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Family Matters star Jaleel White is responding to backlash he received for suggesting his sitcom was overlooked by Black fans because it wasn’t “hood.”
White initially made the controversial remark while promoting his memoir “Growing Up Urkel.” During an appearance in Delaware, White suggested that Family Matters isn’t as beloved among Black fans as shows like Living Single and Martin because it wasn’t “hood.”
"If it's not a hood story, it's not a Black story, and sometimes I feel left out of that. If there's ever a poll and they say, 'What are your favorite Black shows"...[if] Martin is in there or Living Single, or any of those kinds [of shows], I already know we're (Family Matters) coming in last,” White previously said.
The former sitcom star faced online criticism over his comments. Social media users said White had mischaracterized other Black shows as “hood.” Others said the actor failed to acknowledge that Family Matters was created by a white person so its stories didn’t resonate as deeply with Black audiences.
White attempted to clarify his comments while recently appearing on the “Higher Learning” podcast.
“I want to say, I misspoke, but I could’ve worded things better if I had known I was speaking on a world stage and not just a small room in Delaware,” White said. “I shouldn’t have invoked the word ‘hood.’ When you say the word ‘hood,’ it makes certain people feel like you’re demeaning them. And that’s not what I meant at all. I conflated a couple of ideas. There’s a lot of good in the hood, and I shouldn’t have generalized. Those are the two mistakes I made in that.”
Several social media users weren’t satisfied with White’s clarification of his controversial comments. See their reactions below.
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