Terry Crews has chosen a hill to die on. It's not a hill that would normally be controversial, but in the year 2020 everything seems to have a political bent to it. Crews tweeted the fact that there are bad eggs in every race - including white and black. But he will be friends with anyone of any color if they are simply kind people. What he ultimately wants, is harmony.
And the actor says he's received "threats" for voicing that reasonable opinion.
Are all white people bad?
— terry crews (@terrycrews) July 4, 2020
No.
Are all black people good?
No.
Knowing this reality- I stand on my decision to unite with good people, no matter the race, creed or ideology.
Given the number of threats against this decision-
I also decide to die on this hill.
"It's an overly simplified message that fails to acknowledge the reality of prejudice in society," one critic said.
Others just called Crews cruel names such as the "n" word, "Uncle Tom" or "Uncle Terry."
He had been fielding hateful messages for a few weeks. In early June he tweeted his first "controversial" statement about the state of race relations in America, suggesting that activists not be so hostile toward white people.
Defeating White supremacy without White people creates Black supremacy. Equality is the truth.
— terry crews (@terrycrews) June 7, 2020
Like it or not, we are all in this together.
People called him "ignorant." But unlike so many other celebrities bullied into apologizing for harmless remarks, he refused to apologize for his message. In fact, he's continued to share his common sense, albeit unpopular, sentiments.
"If you are a child of God, you are my brother and sister. I have family of every race, creed and ideology," he wrote on the Fourth of July. "We must ensure #blacklivesmatter doesn’t morph into #blacklivesbetter."
BLM activists and supporters condemned Crews for "missing the point" about their movement. One woman said Crews was "developing into an enemy of the people." Another called him "worthless" and said that white people can "have" him. But Housing and Urban Development Secretary Ben Carson came to the actor's defense, likening Crews's words to those of Martin Luther King, Jr.
"What did he advocate for? A color-blind society," Carson said on Fox News. "He said 'I dream of a time when people will be judged by the content of their character and not the color of their skin.'"
Crews didn't apologize then, and he certainly won't apologize now.
If I’m truly your equal, I can discuss my concerns with you- but if I’m not- all my concerns are perceived as threats.
— terry crews (@terrycrews) July 7, 2020
Editor's Note: This post has been updated with new tweets.