Actor and TV personality, Terry Crews, has been lashed out after an ‘insensitive’ comment he made about the ongoing Black Lives Matter movement. In a tweet, the 51-year-old America’s Got Talent host said that the value of black lives should not be placed higher than other races as the movement continues.
“If you are a child of God, you are my brother and sister. I have a family of every race, creed, and Ideology, ” Crews tweeted. “We must ensure #Blacklivesmatter doesn’t morph into #blacklivesbetter.”
His comment caused a stir on social media with many describing it as “racist, unintellectual and irresponsible”.
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In the midst of the social media uproar, Crews was educated that the Black Lives Matter movement is not intended to catapult the lives of black people over other races, but it is simply about equality and fairness.
If you are a child of God, you are my brother and sister. I have family of every race, creed and ideology.
We must ensure #blacklivesmatter doesn’t morph into #blacklivesbetter
— terry crews (@terrycrews) June 30, 2020
In a swift response to his tweet, Martin Luther King’s daughter, Bernice King, said: “#BlackLivesMatter is, in part, a rallying cry and a protest slogan to galvanize to people into doing the justice work to derail deaths, dehumanization, and destruction of Black Lives that racism causes. Justice is not a competition.”
Activist Amanda Seales tweeted, “This is unintellectual and irresponsible, you’re developing into an enemy of the people. Ignorance will be your downfall.”
Gah. You could have left out that last sentence. No one wants to be better. We want to be treated fairly and equal.
— Melody Kewl (@Being_Melody) June 30, 2020
While many have castigated Crews for his stance on the Black Lives Matter movement, a section of his followers applauded him for his honesty.
“You are a good man, Terry Crews. You are a man of carefully measured words, even in the face of dismissive, angry voices,” a tweet read. “Moderation is too often looked upon now as traitorous when in reality you are trying to get people to see clearly through their righteous anger.”
Spot on Terry. You don’t achieve equilibrium by going from one extreme to another; you don’t rectify the marginalisation and mistreatment of black people by suddenty marginalising non-blacks and giving black people favourable treatment.
— Koroush Ghazi (@KoroushGhazi) July 1, 2020
This is the third time this year and second this month that Crews has come under a heavy public backlash on social media for his comments.
In January, Crews described as “untrue” comments by former America’s Got Talent judge, Gabrielle Union who stated there were racist and sexiest behaviors hovering within the popular talent competition. He later apologized.
He also defended his initial remarks earlier this month on “equality” in the face of recent protests.
“I was not saying Black supremacy exists because it doesn’t. I am saying if both Black and White don’t continue to work together – bad attitudes and resentments can create dangerous self-righteousness. That’s all,” Crews said.
See more reactions below:
Gah. You could have left out that last sentence. No one wants to be better. We want to be treated fairly and equal.
— Melody Kewl (@Being_Melody) June 30, 2020
I dont understand why ur posts are so pandering to (unfounded) arguments against the BLM movement. No one, NOT A DAMN SOUL, said #blacklivesbetter.
This is being willfully destructive, disingenuous, w microaggressions towards BLM. I tire of saying “do better”….but DO BETTER.
— Cupcakin’ With a Gummy Bear (@UnicornCupcakin) June 30, 2020
no more of this. no more. i’m sick of black people always having to state the obvious.. we’re fighting for basic human rights & we shouldn’t feel obligated to get online & constantly waste energy stating that we want equality and not revenge… please stop pushing this ideology
— ZÉ TAYLOR (@FATHERBONNET) June 30, 2020
white women everytime Terry Crews tweets his support for white people: pic.twitter.com/Q9guX3WadT
— c (@chuuzus) June 30, 2020
