Black Political Opinion: Does Joe Biden have a "boy" problem? Calls rapper LL Cool J by racial slur
President Biden refers to rapper LL Cool J as ‘boy’ while speaking to Congressional Black Caucus.
Earlier this year I wrote an Op-Ed Black history lesson for Joe Biden, why you don't call a Black man "boy". I wrote this during Black History month in response to Joe Biden calling Wes Moore, the 44-year-old Black Governor of Maryland, “boy”.
Not a joke. And you got a hell of a new governor in Wes Moore, I tell you. He’s the real deal. And the boy looks like he can still play. He got some guns on him”.-Joe Biden
It seems as though Joe Biden has not learned the lesson as he has once again called a Black man boy.
Saturday, while giving remarks to Phoenix Award recipients at the yearly awards event in Washington D.C. during the 52nd Annual Congressional Black Caucus Legislative Conference, the president misspoke LL Cool J’s name as well as called him a "boy".
"Representing the groundbreaking legacy of hip hop in America, LL J Cool J. "By the way, that boy's got—that man's got biceps bigger than my thighs." -Joe Biden
To his credit, this time, Joe Biden did immediately course correct changing boy to man. Now, why Biden is up there pretending like he knows anything about Hip Hop, LL Cool J or MC Lyte is anyones guess.
The gaffe is receiving wide spread negative reactions on social media:
Biden only says boy when it's a black man. LL Cool J is 55 years old. He can't be mistaken for a boy.-X User
His racism tends to leak out when pandering to the black community. one X user wrote.
If there’s one thing an old white guy doesn’t refer to a black guy as, it’s boy… literally everything he says is a gaffe, another X User replied.
Black Political Opinion: Joe Biden has a "Boy" problem. Refers to Rapper LL Cool J by racial slur
Regardless of his intent, Biden's use of the word "boy" to refer to black men is problematic. It is a word that has a long history of being used to denigrate and demean black men.
As I've previously explained, calling a Black man boy is considered a slur that has its roots in slavery and the Jim Crow era when white men were to be referred to as master (massa) or boss, while Black slaves/men were called boy or uncle.
In the context of race, calling a black man boy can be seen as a way of infantilizing him and denying his manhood. It can also be seen as a way of reinforcing the stereotype that black men are dangerous and need to be controlled.
When someone calls a black man boy, it can be seen as a microaggression.
Microaggressions are subtle forms of discrimination that can be communicated through words, actions, or gestures. They can be intentional or unintentional, but they can still have a negative impact on the recipient.
While Biden may not intend to be offensive, his words can still be hurtful to black men. In a time when America is grappling with its legacy of racism it is important to be aware of the potential impact of words, even when we are not trying to be hurtful.
I have a tip for Joe. Maybe keep to Black mens accomplishments and not their physiques. In both the Wes Moore and LL Cool J gaffes, he seems to be trying to give a compliment.
Joe Biden is the Democrat Party's presumptive presidential candidate for 2024.
Black Political Opinion is a multi-part opinion-editorial series that looks at various political topics, news, and views, from the perspective of a Black female, conservative leaning Independent.
When someone shows you who they are the first time it's a smart decision to believe it and take it to heart. Joe has been an elitist for a very long time.