During an interview on the ABC daytime talk show The View, author John McWhorter visited the panel to promote his new book Woke Racism, but quickly became embroiled in a contentious debate with panelists Sunny Hostin and Whoopi Goldberg. During the sit-down, McWhorter was accused of comparing racism to religion.
Subscribe to Opening Act.
“So, there are systems that need to be changed, and you say there is racism. But in 2008, in a Forbes article, you wrote that we can call ourselves a post-racial country. You said that America is past racism against Black people. But then in this book, you write that anti-racism is a religion,” Hostin said to McWhorter. “Do you believe that racism, then, is also a religion? And that we’re honestly living in a post-racial society? Since you’re against anti-racism training and policies, what is your solve?”
McWhorter immediately fired back, claiming that the election of President Barack Obama “proved that racism isn’t what it used to be.”
Hostin immediately gave a rebuttal to McWhorter, stating the author used the election of Obama as a means to prove his point that racism is no longer a serious issue.
“You said our proper concern is not whether racism still exists but whether it remains a serious problem. You said the election of Obama proved that it no longer does,” Hostin added.
Whoopi also added her two cents to the interview, stating that America has a serious issue with racism.
“At some point, someone’s going to have to admit there is an issue with race in the country,” she said. “We’re going to have to come to terms with that. I think that’s part of the problem, is that too many pockets say, ‘Well, that’s not really what’s going on,’ when, in fact, it is.”