The glossing over of a recent verbal gaffe by President Biden wherein he referred to a black advisor as “boy” showcases the hypocrisy from the media, who pounced on everything uttered by former president Donald Trump.
The glossing over of a recent verbal gaffe by President Biden wherein he referred to a black advisor as "boy" showcases the hypocrisy from the media, who pounced on everything uttered by former president Donald Trump.
On Monday, President Biden met virtually with governors and mayors whose states and cities have been impacted by Hurricane Ida.
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When introducing one of his advisors, a black man named Cedric Richmond, President Biden referred to him as a "boy who knows Louisiana very very well." He quickly corrected himself to say "man."
The term "boy" was used mainly in the American south by white adults to refer to black males of any age both during and after the era of slavery. Many sensed that by using the word "boy," the speaker saw whoever they were addressing as less than them, unequal in the world; an adult speaking to a child.
While the word has faded from the vocabulary of most, when it is uttered, many still take offence due to its racist history. According to the Harvard Law & Policy Review, the Eleventh Circuit Court of Appeals found in 2011 that the use of the word "boy" by a superior to his black employee "is sufficient evidence of racism."
Nonetheless, the media appears to have chosen to turn a blind eye to Biden's use of the term.
Contrast that to the media's coverage of Donald Trump. While campaigning in California, then candidate Trump pointed out Gregory Cheadle. "Look at my African-American over here," Trump said. "Are you the greatest?"
Trump then went on to detail the events of the altercation between Cheadle and a man in a KKK outfit. At the time, Cheadle claimed he had not been offended by Trump's remarks, but the media sure was on his behalf.
The media proceeded to berate Trump for calling Cheadle "my African-American," painting him as racist. Even three years later, CNN's Don Lemon brought Cheadle on for an interview after he revealed that he had left the Republican Party.
The terms used to refer to a black person by Trump and President Biden can both be viewed as having racial undertones. The big difference lies in how the media chose to present each case.
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