Terry Crews Facing Backlash for Comments About Black Lives Matter Movement

Terry Crews is under fire again for his commentary on the Black Lives Matter movement. The actor took to Twitter on Tuesday, expressing a fear that the movement would tip past equality and towards some form of reverse racism. Critics told Crews that he severely misunderstood the movement and race relations in general.

Crews made a post on Tuesday morning proclaiming that people of all "race, creed and ideology" are his "family." He urged the community to "ensure #BlackLivesMatter doesn't morph into #BlackLivesBetter." The tweet picked up traffic at once, with many prominent voices in the Black Lives Matter movement trying to engage Crews patiently and kindly in a conversation. Some tried to explain to him the concrete goals of the Black Lives Matter movement, which has no "Black lives better" agenda. Some felt that Crews' vague rhetoric could be harmful to the anti-racist movement.

We’re so far from that bridge, Terry. #BlackLivesMatter is, in part, a rallying cry and a protest slogan to galvanize people into doing the justice work needed to derail the deaths, dehumanization and destruction of Black lives that racism causes.

Justice is not a competition. https://t.co/Cdfac2V7M6

— Be A King (@BerniceKing) June 30, 2020

"We're so far from that bridge, Terry," wrote Bernice King, daughter of Martin Luther King, Jr. "[Black Lives Matter] is, in part, a rallying cry and a protest slogan to galvanize people into doing the justice work needed to derail the deaths, dehumanization and destruction of Black lives that racism causes. Justice is not a competition."

Others were not as patient with Crews, who has been through a similar debate very recently. Earlier this month, Crews tweeted that "defeating White supremacy without White people creates Black supremacy." Critics pushed back on this statement, saying that, without 400 years of slavery, mass incarceration and institutional racism, "Black supremacy" is impossible.

At the time, Crews appeared on Late Night with Seth Meyers, where he admitted that the controversy arose from "the term Black supremacy," which he said was "just destroyed" in the conversation that followed. Still, he felt that the sentiment behind his tweet held true.

Critics clearly disagreed, as they let him know on Tuesday. Many accused Crews of misunderstanding or even intentionally misrepresenting the current wave of activism across the U.S. They directed him to educational resources, encouraging him to get a better understanding of systemic racism, and to think more critically about what to say on his massive celebrity platform.

All-in-all, Crews' critics remained relatively compassionate to him, while strongly opposing his rhetoric. Here is a look at the response to Crews' "Black lives better" tweet on Tuesday.