Stephen A Smith has done brilliant work for historically Black colleges and universities, generating millions in scholarships and promoting enrollment. Yet many Black Americans feel he has 'betrayed his race'. The ESPN star’s political commentary and selective criticism of Black athletes have alienated much of his audience.
Smith frequently attacks Black male athletes like Kyrie Irving, LeBron James and Kevin Durant with a passion he does not reserve for white athletes or executives. He has parroted rightwing talking points, claiming racism is less prevalent than the 'left' suggests, and that most Americans judge by character rather than skin colour — a view that contradicts the experience of most Black people.
During ICE’s brutal enforcement, Smith blamed Renee Good for her own death at the hands of federal agents. He has been sympathetic to Donald Trump, calling Democratic efforts to hold the president accountable 'lawfare', and attacked congresswoman Jasmine Crockett for not being respectful enough to Trump. His frequent appearances with Sean Hannity, who has compared Black Lives Matter to the Ku Klux Klan, further fuel criticism.
On Cam Newton’s show, Smith argued every Black person should vote Republican because Democrats take the vote for granted, saying Black people have 'given' their vote since 1964. He omitted that the Civil Rights Act, Voting Rights Act and Fair Housing Act were passed under Democrat Lyndon B Johnson, while Republicans opposed them. This framing implies the Black community are sheep, gifting votes, when many see Democrats as the lesser of two evils.
Smith’s inconsistency is hard to ignore. He recently called out Trump over Epstein files, but earlier questioned why people were outraged. To win back Black support, he might instead lecture white Trump supporters who back a man working against their own interests.
