Stephen A Smith wasn’t about to let Will Cain use his rise to fame as host of First Take and ESPN’s most prominent personality as a case study.
In a conversation on The Will Cain Show from Fox News, Smith weighed in on the eternal debate over diversity, equity and inclusion now playing out between billionaires Elon Musk, Mark Cuban and Bill Ackman.
And when Cain tried to throw Smith’s own success out as an example of how hard work and sturdy character can win out for individuals on the ladder to success, Smith rejected him.
“I’ve had an abundance of people, both white and Black, who helped me get here,” Smith explained. “Most folks from my community don’t have that privilege. They never received that privilege. And far more often than not, we’ve been under a system where we’ve had white individuals in position to help obviously Black folks, but far more white folks.”
Smith made sure to point out that he can’t be used as a shining beacon of a post-race America because his story is still far too unique. And it required significant efforts on his part as well as many mentors and supporters that not every Black man from the outer boroughs of New York City gets.
“I’m the aberration, I’m the exception,” Smith said. “And we’re talking about the rule. The rule usually dictates that most people from the streets of Hollis, Queens, in New York City get to achieve what I’ve achieved. It’s not.
“Don’t choose me and say, ‘you made it, so why can’t everyone else?’ Because that’s ignoring the plight of the community that I come from and the roadblocks and the obstacles that were placed in the path of minorities in this country. You can’t do that.”
In response, Cain said he does not think racism has been “retired” from American society. He just doesn’t think that prioritization or quota measures help move beyond racism.
Still, you rarely hear Smith go deep and philosophical on his views about race. Most of the time, Smith is focused on making good content. And there’s a reason he has a huge digital podcast and the highest-rated sports show on television.
Debating the inner workings of diversity quotas isn’t great content. But Smith’s views and refusal to be used as a token still provide great insight into the mind of one of television’s greatest entertainers.
About Brendon Kleen
Brendon is a Media Commentary staff writer at Awful Announcing. He has also covered basketball and sports business at Front Office Sports, SB Nation, Uproxx and more.