Fox News political analyst overcome with emotion addressing George Floyd death: Some African Americans feel ‘being black is a curse’

Holding back tears Friday morning, a Fox News political analyst was beset by emotions while discussing George Floyd, the 46-year-old black man who died in Minneapolis police custody earlier this week.

Gianno Caldwell, the author of Taken for Granted, told Fox News anchor Sandra Smith that the burning of buildings and the uprisings in several major U.S. cities was a result of built-up pressure on the black community.

“For many African Americans, the pressure cooker hasn’t just spilled over, it’s — the top has shattered in a thousand pieces,” Caldwell said. “For a lot of African Americans in this country, they feel that being black is a curse. It’s a curse because before you know my name, before you know the content of my character, before you know my moral compass, I’m already considered a threat to you.”

Alluding to other recent examples of black men being killed or harassed, Caldwell said that “every voice needs to acknowledge” still-lingering race issues in the United States.

“This reality that has gone on for decades must, must come to an end,” Caldwell continued. “It reminds me of when the 13th Amendment was ratified and slavery was abolished — and a lot of the confederate soldiers became police officers and judges, thereby disenfranchising African Americans from true justice. This is another situation which reminds a lot of us of that same trauma back then.”

Caldwell said he spoke with his grandfather James Earl Williams, who grew up in Arkansas and “got into many altercations with the Klan there.”

“That same trauma that he experienced many years ago flows through … my blood as well, and I think it’s important for so many of the good people who are watching right now to know that it’s not enough for you just to be a good person,” Caldwell said. “You have to use your platform. You have to speak out against these injustices. None of us can be quiet while this is going on. If we don’t unite today, we’re not going to have a country to unite in. We have to bring justice to this situation, and it must be swift.”

Editor’s Note: This story has been updated to clarify in the headline that Gianno Caldwell said some African Americans feel that being black is a “curse.”

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