Terry Crews under Fire for Criticizing Black Lives Matter Movement

Milton Quintanilla | Contributor for ChristianHeadlines.com | Updated: Jul 09, 2020
Terry Crews under Fire for Criticizing Black Lives Matter Movement

Terry Crews under Fire for Criticizing Black Lives Matter Movement

Well-known actor, TV host and professing Christian Terry Crews has become a polarizing figure amid rising racial tension in the U.S.

Late last month, the 51-year-old America’s Got Talent host was met by widespread backlash on Twitter after he expressed concerns over the Black Lives Matter organization.

On June 30th, Crews cautioned against letting the Black Lives Matter movement transform into the “Black Lives Better” movement.

"If you are a child of God, you are a brother and sister. I have family of every race, creed, and ideology. We must ensure #BlackLivesMatter doesn't morph into #BlackLivesBetter," Crews wrote on Twitter.

Over the July 4th weekend, Crews followed up in another tweet noting that he is willing to stand “with good people” regardless of “race, creed, and ideology."

These comments caused Crews to received backlash on both social media and the mainstream media.

According to Faithwire, Monday night, CNN Host Don Lemon interviewed Crews about his controversial tweets.

While Crews affirms the “Black Lives Matter” phrase, he voiced concern to Lemon about calls for violence by Black Lives Matter Organization leaders if the organization’s demands are not met. Crews also asserted that the BLM movement is asserting control over black people in order to push a narrative. Anyone who disagrees with the organization’s views, he added are being called “sellouts.”

Crews went on to report how nine black children in Chicago have recently died from black on black gun violence while BLM said nothing despite what their mantra says.

Lemon, however, stated that BLM was only designated to address police brutality against Black people, not to stand up against other issues facing the Black community.

“The Black Lives Matter movement was started because it was talking about police brutality,” Lemon said. “If you want an all-black Black Lives Matter movement that talks about gun violence in communities, including black communities, then start that movement with that name. But that’s not what Black Lives Matter is about. It’s not all-encompassing,” Lemon asserted.

“So if you are talking about — if someone started a movement that said cancer matters, and then someone comes and says, ‘Why aren’t you talking about HIV?’ It’s not the same thing,” he continued. “We’re talking about cancer. So the Black Lives Matter movement is about police brutality and injustice in that manner, not about what’s happening in black neighborhoods.”

“When you look at the organization, police brutality is not the only thing they’re talking about,” Crews said in response to the CNN host.

“I agree but that’s not what the Black Lives Matter movement is about, Terry, Black Lives Matter is about police brutality and about criminal justice,” Lemon reiterated. “It’s not about what happens in communities when it comes to crime. People who live near each other, Black people, kill each other. Same as Whites ... it happens in every, single neighborhood.”

Right before Crews offered another response, Lemon abruptly ended the interview.

On Tuesday morning, Crews addressed his critics in another post on Twitter regarding his concerns.

“If I’m truly your equal, I can discuss my concerns with you- but if I’m not- all my concerns are perceived as threats,” Crews wrote.

Photo courtesy: ©Getty Images/Frazer Harrison/Staff

Video courtesy: ©CNN


Milton Quintanilla is a freelance writer and content creator. He is a contributing writer for Christian Headlines and the host of the For Your Soul Podcast, a podcast devoted to sound doctrine and biblical truth. He holds a Masters of Divinity from Alliance Theological Seminary.



Terry Crews under Fire for Criticizing Black Lives Matter Movement