NFL analyst Emmanuel Acho is being slammed on social media after giving a controversial take on race relations. Acho gave his two cents when he was a guest on Van Lathan and Rachel Lindsay’s Higher Learning podcast on the Ringer.
The former NFL player, who is born from Nigerian parents, is being slammed for saying he doesn’t have “generational trauma” like other Black people in America.
“When white people say, ‘Well, racism doesn’t exist,’ I know why they say that. Because I’ve been in them rooms when they’re saying that,” Acho said on the podcast. “When I kick it with Black people and they’re like, ‘All white people are racist,’ I know why you’re saying that. All the while, I have the privilege and luxury of not having generational trauma, because my parents were born in Nigeria. So my method is removing some of the sting, because I don’t have that sting, and trying to deliver it in a manner that people can receive it.”
As his comment became a hot topic on social media, Acho went to Twitter to explain that he’s not trying to say he’s more privileged than Black Americans.
“I made no such suggestion, that was the reach the host of the show made and led the listener to (at the 39:45 mark),” he said. “I stated my lineage to allow understanding for my predisposition to be *less* hostile. It was giving the listener insight as to why. Not implying I’m better.”
I made no such suggestion, that was the reach the host of the show made and led the listener to (at the 39:45 mark). I stated my lineage to allow understanding for my predisposition to be *less* hostile. It was giving the listener insight as to why. Not implying I’m better.
— Emmanuel Acho (@EmmanuelAcho) January 26, 2023
Lathan continued to challenge Acho on social media.
“I’m not sure what you intended to convey by stating your Nigerian background frees you of ‘generational trauma’ and takes the ‘sting’ out of your convos with white people,” Lathan said. “But it feels like you purposefully othered yourself from the descendants of slaves. Why?”
.@EmmanuelAcho I’m not sure what you intended to convey by stating your Nigerian background frees you of “generational trauma” and takes the “sting” out of your convos with white people. But it feels like you purposefully othered yourself from the descendants of slaves. Why? https://t.co/5jPKwXITDs pic.twitter.com/TGfulKtFUx
— Van Lathan Jr (@VanLathan) January 26, 2023
Many more people spoke out against the sports analyst.
Van is consistently on. A 1st gen Nigerian saying we don’t have generational trauma when we speak English as a 1st language, parents attended colonial schools, “independent” less than 65 yrs, richest/most populous African nation yet most people are poor back home. 1/2 pic.twitter.com/6KAnEjea8a
— THIQUE! BINI BADDIE⚡️ (@Aizehinomo) January 27, 2023
“Try to deliver a message in a way people can receive” pic.twitter.com/RtDxPS16KD
— Ken 👑 (@YaBoiKennyKen) January 27, 2023
I think he’s confused. It’s not that he doesn’t have generational “trauma,” it’s that he doesn’t have the generational context that African Americans do. There’s a hole in his understanding, and ignorance is bliss.
— Citizen Stewart (@citizenstewart) January 27, 2023
Acho said the podcast was set up to make him say something controversial.
“Van, the entire conversation was a public set up,” he tweeted. “Your producers lured me into committing by misleading me about the topics of ‘conversation.’ You manipulated my relationship w/ Rachel in order to publicly air your grievances as opposed to preparing me for a productive dialogue.”
Van, the entire conversation was a public set up. Your producers lured me into committing by misleading me about the topics of “conversation.” You manipulated my relationship w/ Rachel in order to publicly air your grievances as opposed to preparing me for a productive dialogue. pic.twitter.com/8S6cHHr8hj
— Emmanuel Acho (@EmmanuelAcho) January 26, 2023. (Blavity)