Samuel L Jackson has led the backlash against Donald Trump's new housing secretary for his comments referring to slaves brought to the US against their will as "immigrants".

Ben Carson, the only black member of the President's cabinet, described the men "who came here in the bottom of slave ships" as "immigrants" who "had a dream" of success.

He made the remarks during his first speech to staff at the Department of Housing and Urban Development.

Jackson was the first star to react on social media, writing on Twitter: "OK!! Ben Carson....I can't! Immigrants? In the bottom of SLAVE SHIPS??!!"

Artist and musician DJ Spooky, real name Paul D Miller, replied to Jackson with a link to a "fake mental illness called Drapetomania" or "runaway slave syndrome", invented by Samuel Cartwright in the 19th century.


Samuel A Cartwright, Confederate doc, on curing Drapetomania, fantastical mental disorder he argued afflicted runway slaves.😇 cc: @djspooky pic.twitter.com/u4F3qjIdvv — Jeffrey Wright (@jfreewright) March 7, 2017

This led to Westworld star Jeffrey Wright also tweeting, explaining Cartwright's views on slavery and comparing them with Ben Carson's.

The definition of Drapetomania considers that a "position of submission" is "natural" to all slaves.

Carson's speech on Monday was not the first time he has addressed slavery in a controversial way.

In 2013, he described Obamacare as "the worst thing that has happened in this nation since slavery".

Both Jackson and Wright have been vocal campaigners against the Trump administration.