As it turns out, The View co-host Whoopi Goldberg doesn’t think it’s racist that President Barack Obama has been mistaken for a waiter and a valet, or that his wife, Michelle, has been solicited for help by a Target customer.
The actor and talk show host detailed how her mother used to get followed around in stores, but still didn’t view that as an act of racism.
“The issue is, you better look at each other as an individual,” she said.
Orange Is the New Black actress Laverne Cox, who was a guest on the show, reminded Goldberg about the implicit biases that people have and the system that America was built on to help create and sustain these biases.
“I’ve been black for 60 years,” Goldberg insisted. “For me, stupidity, dumb folks who just say dumb stuff because they’re not looking or paying attention to the person they’re talking to, which is why people could walk up to Obama and not look up at him and see that it’s the president.
“I just see it as stupid,” Goldberg added.
When fellow co-host Rosie O’Donnell attempted to step up and point out how these things were, in fact, racist, Goldberg was quick to cut her off. “You are a white lady telling me what is racist to you,” she said.
“You don’t have to be black to know what racism is!” O’Donnell fired back.
“Yes, you do!” Goldberg shouted.