Bill Maher criticized a commencement speech Joe Biden gave to Black graduates at Morehouse College, saying Biden’s comments about racism in America being outdated.
Biden told students they have to be “10 times better” and Republicans don’t see them in the future.
“They don’t see you in the future of America. But they’re wrong,” Biden said.
Maher argued this perspective would have made sense years ago but not today, as racism still exists but we’re not in as discriminatory a past.
He said racism advantages and disadvantages exist, but we’re no longer in the world Biden described.
“First of all, it’s anachronistic,” Maher said. “I mean, that speech would’ve made sense some years ago. I think we should acknowledge that racism still persists and we should always be making remedies for it. But we’re not in the past.”
“I always keep saying, let’s live in the year we’re living in. We’re not living in the year where you have to be ‘10 times better’ to succeed if you’re a person of color,” Maher added. “And in some instances, it’s an advantage. In some places, it’s not an advantage but we’re not living in that world that he’s talking about. And I don’t think that helps anybody.”
Maher has frequently taken issue with those who feel America is more racist now than in the past, arguing social progress has been made.
“If you think America is more racist now than ever, more sexist than before women could vote and more homophobic than when [expletive] were a felony, you have ‘progressophobia’ and should adjust your mask because it’s covering your eyes,” Maher stated in 2021.
Last month, he also disagreed with Don Lemon’s view of often inhabiting “uncomfortable” spaces as a gay Black man.
