HUD Secretary Ben Carson Under Fire for Calling Slaves ‘Immigrants’ (Video)

‘There Were Other Immigrants Who Came Here in the Bottom of Slave Ships, Worked Even Longer, Even Harder for Less’

In his first address to employees of the U.S. Department of Housing & Urban Development since taking office a few days ago  Secretary Dr. Ben Carson likened slaves involuntarily brought to America to other immigrants. 

Carson also warned employees that he was going to push for a “big emphasis on fairness for everybody,” noting that under his watch there would be “no favorites for anybody, no extra” in his approach to housing policy. A HUD employee later told NCRM that Carson’s approach and attitude may have created uncertainties about how public assistance programs will be managed under him.

Secretary Carson spoke abut his own background, the son of a single mother with housing issues and government provided housing, infused with his conservative principles and disapproval of government dependence.

“[My mother] worked so hard, two, three jobs at a time. She didn’t like the idea of being dependent,” Secretary Carson said. “She always made it clear to us how much of our future was within our own hands, no matter what anybody else said.”

But it was his remarks about slaves that brought immediate backlash on social media Monday, referring to slaves forced to journey to America as “immigrants,” a comment he made while lauding the determination of past generations of migrants who entered the country in search of a better life. 

“That’s what America is about. A land of dreams and opportunity. There were other immigrants who came here in the bottom of slave ships, worked even longer, even harder for less,” he said. “But they too had a dream that one day their sons, daughters, grandsons, granddaughters, great-grandsons, great-granddaughters might pursue prosperity and happiness in this land.”

“And do you know of all the nations in the world, this one, the United States of America, is the only one big enough and great enough to allow all those people to realize their dream. And this is our opportunity to enhance that dream,” he added.

Contacted for comment by NCRM Monday afternoon, Supervisory Public Affairs Specialist, Brian Sullivan, a spokesman for HUD said that the secretary’s remarks were taken “completely out of context.”

“Seriously? Does anyone expect that a Black Secretary speaking to a roomful of predominately black employees would conflate slavery with other types of immigrants?” he asked. “Nobody here believes he was equating voluntary immigration with involuntary servitude” 

The Washington Post reported that at the end of the Secretary’s remarks, “one staffer stood up and thanked Carson for his speech, telling him that many employees had been afraid about how the Trump administration would prioritize HUD programs. She said his speech had reassured her that he is invested in HUD’s mission.”

Steven Goldstein, Executive Director of the Anne Frank Center rebuked Carson saying: “No Secretary Carson. Slaves didn’t immigrate to America. They were brought here violently against their own will and lived here without freedom. You do not get a pass because you re African-American, anymore than President Trump gets a pass for his delayed and sometimes nonexistent responses to antisemitism because he has Jewish relatives. Wrong is wrong Mr. Secretary. We condemn your statement and suggest you try this one instead: Black Lives Matters.”

Some responses via Twitter: