What did Kanye West say on “All Falls Down?”: Even if you in a Benz, you still a n*gga in a coupe.

Esteemed actor Wendell Pierce sadly experienced the sentiment behind those lyrics when he attempted to secure an apartment in New York City’s Black Mecca: Harlem. Pierce took his frustrations to X and shared:

“For those of you who don’t understand my righteous anger; I’m on 2 TV series, ELSBETH and RAISING KANAN. I’m filming SUPERMAN. Two years ago, I finished the fourth season of JACK RYAN. Last year I finished a run on Broadway in DEATH OF A SALESMAN. Even with my proof of employment, bank statements and real estate holdings, a white apartment owner DENIED my application to rent the apartment…..in Harlem, of all places. Racism and bigots are real. There are those who will do anything to destroy life’s journey for Black folks. When you deny our personal experiences, you are as vile and despicable.”

Pierce listed his verifiable jobs–the various ways in which he’s been able to make consistent money as an actor. Even with a star-studded resume, along with his own real estate holdings, he was denied the ability to rent an apartment in Harlem. According to Pierce, the apartment in question is owned by a white man, and he believes that racism is the reason he was denied. 

Pierce said, “Racism and bigots are real. There are those who will do anything to destroy life’s journey for Black folks.” Racism knows no bounds, and when it comes to housing, people of color often struggle the most to either gain and/or sustain residence outside of poverty-stricken neighborhoods. Everything from redlining to GI bill home loans to racial covenants to urban renewal projects to zoning regulations, racist practices make up the housing market in America. And Wendell Pierce is calling it out, as he has seen firsthand that it doesn’t matter how much you amass or accomplish; if the powers that be can deny you, they will.

Pierce urgently added, “While I appreciate the response to my own personal experience of discrimination in housing, I only mentioned it as an example of the insidious nature of bigotry. This court decision is profoundly more disturbing and injurious. CALL TO ACTION.”

Pierce is referring to the Appeals Court’s block on this venture firm’s grant program for Black women: