From the April 19 edition of TV One's NewsOne Now with Roland Martin:
Roland Martin Slams Bill O'Reilly For Saying Black Americans Are "Ill-Educated And Have Tattoos On Their Forehead”
Martin: Bill O’Reilly “Promotes” A “Cultural Norm That Black Folks Aren't A Part Of This American System”
Written by Media Matters Staff
Published
ROLAND MARTIN (HOST): Alright, so that was Bill O'Reilly last week, and of course last night on Bill's show he was a little upset because people had criticized him, and so he decided to fire back. Y'all want to hear what he had to say? Ok, here we go.
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Really? Blank stare? No, the blank stare is for you making up some stuff, because this is what you did. Last week, you said “most.” Yesterday you said “some.” So which is it Bill? Is it “most” black youth? Is it “some” black youth? But you're also going to also love this one here, because he continued, and let me go ahead and play this here, and there's a great line about walking communities -- walking the streets of certain communities that you've got to listen to. Here's Bill from last night.
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All right then, so that was Bill O'Reilly. Now, here's what's interesting, last week they were discussing black youth. Now, all of a sudden it's all poor people. You notice how he didn't want to just say “black broke folks,” because now it's a lot of poor people. But you never hear Bill O'Reilly actually say “poor white folks.” You never hear that. It's always this cultural norm that black folks aren't a part of this American system. But see, that's sort of what he sort of promotes, because he has the largest cable audience, it's largely white, and so they’re buying into what Bill O'Reilly has to say. See, the problem with that is, it doesn't pass the smell test. It's interesting having Bill O'Reilly question people, saying they haven’t walked certain neighborhoods, when you actually arrive at Fox News everyday in a chauffeur-driven town car. See, I don't think you've talked to many people walking down the streets of Manhattan. Have you actually decided to go to these communities? See, Bill O'Reilly loves to talk about Chicago, but when was the last time he left his studio? When was the last time he actually did his show from Chicago? From Detroit? From Houston? From New Orleans? From Flint? See, it's real easy to sit in your studio and talk about what needs to be done. Because, see, Bill, unlike you, when I go to Union Station coming from New York, I actually walk back to the building. I actually talk to the bus drivers, I actually talk to the brothers and sisters who I'm walking by. When I’m going to different communities, I actually talk to them. See, Bill, I was in Akron two weeks ago for their Black Male Summit. Were you? So, you love talking about black folks and what they're doing, so I got something for you.
So you were talking about Trump, you were talking about what y'all should do, so here's my challenge to you, Bill. Since you're so concerned about black people and you're so concerned about black youth, I want you to launch this. Shelly, go to my iPad.
I want you to launch the Bill O'Reilly Black Youth Summer Jobs Program. Since you're talking about stuff stamped on the head, I got “get paid” stamped on your forehead. See, I want you, Bill O'Reilly, to challenge your audience to create 100,000 summer jobs for black youth across the country. I don't want you to partner with the NAACP or Reverend Al Sharpton. I want you to call Marc Morial, the CEO of the National Urban League, because that's what they have. See, you keep saying “big government,” so how about this here. Forget big government, I want you, Bill O'Reilly, from now until the end of May, to call on your audience to say “we're going to create 100,000 summer jobs for black youth.” And so this is what I want you to do, Bill. Here's the deal. If black youth don't show up, if they don't come there ready, I will shine your shoes in front of the Fox News building. So yeah, if black youth don't shine, I'll shine your shoes, and Bill, I've never shined the shoes of any other man but my own. See, I'm willing to bet on black youth. I'm willing to bet they're ready.
But see, you want to sit in your studio and talk about the culture and how folks are rejecting American norms. Bill, here's the deal, black folks have always held up the highest ideals of America when white Americans didn't. Black youth have always been there. And I can tell you right now, I know thousands of black youth have nothing stamped on their forehead, they have no tattoos, they're ready to work, but America does not have any opportunity for them. So since you're big and bad, Bill O'Reilly, since you love talking about black youth, since you love talking about opportunities, do this, create the opportunity. Create it. Call Marc Morial and say “I'm going to partner with you to create,” pull it up Shelly, “The Bill O'Reilly Black Summer Jobs Program.” And I want to see you do that. And so I want to see you start in Chicago, and I want to see you go to Detroit and go to New Orleans and go to all of these cities where you're always lamenting crime. We understand, Donald Trump said that the way to solve a lot of these issues is with a job, and in fact, what I want you to do is call Donald Trump and say “how many jobs will you put up at your hotels and at your various businesses all across America?” Bill, if you so-called “care about” black youth, put your money where your mouth is. Put up, or shut up. Because as I always believe, I always bet on black. I just don't talk about them like a dog and then all of a sudden say “oh, I'm the one who can save.”
And the last thing is this here Bill. It's a whole bunch of us talking about personal responsibility. It's a whole bunch of us talking about bootstraps. It's a whole lot of us who are challenging African Americans. We do this every single day. That's why we have America's wealth coach, Deborah Owens. That's why we talk about the critical issues. But see, you don't want to do that. What you want to do is lament what's happening among black youth. You want to impress me? Fine. Call on your followers, call on your viewers to create 100,000 jobs across America for black youth. You say they're not ready, I say they are. What are you going to do, Bill? Keep running your mouth? Or you're going to do something about the problem. See, I'm willing to do something about the problem. Bill, put up, or shut the hell up.
Previously:
O’Reilly Tells Trump Blacks Are "Ill-Educated And Have Tattoos On Their Forehead”