Black Lives Matter leader DeRay McKesson lashed out at The View co-host Raven-Symonè for making “deeply problematic and uninformed” comments on race and at CNN host Don Lemon for being “unnuanced” and “disconnected” from stories involving the supposed oppression of black people.
McKesson says he’s “surprised” that Raven-Symonè, with her “narrow, simplistic, and dangerous” rhetoric “still has space on The View, and I continue to be shocked by the statements that she makes. They are deeply uninformed.”
McKesson’s criticism of Raven-Symonè comes after months of the former child star making headlines for her controversial comments, like the one she made last month when Symoné said she would not hire black people with “ghetto” names.
McKesson also said that CNN’s Don Lemon has been “slow to learn” how to report on and talk about race. “There’s this expectation that because the world ostensibly treats you a certain way—because you are a black man—that you would understand and report issues a little bit deeper.”
Don Lemon is known for not pushing the politically correct, victim-focused narrative, especially on stories about race. Lemon most recently suggested to University of Missouri students that “If you’re afraid of having your feelings hurt, don’t leave your house.”
Don Lemon “might be disconnected a little bit in a way that doesn’t actually offer him a fully informed way of thinking about current events, especially around race,” McKesson said.
It’s worth noting that Don Lemon, like DeRay McKesson, is black and gay.