Journalists Of Color Demand Fox News Apologize For Brian Kilmeade Comments

UNITY: Journalists of Color, Inc., a "multicultural coalition of national journalism organizations with an outreach to over 10,000 supporters," has issued a petition calling on Fox News and its parent company, News Corp. to take steps to remedy recent offending remarks made by "Fox and Friends" co-host Brian Kilmeade on the show's July 8 episode.

The remarks in question came during a discussion of a recent survey that found that married people in Sweden and Finland are less susceptible to the symptoms of Alzheimer's than unmarried people. Kilmeade disregarded the relevancy of the survey for Americans, saying "we [Americans] keep marrying other species and other ethnicities . . . Swedes have pure genes . . . in America we marry everybody..."

WATCH KILMEADE MAKE THAT STATEMENT HERE

UNITY called Kilmeade's statement "beyond silly and worthy of ridicule", based on "the basest of white supremacist ideologies, the notion that white people and non-white people are of different species, with the white race as 'pure.'"

UNITY has called upon Fox News to "issue an immediate apology for Mr. Kilmeade's offensive comments" and "enter into a serious discussion on the program regarding intermarriage and the value of diversity in our society."

The petition is available online here.

Get HuffPost Media On Facebook and Twitter!

Comments

[rixter1965]

Hey Brian... the nineteenth century called and said, "Please stop appropriating our ideas about race!"

[NevaforLeadership]

Firstly, "Journalists of color"? I, personally find the description "of color" when describing people particularly offensive. What does it mean? Do white people have no color? How, then, do we manage to see the various white skin tones of caucasians? Is someone from the Mediterranean, say, "of color"? Or does it just apply to those of African descent? What about African Americans with lighter skin?

This multicultural group described the comments as "beyond silly and worthy of ridicule." If they are (and I believe they are), then why is taking the time to create controversy and a racial spin around the ignorant remarks? The host didn't say anything about which "colors" or ethnicities married which others. Other than the ridiculous reference to "species," the remark is true. North America has become a multicultural zone of mixed ethnicities or "races," a misnomer ignorant people, including this group, continue to perpetuate. Also, it is not outrageous to assume that genetics in an isolated ethnic group (Swedes and Finns) could have an effect on such a study.

This is a self-described multicultural group. Then, get over the "race" issue. It's a misnomer. We all belong to the one human "race." Groups, such as this organization, who are so offended by "racial" divisions, are the very ones who continue to divide people and create animosity by inserting racial divisions into the most of innocuous instances.

[talidapali]

It is not an "innocuous instance" when someone deliberately equates being any ethnicity other than white as being from a different species. Or do you not understand the use of the word species? I suggest you study your etymology of the English language and specifically the word "species" before you declare so emphatically that there is no race issue that needs to addressed here.

[MisterHands]

Maybe that's why B.ristol didn't get married-- Sarah was against mixed marriages.

Bristol Palin's Baby Daddy Levi Johnston is Half M.exican!
http://www.latina.com/lifestyle/news-politics/bristol-palins-baby-daddy-levi-johnston-half-mexican

[ChinaC]

Kilmeade is entitled to his opinion without a group demading an apology.

[goesto11]

Of course he's entitled to his opinions. But he's not entitled to express any old opinion on the air without consequence.

If he said, "Italians are all criminals, and I believe they should be rounded up and shot...." would that be OK?

After all, that's just an opinion.

The "entitled to an opinion" response every time someone says something outrageous is absurd.

[essrog6x]

not while he's "at work" he's not. if he was a used car salesperson and offended one customer with one sale being lost, he'd be gone. this guy offended, and insulted, millions...but since it happened on the Alice in Wonderland News Network, nothing will happen. maybe he'll get a raise.

[brooklyncitizen]

you do know that human beings are ONE species don't you?
apparently he did not and that is not a matter of opinion.

[ROlmeda]

No, he is not. he is entitled to his opinion, and we are JUST AS entitled to demand an apology.

Further, he is not entitled to his owwn FACTS. And the facts are that
a. We in the U.S. do NOT marry other species, and
b. Kilmeade was wrong to corelate interracial marriage with exacerbated symptoms of dementia.

That's not a matter of opinion. It's a matter of Kilmeade's reprehensible ignorance (an opinion I have every right to express).

[Mekrabb]

That is not worthy of an apology but he should be fired as this is just another example added to his resume of too many dumb things that he has said that takes him off the list of being a journalist or even a relevant commentator. If I want to hear political viewpoint on the news whether I agree with it or not it better have some form of intellectual thought which this guy clearly does not have as he is just a tool empty of any thought.

[ApprxAm]

I'm sure the Finns thank you, Genius.

[urweatherman]

You liberals are so obsessed with race and finding something on which to crucify anyone you disagree with or any other competing viewpoint. What do you folks do all day? Record, playback, make transcripts of every word spoken by anyone you don't like? It is plainly obvious that you are quick to condemn. To me it was obvious that Kilemeade meant that as a diverse culture, here in America we routinely have marriages involving different cultures. I am sure that everyone here always says exactly what is intended. Give me a break!

[westcoastsc]

Rush Limbaugh, "It's all about race. Don't be fooled. It's all about race."

[independentjukebox]

do you follow the same breaks when it comes to thinsg obama says? or is applying double standard only good for the 22% that identify themselves as Republicans?

[kweenipie]

Earth to urweatherman, it is not a competing viewpoint. To have a "competing viewpoint" would mean that "viewpoint" would first have to have been given. A viewpoint was not given. A report of a medical study was given. That being said, a competing viewpoint is one that has equal merit.. Americans are not marrying other species. There is no such thing as a "pure" race. Kilmeade is not a geneticist or a researcher and therefore has no background, education or FACTS to support his statements. When people blather statements that are unfounded, untrue, or ridiculous they are not giving a "competing viewpoint" anymore than someone who says babies come from storks is giving a "competing viewpoint" on where babies come from.

[Solja]

Good comment.

[floridafun]

thanks for having the patience to explain reality to those who are unclear on the facts!

[justbashin]

Hey, how's the weather up there? I say "up there" because you must be high. Or did you not hear the comments and see the reactions of his very liber....uhm, conservative colleagues sitting on the set with him?

[bowthai]

Some of us wouldn't be so obsessed with race if racism and racist structures weren't still a part of everyday life. Do you think that just because there are no signs above our drinking fountains that discrimination is a thing of the past? So thank you for your opinion, but as long as racism continues to stain society, I will continue to be 'obsessed' with it.

As for Kilmeade's comments, please reread the article or watch the clip. I suppose you could say he was talking about a diverse culture, but the negative reaction is to his meaning and word choice. By invoking 'pure' genes and a 'pure' society, he is invoking some controversial language with devastating historical implications. I actually don't think he's a crazy racist; I've seen clips where he is level headed about the subject, but this is not one of them.

[dolphy]

Rethugs can't grow up. They only have their lizard brains functioning.

[LMPE]

It's supposed to be common wisdom that our ethnic diversity and large numbers of mixed-race people is part of what makes America the great country that it is. I guess that Brian Kilmeade wishes that we could go back to the Jim Crow south.

[urweatherman]

To me he was saying exactly what you mention in your first sentence.....where is your tolerance, understanding, benefit of the doubt? Sounds like you misinterpreted.....don't condemn so quickly lest yea be judged!

[Solja]

If that was your understanding, then you misunderstood. He was saying that Americans are less than, or not pure as, Swedens, because they do not intermix in marriage. He is an in the closet rac!$$t that got outed.

He has that "white is right" mentality and people aren't standing for that crazy talk any longer, but that is still the Republican way of thinking, which is why their party is shrinking.

[CeeCee]

Not only offensive but so very wrong! Wrong about the Finns and Swedes, and obviously wrong about his use of language (not knowing what the terms "species" means).

[bklynnupe]

I think it's stupid to make him apologize. In the end it serves no purpose. Let him speak his mind.
Fox serves a real purpose. Give him a show, let him say more.

[lvogt]

Kilmeade is all like... what? what'd I say?
Seriously. Dumbest man on TV.

[Solja]

Sorry, but Glenn Beck already captured that title, and he had to battle with Hannity, Billo, and Dobbs for the spot. Some even say he doesn't deserve it; that Hannity is the king. I think it's all up in the air based on the notion that it's too hard to tell.

[RobinSeattle]

What is amazing to me is how muted the media criticism of Kilmeade has been. Aside from the leftwing side of the blogosphere, there has been almost no coverage of the Kilmeade white supremacist line. Is there more sympathy for Kilmeade's point of view in the media than we realize? You would suspect so. But there's been almost no expression of outrage from the MSM over this.

Which is yet another reason to distrust them.

[weebils]

I agree. It makes you wonder about their silence.

[Solja]

They don't like to chastise their own.

[outofhere]

Every once in a while Kilmeade mentions his relationship w/ his boss Murdoch. Seems Murdoch made the hire himself. Kilmeade is probably untouchable (ask ED Hill) and probably reflects many of Murdoch's world views.

[lisa36]

That damned liberal media (said with sarcasm)!

[Durango]

I saw it on the Daily Show's Moment of Zen.

Gotta watch Stewart and Colbert if you want to keep up with the news.

[velvetundergroundfan]

Is Brian Kilmeade secretly dating Glenn Beck ?

[CR46]

If you call meeting in the mens room dating

[Texas Aggie]

I'm not sure what his comment had to do with the incidence of Alzheimer's disease. Is he trying to say that if you are married to someone outside your own ethnic group, you are more likely to get Alzheimer's?Or is he just taking the opportunity to make a gratuitous ethnic slur?