Radio host Michael Berry dismisses white privilege: “Are we supposed to be embarrassed that we don't roam the streets because our parents didn’t let us?”

Written by Alex Walker

Published

In response to protests over the killing of George Floyd, nationally syndicated conservative radio host Michael Berry used racist stereotypes to dismiss the concept of white privilege. During a June 2 show, Berry asked, “What is this white privilege we keep hearing so much about?” He suggested white people shouldn’t be embarrassed because “our parents got married before we were born” and “we don't roam the streets,” then suggested white privilege is “a strong nuclear family and a strong work ethic.”

A Texas-based host and former Houston City Council member, Berry is a longtime personal friend of Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX), and Cruz has appeared on The Michael Berry Show multiple times this year. Berry has also interviewed Vice President Mike Pence. According to the talk radio trade publication Talkers magazine, Berry has an estimated 3.5 million weekly listeners.

Berry has previously referred to Black teenagers as “jungle animals” and has stated that “Black people don’t believe Black lives matter.” In an infamous recurring segment on his show, Berry mocked victims of gun violence in Chicago before he was forced to cancel the segment due to public outrage. Berry has also previously stated that “Black people don't know how to exist without white people around to blame their problems on” while promoting “White History Month” in 2015.

Michael Berry on white privilege: "Are we supposed to be embarrassed that we don't roam the streets because our parents didn't let us?"

From the June 2, 2020, edition of iHeartRadio's The Michael Berry Show

MICHAEL BERRY (HOST): Wait a second. What is this white privilege we keep hearing so much about? Are white people supposed to be embarrassed because of how we are born, what we look like? Are we supposed to be embarrassed if our parents got married before we were born? If they stayed together as a family through good and bad times as well? Are we supposed to be embarrassed because our dads worked overtime so that we would have enough? Are we supposed to be embarrassed that we don't roam the streets because our parents didn't let us? Is this something to be ashamed of? Is a strong nuclear family and a strong work ethic something to be embarrassed of? This is privilege now? Is working very hard to scratch and claw yourself out of poverty or working class, wherever you are on the spectrum, to the rung above and saving it and passing it to your children something that we are supposed to be embarrassed of now? Do we have a nation within a nation? Are these people occupiers and others are occupied? Are we really still talking about slavery in 2020?