An African American Professor Schools A White Conservative On Racism As MSNBC Segment Explodes

Things went off the rails during an MSNBC segment about Sean Spicer’s treatment of April Ryan when white conservative Trump supporter Matt Schlapp tried to lecture Dr. Jason Johnson of Morgan State on racism.

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Dr. Johnson reacted to Spicer’s defense that he was just treated April Ryan like any member of the media by saying, “We also have to remember that the rhetoric and the behavior of this administration have demonstrated a lack of respect and a lack of consideration for people of color. I’m not surprised, and this seems par for the course for how they’ve operated.”

Schlapp defended Spicer,”I think what you’re seeing is a press secretary whose dealing with a lot of news all at once and there’s a lot to deal with, and that was a moment where he pushed back and got feisty with a reporter who he has a very good rapport with. This is not racism.”

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Dr. Johnson replied, “You don’t get to tell people what racism is.”

Schlapp, “Yes, I do.”

Johnson, “No, you don’t. You don’t experience it.”

Schlapp began yelling, and Johnson added, “That’s the kind of racism that I’m talking about. You just raised your voice at someone you disagree with. You have interrupted me throughout this entire exchange, and rather than speaking respectfully and considerately, you raise your voice at me because you are uncomfortable being spoken to and recognizes that you don’t know what you’re talking about.”

This is a lesson for Trump supporters and entitled white men in general; present company included, you have never experienced racism, so you don’t to decide what racism. White men, no matter what their politics, believe that they get to decide everything in general, but unless you have lived, you don’t know it.

Even though the exchange got heated, Dr. Johnson performed a public service by the conservative white male entitlement that has run rampant since Trump won the election in its place.

Jason Easley

Jason is the managing editor. He is also a White House Press Pool and a Congressional correspondent for PoliticusUSA. Jason has a Bachelor’s Degree in Political Science. His graduate work focused on public policy, with a specialization in social reform movements.

Awards and  Professional Memberships

Member of the Society of Professional Journalists and The American Political Science Association