like "cut it out," fiddling with her hair, scratching her underarms, and performing the robot and King Tut dances in the video.
Many criticized the celebrity for the crude joke in the comment area.
This is not humorous, ma'am. Do you realize how difficult it already is for deaf persons to access American Sign Language properly? I'm willing to educate you if you don't. This is quite offensive.
"This is not amusing. I assume you are aware of that. The deaf community is harmed, and it is mocked.
This is not amusing. Discover what audism is?
According to Gallaudet University's public resources, audism is the practice and idea that being able to hear makes you superior to others who have lost their ability to hear or have lived their lives with deafness.
According to one criticism, Badu is unaware of the true value of trained interpreters to the deaf population. According to research from the Deaf Unity charity, 1 in 4 deaf (or hard of hearing) people face job prejudice, especially if there is no technology to facilitate communication or no interpreter accessible.
"Perhaps prioritize and pay attention to them if a lot of Deaf people are saying this is trash in the comments. Audism is a significant problem. People's wellbeing may suffer from a lack of reliable translators. Imagine a medical circumstance where an ASL interpreter makes a mistake. Please accept my apologies and learn about Deaf culture.
Others defended Badu, saying that she was making fun of people who claim to know sign language rather than the deaf population.
She is NOT making fun of the hearing challenged in these remarks, but rather of the person who participated in that extremely important police news conference while saying nothing to those for whom a trusted sign language interpreter on television.
How stupid are you guys? She is'mocking' sign language imitators rather than deaf people.
Badu has removed the video from her profile feed even though she hasn't made a public statement about it. The only way to see it right now is to visit her Instagram page's reels section.