NFL Hall of Famer Jim Brown says it’s high time the Black community take responsibility for its own issues rather than point the finger at President Donald Trump.
Brown, a former running back for the Cleveland Browns, appeared on “Fox & Friends” this week, where he affirmed his support for the “exceptional” president. The 82-year-old said he doesn’t blame Trump for the troubles plaguing the Black community and neither should Black folks.
“We should look at ourselves first before we look at the president,” Brown said. “The Black community and I’m a part of that community, has a responsibility regardless of what the president does. And if you have a homicide rate within your Black community, then it’s not the president that has created a homicide rate. It’s the Black community itself that needs to address it.”
“I don’t want to put everything on [Trump],” he continued. “I’m sorry to say that the Black community isn’t doing what we should do, and that includes myself … We have to be able to, as citizens, bring something that the president can join forces with and triple the effectiveness of it.”
Brown, who’s faced backlash for criticizing NFL player protests, dug himself into an even deeper hole by crediting “white people” for the progress and success achieved by African-Americans, specifically Black athletes.
“The advancement of Black people in this country is based upon white people who risked their lives just to do the right thing to make the playing field equal and balanced,” he said. “How many Black athletes are millionaires because of those white fans that go to those games?”
The football legend went on to deny that Trump is a racist and lauded the president for being “accessible” and open to hearing his concerns.
Watch more in the video clip below.
