CNN’s Marc Lamont Hill comments on Steve Harvey’s visit with Donald Trump and other leaders in the black community who have made the trip to Trump Tower. Lamont Hill said while he has “respect” for Steve Harvey, he said he’s part of the “mediocre negroes being dragged in front of TV as a photo-op for Donald Trump’s exploitive campaign against black people.”
Lamont Hill was called out for “name-calling” by Bruce LeVell, member of Trump’s National Diversity Coalition, but argued that that was not what he was doing.
From Monday night’s CNN Tonight with host Don Lemon:
MARC LAMONT HILL, CNN: I love Steve Harvey and I have respect for Steve Harvey and I think his intentions were accurate, appropriate rather, but my disagreement is the way in which he’s being used by folk like Donald Trump. Yet, his intention is just to have a seat at the table. But when you’re at the table, you should have experts at the table. You should have people who will challenge the president at the table.
I don’t care if Steve is there, but if I’m Steve Harvey, I’m bringing Michelle Alexander, I’m bringing Cornell West, I’m bringing Ahmadi Perry, I’m bringing , I’m bringing Eddie Glaude, I’m bringing Michael Eric Dyson. I’m bringing some folk with me who can challenge the president and inform the conversation…
They keep bringing up comedians and athletes to represent black interests is demeaning, it’s disrespectful, and it’s condescending. Bring some people up there with expertise Donald Trump, don’t just bring up people to entertain…
Unless Steve Harvey turns into a policy analyst in behind the scenes meetings it doesn’t matter what I’m saying. My concern is the people who he is trumpeting up and putting in front of the cameras.
BRUCE LeVELL, NATIONAL DIVERSITY COALITION FOR TRUMP: Marc, you weren’t even there. You don’t even know what happened. You weren’t in the room, sir. You weren’t there.
LAMONT HILL: How does that negate my point that he brought Steve Harvey and then put him in front of the camera?
LeVELL: Listen, let me tell you something. Here’s the deal, you don’t know what happened. First of all, Pastor Darryl Scott, Mike Cohen, they are in the process of bringing all types of people from all over the country, all different backgrounds, like we have. Remember the diversity coalition where we reached out to all different types of people?
LAMONT HILL: Yeah, it’s a bunch of mediocre negroes being dragged in front of TV as a photo-op for Donald Trump’s exploitive campaign against black people. And you are the prime example of that.
LeVELL: So now you want to name-call, Marc?
[CROSSTALK]
LAMONT HILL: No I wasn’t name-calling.