President Obama dropped the mike at the end of his remarks. Larry Wilmore dropped the N-word. Guess who got more attention?
But as USA Today noted: “Obama told aides Monday that he ‘appreciated the spirit’ in which Wilmore used the N-word at the White House Correspondents’ Association dinner, which came after an observation about how far the country had come on racial attitudes during his lifetime.
“When I was a kid, I lived in a country where people couldn’t accept a black quarterback,” Wilmore said. “Now think about that. A black man was thought by his mere color not good enough to lead a football team — and now, to live in your time, Mr. President, when a black man can lead the entire free world.”
“Words alone do me no justice. So, Mr. President, if I’m going to keep it 100: Yo, Barry, you did it, my [n—a]. You did it.”
The Rev. Al Sharpton told the Los Angeles Times “to say that to the president of the United States in front of the top people in media was at best in poor taste.”
Many were fine with it.
Black Twitter Doesn’t Care What White People Think of Wilmore Saying ‘My N*gga’ to Obama https://t.co/7gOCwTG3HP pic.twitter.com/5KykuVvXeD
— Mediaite (@Mediaite) May 2, 2016
this was great RT @cydneiearleee: I have never seen so many uncomfortable white people in one room. #WHCD https://t.co/FX24wNqDXt
— Elliott James (@Mr1738) May 1, 2016
I genuinely don’t get the outrage over Larry Wilmore calling Obama “my nigga.” Maybe it’s a generational thing. https://t.co/6vkaZ3EVZ8
— Lydia Polgreen (@lpolgreen) May 2, 2016
False outrage. Folks been disrespecting President Obama since 2008, but you’re mad that a black man referred to another as “my nigga.”
— C. Jay Conrod (@cjayconrod) May 2, 2016
My class ring is having Obama on the side that says “long live my nigga”
— OG Caramel (@__reeces) April 23, 2016