Former President Barack Obama‘s team has exclusively clarified his recent comments toward Black men while speaking with The Shade Room’s Justin Carter.
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Here’s Why Former President Barack Obama Made Headlines For His Recent Comments Toward Black Men
According to Newsweek, the former president made a surprise visit to VP Harris’ campaign office in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, on Thursday, October 19. Obama had reportedly stopped there ahead of a rally he had scheduled in the city.
While at Harris’ campaign office, Obama shared a message, noting that he was specifically speaking to men. Additionally, a separate report from Newsweek noted that the crowd present at the office consisted of “Black Harris supporters.”
“Part of it makes me think, and I’m speaking to men directly, part of it makes me think that, well, you just aren’t feeling the idea of having a woman as president, and you’re coming up with other alternatives, and other reasons for that,” he reportedly said, per Newsweek. “So now you’re thinking about sitting out or even supporting somebody who has a history of degrading you? Because you think that’s a sign of strength? Because that’s what being a man is, putting women down? That’s not acceptable.”
Subsequently, the former president’s remarks prompted criticism from former Ohio State Senator Nina Turner.
“Why are Black men being belittled in ways that no other voting group [is]?” Turner reportedly asked while appearing on ‘CNN NewsNight with Abby Phillip.‘“Now, a lot of love for former President Obama, but for him to single out Black men is wrong.”
Additionally, per Newsweek, a social monitoring firm called Impact Social found that the former president’s comments elicited “significantly negative” reactions online. Per the outlet, many social media users reportedly considered Obama’s remarks to be “disrespectful and patronizing to Black voters.”
The Former President’s Team Clarifies His Statements To TSR’s Justin Carter
On Tuesday, October 15, TSR’s Justin Carter appeared on ‘CNN News Central’ to discuss the former president’s remarks. Carter revealed that he received exclusive intel from the former president’s team, clarifying his recent remarks.
“The sentiment was not to put Black men against the wall and make them feel bad if they choose not to vote for the vice president,” Carter explained. “Really, the message was: ‘Let’s think about this, let’s think about supporting a Black woman for president,’ and not necessarily targeting [the Black men] demographic.”
Additionally, Carter also appeared on ‘ABC News‘ where he reiterated messages from the former president’s team, explaining that Obama’s intent was not to “belittle” Black male voters or make them feel coerced into voting for VP Harris in the presidential election.
“The intent was just to go out there and show them that she’s a strong candidate,” Carter explained.
Vice President Kamala Harris Recently Unveiled Her Opportunity Agenda For Black Men
As previously reported, Carter sat down exclusively with the vice president in an interview that premiered earlier this week for The Shade Room’s ‘TSR Newz’ segment. During the almost 25-minute sitdown, Harris reacted to the former president’s comments.
However, she also unveiled the priorities she plans to enact on behalf of Black men if she’s elected president. Some include providing 1 million fully forgivable loans for Black entrepreneurs and educational resources to assist Black men with attaining high-paying jobs in competitive markets.
Scroll below to hear the rest of VP Harris’ economic plan for Black men and watch her entire conversation with Carter.
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