Obama
Says African-Americans Are ‘Mongrel
People’
President Obama waded into the national race
debate in an unlikely setting and with an
unusual choice of words: telling daytime talk
show hosts that African-Americans are “sort
of a mongrel people.” The president appeared
on ABC’s morning talk show “The View”
Thursday, where he talked about the forced
resignation of Agriculture Department official
Shirley Sherrod, his experience with race and
his roots. When asked about his background,
which includes a black father and white
mother, Obama said of African-Americans:
"We are sort of a mongrel people."
"I mean we're all kinds of mixed
up," Obama said. "That's actually
true of white people as well, but we just know
more about it." The president's remarks
were directed at the roots of all Americans.
The definition of mongrel as an adjective is
defined as "of mixed breed, nature, or
origin," according to dictionary.com.
Obama did not appear to be making an
inflammatory remark with his statement and the
audience appeared to receive it in the
light-hearted manner that often accompanies
interviews on morning talk shows.