Liberal commentator calls Winsome Sears a ‘Black mouth’ for ‘White supremacist practices’
Liberal commentator Michael Dyson called Virginia Lieutenant Governor-elect Winsome Sears a ‘Black mouth’ for ‘White supremacist practices’
Liberal commentator Michael Eric Dyson called Virginia's incoming lieutenant governor Winsome Sears a "Black mouth" of White supremacy on Thursday in what critics called a "repugnant" segment on MSNBC.
Sears, a Jamaican migrant and Marine Corps veteran, became the first Black woman elected to the position in Virginia on Tuesday. She declared herself the embodiment of the American dream and that her victory had destroyed "all of the narratives about race."
That apparently didn't sit well on MSNBC, as "The Reidout" host Joy Reid said Republicans "demand credit" for voting for Black candidates. Dyson, a frequent MSNBC guest, agreed with Reid and called Sears a "Black mouth" for "White supremacist practices."
Georgetown University Professor Rev. Michael Eric Dyson speaks at the funeral service for the late singer Aretha Franklin at the Greater Grace Temple in Detroit, Michigan, U.S., August 31, 2018. (REUTERS/Mike Segar)
"You are doing what all political figures what must do: make choices," Dyson said. "The problem is here they want White supremacy by ventriloquist effect. There is a Black mouth moving but a White idea … running on the runway of the tongue of a figure who justifies and legitimates the White supremacist practices. We know that we can internalize in our own minds, in our own subconscious, in our own bodies the very principles that are undoing us. So to have a Black face speaking in behalf of a White supremacist legacy is nothing new."
As he spoke, "The Reidout" showed the chyron, "Republicans deploy ‘get out of racism’ card in VA."
The exchange was panned by MSNBC critics, with journalist Glenn Greenwald calling it "one of the most repugnant and racist segments broadcast" this year.
Former Republican Delegate Winsome Sears celebrates winning the race for Lt. Governor of Virginia as she introduces Republican candidate for Governor Glenn Youngkin during an election night party in Chantilly Virginia, U.S., November 3, 2021. (REUTERS/ Jonathan Ernst)
"The message could not be clearer: People of color are duty-bound to recite liberal orthodoxy and pledge loyalty to the DNC, and those who don't are brainless puppets being used," he tweeted.
Writer Andrew Sullivan called it "disgusting."
It's hardly the first time that sort of attack has been thrown at Black conservatives. While he was running for governor of California, radio host Larry Elder was called "Trumpism in blackface" by MSNBC contributor Jason Johnson.
Reid, one of the lead anchors for MSNBC's political coverage, referred to Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas last year as "Uncle Clarence," a reference to the "Uncle Tom" slur for Blacks viewed as too deferential to Whites.
WINSOME SEARS CHALLENGES JOY REID TO DEBATE AFTER MSNBC HOST SAYS ‘REPUBLICANS ARE DANGEROUS’
Sears, who publicly called on Reid to invite her on her far-left program, tweeted out the segment on Friday and said she was still waiting by the phone.
Republican victories in Virginia drove liberal media into an uproar on Tuesday, with many anchors and pundits fuming that racially charged rhetoric on issues like critical race theory drove their success.
Former Republican Delegate Winsome Sears celebrates winning the race for Lt. Governor of Virginia as she introduces Republican candidate for Governor Glenn Youngkin during an election night party in Chantilly Virginia, U.S., November 3, 2021. (REUTERS/ Elizabeth Frantz)
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CNN’s Brianna Keilar told viewers that some of Youngkin’s messaging was "dog-whistle racism."
On MSNBC alone, Nicolle Wallace insisted critical race theory isn’t real, political analyst Cornell Belcher called CRT a strategy to "drive up the White vote," Reid declared "education" is "code for white parents don't like the idea of teaching about race," contributor Jason Jackson complained that Youngkin had to spend months convicting people "he was not a fire-breathing horns out of his skull racist" and Reid claimed a lot of Americans don’t want to bother learning the history of racism.
Fox News' Brian Flood contributed to this report.