Thursday
Oct212010
Juan Williams Fired From NPR For Muslim Comments
Juan Williams did that thinking out loud thing he does sometimes where you say things that you're supposed to keep to yourself. Like, how if he sees a Muslim dressed in whatever he thinks traditional Muslim garb is on a plane it makes him nervous. Yeah. Every time I see a guy in priest robes I scream "CHILD MOLESTER!" See? I can play stereotypes too! Look! A black guy! *CLUTCHES PURSE!* Anyway, you'll always have FOX News, Juan. They don't care if you talk about your personal prejudices of any kind out loud as long as you don't say anything mean about Bill O'Reilly. Also, this means there's an opening at NPR. Now what did I do with my resume? (H/T Richard Prince)
tagged 
FOX News, Juan Williams, NPR, media
FOX News, Juan Williams, NPR, media 
Reader Comments (23)
I thought they should have dumped him when he called Michelle Obama, "Stokely Carmichael in a dress".
His Fox News Sunday colleagues are going to high five him this weekend.
He made an ignorant comment. I've heard much worse, though. Glad they got rid of him no matter the reason.
I heard you on "tell me more".
What he said was unacceptable for a professional journalist. They did the right thing in firing him.
I don't think he should have been fired for this.
“I mean, look, Bill, I’m not a bigot." and then he makes a bigotted comment. What would have shown some self awareness is, “I mean, look, Bill, I AM a bigot, I struggle with my biggotry all the time when I see Muslims in the airport." But Juan Williams does not show such awareness, and his comment apologizes for all sorts of biggotry. These days many white Tea Partiers raise signs in protest with racial stereotypes, like Obama eating watermelon etc. and then say, "Hey look I am not a bigot or racist." If Juan Williams wants to be a leader in the conversation and wants an open debate on race and biggotry, I would strongly encourage him to gain a bit of self awareness and to speak from that place. If he does he would truely be a leader, but as it is now he meerly unconciously buys into a harmful rhetoric which serves to divide, conjur hate and fear, and makes a fool of himself.
Never liked the guy. Sympathy in short supply.
Juan's comments were not racist. As an African-American person, he should feel the right to be "nervous" just like he said any American person is. While I do not condone his feelings, he was speaking from his perspective.
I think this was NPR's reason for crying "Reverse Racism" at a famous Black Face for saying things that they would have condoned and or dismissed as anyone's personal experience...
In fact, he even pointed out that he too could be the target of same racism..and in that statement, he was being objective.
It's irrelevant whether you think his comments were racist or anti-muslim. It is up to the company whether thy want someone with that kind of mentality representing their network. So before everyone cries about "political correctness" and the first amendment, the first amendment does not mean there are no consequences for the things you say, you just can't be arrested for it.
He should fit right in at Fake Noise
Juan Williams = Uncle Ruckus
Aaron McGruder's cartoon "The Boondocks", has a character named "Uncle Ruckus".
Uncle Ruckus is a dark-skinned older black man who hates Black people and loves white people. Uncle Ruckus wakes up in the morning and thanks the white man for sending a lovely day and dispises anything black people do whether good or bad.
Good old Juan can now shuck-n-jive and jigg as much as he wants while he attacks the First Lady. Let's see how long it takes him to become another Glen Beck and start to attack President Obama.
IMHO, Juan Williams is a typical "porch negro" willing to do the shilling for a bunch whose stated goal to to destroy President Obama. His hard work has finally paid off with him getting getting his own big time tv show on Fox. Maybe Travis Smiley will be next.
Juan is just a despicable excuse for a black man, another Crab in the Barrel who sells himself on a tv network that disrespect black people and the President, of whom he is obviously jealous.
As an African American I am disturbed very much by this firing but I am also disturbed by the racist remarks here on this blog. I too am afraid when I see Muslims boarding a plane I'm on. that is not bigoted. I read a well put article here. http://word4ce.com/freemarkets/2010/10/21/the-brilliance-of-prejudice-and-discrimination/#comment-54 now I just hope that black people, that us, that us brothers and sisters can support Juan.
Juan Williams crossed over to the dark side long ago; I could never understand how NPR kept him on. Goodbye and good night, Juan. The best part is his using Eyes on the Prize as cover. That's rich!
By the way, Juan: whenever someone begins a sentence with a declaration of what they are not, you can be pretty sure that whatever follows, they almost certainly are.
@Jerome, so how many Black Muslims have you been afraid of? So would you be afraid of Malcolm X or the brother selling the Daily Call and the bean pies? I have been hanging with Muslim sisters since the 80s and quiet as its kept, under the garb we talk about black hair issues, clothing, politics, raising children and racism. I have friends who are Palestinian who have been victims of hate crimes for over 10 years! Just because their last name is Hussein. Maybe because I live in the DC area and there is a lot of diversity here, I don't flinch. As a teacher, I want to make sure that when the Muslim girls in my school begin to cover (wear hijab) they are not teased. Most of them are Pakistani, not Arab, but a lot of people don't know the difference. Guess what? One of those girls was on a team that won the Black SAGA competition! When I went to Howard, there was a mosque down the street from Howard U Hospital. Can I tell you that I felt much safer when the Muslim brothers were out on the street, than when the random dudes catcalling me or beggin money were out there. They always spoke, were respectful and kept the trolls away. Oh and please be sure to know that a man with a turban is most likely a SIKH! I have friends who are Sikh also and have been to their temples and they are wonderful peace loving people who are Indian btw. Juan Williams ought to be ashamed of himself, living in this city as long as he has and coming out of his mouth with such ish. Its inexcusable, a high school student graduating in DC and MD would be more sophisticated than Juan.
When I get on a plane and I see folks coving in accordance with their beliefs, I kinda feel sorry for them, cuz I know they are going to get the side eye, get stopped, questioned and who knows what else? I try to smile and talk to people generally, but I do go out of my way to smile as my Muslim sisters because they get the scary, uncomfortable looks and underneath the clothes is a woman just like me.
Oh and I am a born-again Christian for the record.
Juan did one academic book on the civil rights movement and has used that as a Negro pass for his whole career. It really is just sad for someone to say that BS living in a city where all the EMBASSIES are located! He needs to check his stuff.
I guess he must be scared when he sees Atallah Shabazz or anyone who married Muhammed Ali, or heck Muhammed Ali if he had on traditional gear.
(insert curse words and nasty tones of voice).
I mean married TO Muhammed Ali, Atallah Shabazz is one of Malcolm X's daughters, fyi.
What he said was an opinion. If said I get scared when I see Tea Bag people you guys wouldn't have a problem. Doesn't NPR have an analyst on their payroll who publicly proclaim Jesse Helm's grandchildren deserve to get AID? Snob, you and others are missing an important lesson here. We have a right to express our feelings and fears. The problem rises when people who don't agree with certain feelings and fears start punishing others for expressing them. This soudbite journalism is ruining our country.
@Jerome Watson, I am very also very disturbed by this tendency to of other blacks who can't recognize their own prejudices. Black people donot have to live their life by an imaginary 'black handbook'. It sad to see white people, both liberal and conservatives, standing up for Juan (an intelligent, smart man of color), while blacks who hate him because he appears on Fox, tear him down.
BDSista and Danielle: totally co-sign. I thought of the "Catholic priest" example right away. I've long wondered how Juan Williams could play both sides of the fence at NPR and Fox.
I think NPR didn't handle this as well as they could have, though, which is a shame. I'm not at all sorry to see him go.
Rubygirl
Just noticed. Why is that tooth on the front so yellow? And just think he has to nerve to talk about someone else's looks. He needs a haircut also.
shell is on point.
but most folks subscribe to monolithic thought and are easily riled up through "soundbite journalism."
sounds like what shirley sherrod went through.
I'll be honest I'm Muslim (and black) and I don't really think he should have got fired. It their right to fire him, but over this comment? I mean people stereotype whoever they will, most of us have the decency to keep it to ourselves but he is one of the few blacks on npr. For them to be willing to fired him without hesitation is 'brow raisin' to say the list. Funny enough cnn recently got rid of their only Hispanic because he said Jon Stewart is a bigot and Jew are often not 'minorities' but those in power, not the nicest thing to say, but should he have gotten fired? Again its their choice but I think we should be very cautious when minorities are becoming disposable.
I'm really trying to give Juan a pass for what he said, but i can't. As a black man, brother, Afro-A,whatever, you should know about stereotyping, and profiling, the same people you work for now, caucasian would grab their purse, attache case, or whatever they have valuable, when they see a black man, brother, etc, walking towards them and look for a cop, so for you to say you get nervous when you see people in Muslim garb and identifying themselves as Muslim you get "nervous"? black men walk down the streets every day and get mistaken for thugs, drug dealers, pimps, etc. just because we wear our clothes different,or walk different people get "nervous", by the way, the terrrorists that caused this whole 911 mess did not have on traditional clothes, and did not identify themselves as Muslim until they caused the planes to crash. HIDE IN PLAIN SITE!!!!
Liberal and conservative white people stand up for Juan because they know he has and will sell out his own folks without being prompted. He's a handkerchief head, chicken and biscuit eating negro who got a little too comfortable with his comments and it finally caught up with him.