Al Sharpton confronts Larry Wilmore over calling Obama the N word

Larry Wilmore joined Al Sharpton's MSNBC show, Politics Nation to discuss his now much-discussed performance at the White House Correspondents' Dinner. Watch their exchange below:

NAACP Statement on Use of ‘N-word’ at White House Correspondents' Dinner

WASHINGTON - NAACP President and CEO Cornell William Brooks issued the following statement about remarks made at the White House Correspondents’ Dinner on April 30 in Washington D.C.:

“On The Nightly Show and in many other programs, Larry Wilmore is a thoughtful and courageous comedian who consistently makes us laugh by confronting the ugly contradictions we see in our government, media, and society. I assume that Mr. Wilmore was sincere in humorously criticizing, commending and mocking the President during the dinner. Context, like race, matters.  The n-word has a long history of hate. It doesn’t matter whether the people listening are wearing tuxedos and gowns, the racist ugliness of it cannot be forgotten. Many in the audience clearly believed he had crossed a line in his final remarks.

“In this election year, we have consistently reminded candidates that the words they choose have meaning and consequence. Even a seemingly ‘friendly’ form of the n-word ending in ‘ga’ rather than ‘ger’ insults many in our nation even when meant to compliment our president.  While it may be common to use the n-word as a racial obscenity for effect with a crowd in a night club or among acquaintances in a locker room or a rhyme in a song, the n-word, as racist profanity, should not be in the same sentence or the same room as the President of the United States. The fact that President Barack Obama is the first African-American to hold the highest office in this country should not be a license for undue racial familiarity or racialized disrespect.

“For many years now, the NAACP has maintained that the n-word does nothing to foster real and meaningful conversations our country needs to have about race, class, segregation and tolerance in our nation and we are, once again, sadly disappointed by its perpetuation in our national dialogue. With a vocabulary of America’s aspirations, the NAACP strives for a day when the n-word refers to a ‘nation’ indivisible by race, class, color, creed, or slurs.”

###

Founded Feb. 12. 1909, the NAACP is the nation's oldest, largest and most widely recognized grassroots–based civil rights organization. Its more than half-million members and supporters throughout the United States and the world are the premier advocates for civil rights in their communities, conducting voter mobilization and monitoring equal opportunity in the public and private sectors.

I really don't like Larry Wilmore right now.

By George L. Cook III. EMAIL

I'm sure by now you have heard or read about Larry Wilmore (You know the comedian you had never heard of with the show on Comedy Central that you don't watch) refer to a sitting President of the United States as "My nigga" at the White House Correspondents Dinner. Not just any president mind you, but Barack Obama the first black president.

I won't post the video of his ignorant comments because there are other blogs where you can view them. I just want to make my feelings known.

Now if you are like me your immediate response was "What the f*@# did he just say?"

I was shocked and angry at his comments. A black man finally becomes President of the United States, something all black men of my age bracket were told we could never be by are well meaning teachers. Then in Obama's last year in office, it's a black man that calls him the N-word to his face in public?!?! (Everyone else called him ni**er behind his back or online). The use of the word is always inappropriate regardless of the setting and to refer to Obama that way on national TV (Yes, C-Span counts) is just mind boggling.

My first angry reaction to Wilmore's comments was "F*ck Larry Wilmore!"

I decided to calm down, watch Wilmore's comments again to see if I missed any context, and try to come up with a more adult and mature response. So after much contemplation I came up with this:

F*CK LARRY WILMORE!

I actually wanted to title this post-F*ck Larry Wilmore, but I took a full day to calm down before posting and thought better of it. But I'm still pissed.

Who the hell is Larry Wilmore but a poor man's Chris Rock (I know you thought that was the other black guy that took Jon Stewart's place on The Daily Show) without the wit and jokes. Couldn't he have said "You did it black man." and gotten what I think was his point across?

I wanted to start a boycott of his show but how can people boycott something they don't watch? It would be like asking black people to boycott Fox News

I'm sorry for going at Wilmore like this, but we have to do better with how we represent ourselves publicly. Calling the President of the United States "My ni@@a" is an embarrassment not only to African Americans but in my humble opinion it attacks the legacy of Obama's presidency.

Fortunately Larry Wilmore will soon be forgotten (or on a reality show), but President Obama's legacy will live on.

Al Sharpton not happy with Larry Wilmore's use on the N-Word toward Pres. Obama

Civil rights activist, TV show host, and Radio show host Al Sharpton is none to happy with Larry Wilmore after the comedian referred to President Obama as "My ni@@a" at the White House Correspondence Dinner.

Speaking to the LA Times, Al Sharpton made the following comments:

"Many of us are against using the N-word period," Sharpton told the Times at MSNBC's after party that followed the event at the Washington Hilton. "But to say that to the President of the United States in front of the top people in media was at best in poor taste."

Sharpton said Wilmore's comic monologue at the dinner "was all right until he dropped the N-word."

"I think he was trying to in his own way to act like he was relating," Sharpton said. "But relating to who? Or what? I really didn't like it."

Larry Wilmore Will Take Over For Stephen Colbert

What comes after “The Colbert Report”?

On Comedy Central it will be “The Minority Report” and the host will be the “senior black correspondent” from “The Daily Show” — otherwise known as Larry Wilmore.

Comedy Central has concluded a deal with Jon Stewart’s production company, Busboy Productions, to create the follow-up show to the Emmy-winning “Colbert Report,” which will be coming to an end in the next year when its star, Stephen Colbert, leaves to succeed David Letterman on CBS’s “Late Show.”

The idea for “The Minority Report with Larry Wilmore,” as the show will be known, came from Mr. Stewart himself, who proposed that the 11:30 p.m. time period behind his nightly “Daily Show” was the ideal place for a new format, one that would “provide an opportunity for the underrepresented voices out there,” as Michele Ganeless, the president of Comedy Central said in an interview.

The idea is to have a panel of those voices led by Mr. Wilmore, commenting on the issues of the day — but in a comedic, scripted format, Ms. Ganeless said. “We are so excited to have a fresh idea for late night.” She emphasized that the panel would not simply address minority issues, but any and all issues, except from minority points of view.

Read more here: