Celebrities react to Ben Carson's “other immigrants” comment

ABC News(WASHINGTON) — Dr. Ben Carson, the newly appointed secretary of Housing and Urban Development, sparked controversy yesterday when, in a speech to agency workers, he appeared to describe slaves as “immigrants.”  Those comments sparked a social media outcry from some notable celebrities.

“There were other immigrants who came here in the bottom of slave ships, worked even longer, even harder for less,” said Carson. “But they too had a dream that one day their sons, daughter, grandsons, granddaughters, great grandsons, great granddaughters might pursue prosperity and happiness in this land.”

Whoopi Goldberg also voiced her thoughts tweeting, “most immigrants come here voluntarily,” but slaves were “stolen.”

“Ben Carson….I can’t! Immigrants ? In the bottom of SLAVE SHIPS??!! M******** PLEASE!!!” wrote Samuel L. Jackson.

Selma director, Ava DuVernay and the NAACP also responded to Carson by questioning him. “Their Dream?” DurVernay wrote, while the NAACP tweeted, “Immigrants???”

After the immense backlash, Carson attempted to clarify his comments in a statement posted on Facebook.

“I’m proud of the courage and perseverance of Black Americans and their incomprehensible struggle from slavery to freedom. I’m proud that our ancestors overcame the evil and repression that we know as slavery,” he wrote.

“The slave narrative and immigrant narrative are two entirely different experiences…The Immigrants made the choice to come to America. They saw this country as a land of opportunity. In contrast, slaves were forced here against their will and lost all their opportunities. We continue to live with that legacy.”

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