Rocker Bruce Springsteen weighed in on the Black Lives Matter movement in a sprawling interview, telling Rolling Stone that the movement is a “natural” response to racial injustice in the United States and slamming white critics who don’t like “being told they’re wrong.”
In an interview with the music outlet timed to the release of his autobiography, Born to Run, the outspoken 67-year-old rock star said it was only a matter of time before the constant thrum of racial injustice in America spurred a protest movement.
“Well, it’s all chickens coming home to roost,” Springsteen said when asked what he thought of the Black Lives Matter movement generally. “These are issues that have been ignored or hidden, and due to modern technology and the availability of cellphone cameras and constant video feed, these things are coming to the surface.”
“Black Lives Matter is a natural outgrowth and response to the injustices that have been occurring for a very long time in the United States,” he added.
When asked why white critics of Black Lives Matter struggled to “grapple with” the movement, Springsteen offered: “Nobody likes being told they’re wrong.”
Springsteen has become more politically vocal as this year’s presidential race enters its final stretch.
The E Street Band leader — who has been playing four-hour concerts on some of his most recent tour stops — blasted Donald Trump in an excerpt from Wednesday’s interview released last month.
“The republic is under siege by a moron, basically. The whole thing is tragic,” Springsteen told Rolling Stone of Trump’s candidacy. “Without overstating it, it’s a tragedy for our democracy. When you start talking about elections being rigged, you’re pushing people beyond democratic governance. And it’s a very, very dangerous thing to do. Once you let those genies out of the bottle, they don’t go back in so easy, if they go back in at all.”
Meanwhile, Springsteen was full of praise for Democratic candidate Hillary Clinton, telling the outlet: “I like Hillary. I think she would be a very, very good president.”
Still, the rocker conceded that he believes musicians and entertainers have a “limited amount” of political impact.
“I don’t think people go to musicians for their political points of view,” he said. “I think your political point of view is circumstances, and then how you were nurtured and brought up. But it’s worth giving it a shot when it’s the only thing you have.”
Read Springsteen’s full interview with Rolling Stone here.
Follow Daniel Nussbaum on Twitter: @dznussbaum