Black CNN Anchor Sides With Bill O'Reilly's Tough Talk on Black Culture

CNN's Don Lemon, a black anchorman who has been outspoken on race issues in the United States, most recently following the verdict in the Zimmerman trial, says a recent tough commentary on black culture by Fox News's Bill O'Reilly "doesn't go far enough."

According to the National Review, Lemon said it was time for some "tough love on the subject," reflecting on O'Reilly's diagnosis of the problem.

As O'Reilly put it, "The reason there is so much violence and chaos in the black precincts is the disintegration of the 'African-American family."

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O'Reilly said that because many young black males are raised without structure and often reject education, they move toward street culture, drugs, and gangs, which is "a personal decision."

Lemon said O'Reilly's assessment doesn't go far enough and offered this advice: "Pull up your pants; don't use the n-word; respect one's environment by not littering; finish high school; and don't have children out of wedlock."

Lemon has since been widely criticized for the comments, initially by a guest on the show, Michael Skolnik of the pop-culture website Global Grind, who said, "Your comments sound like a conservative preacher on a Sunday. Certainly Bill O'Reilly should welcome you on his show."

Lemon also got backlash from MSNBC contributor Goldie Taylor who called him a "turncoat mofo."