MSNBC contributor Jason Johnson has been sidelined after making controversial comments about the Black women on Sen. Bernie Sanders’ campaign last week.

Advertisement Hide

On The Karen Hunter Show, Johnson made inflammatory comments about the women of color on Sanders’ campaign team, calling them “misfit Black girls.”

Advertisement Hide

“I do find it fascinating that racist liberal whites seem to love them some Bernie Sanders, consistently, and always have a problem with any person of color who doesn’t want to follow with the orthodoxy of their ‘lord and savior’ Bernie Sanders,” Johnson said. “The man cares nothing for intersectionality, and I don’t care how many people from the island of misfit Black girls that you throw out to defend you on a regular basis.”

Advertisement Hide

Briahna Gray Joy, Sanders’ national press secretary, responded to Johnson’s comments on Twitter and said she hopes “we can all encourage each other to be better.” She has used the hashtag “#MisfitBlackGirls” in multiple tweets about Sanders’ campaign.

I hope we can have political disputes without engaging in open racism and sexism. This misogynoir is disappointing, but not surprising from @DrJasonJohnson.



I hope we can all encourage each other to be better. #BernieBeatsTrump #BloombergIsAnOligarch https://t.co/DNBdbtjwMH — Briahna Joy Gray (@briebriejoy) February 21, 2020

Advertisement Hide

Johnson is a professor, political analyst, and public speaker, according to his website. He has appeared as a commentator on MSNBC locally, nationally, and internationally.

The Daily Beast reports that pushback on his comments cost Johnson the opportunity to be on-air for MSNBC’s coverage of the Nevada caucuses last Saturday and that his absence has been noticeable.

Advertisement Hide

On Twitter, some people defended Johnson.

“For the life of me I cannot understand why @DrJasonJohnson has apparently been sidelined by @MSNBC,” Roland Smith tweeted, which Karen Hunter, host of The Karen Hunter Show, retweeted.

#WheresJasonJohnson? For the life of me I cannot understand why @DrJasonJohnson has apparently been sidelined by @MSNBC. The comments he made that ticked people off were done so on @karenhunter's show. He apologized the next day. Yet @HardballChris Matthews hasn't missed a second — rolandsmartin (@rolandsmartin) February 27, 2020

Advertisement Hide

Others criticized Johnson for his statement, calling it “appalling misogynoir.”

I’m an Elizabeth Warren supporter. But I can’t sit by and listen to people like @DrJasonJohnson attack Black women.



Saying that Nina Turner and Briahna Joy Gray are “misfit Black girls” is appalling misogynoir and they deserve an apology. pic.twitter.com/7twzFjsuxy — Frederick Joseph (@FredTJoseph) February 22, 2020

Advertisement Hide

MSNBC did not immediately respond to the Daily Dot’s request for comment.

READ MORE:

Advertisement Hide

H/T Daily Beast