Elon Musk criticized for endorsing controversial racial statistics on X

Social media erupts as Elon Musk faces backlash for his response to racially charged statistics shared on X.


Pop Culture & Art June 20, 2024
Courtesy: Reuters

Elon Musk is at the center of a storm on social media following his engagement with a contentious post on X (formerly Twitter). 

The post, which cited dubious statistics comparing the number of murders between white and Black populations from 1950 to 2024, has sparked widespread criticism. 

The statistics have often been used controversially to suggest that Black Americans are more prone to violence—a notion that is both divisive and unfounded.

The backlash began after Musk responded with an exclamation point to a user's comment at the America First Political Action Conference, where content creator Sneako was punched by a security guard. 

The user's post stated: "It's true that things have changed since the 1950s. 1950s: Blacks killed about 600 more whites each year than whites killed blacks. Now: Blacks kill nearly 1,500 more whites each year than whites kill blacks." 

This response has drawn significant condemnation, highlighting the ongoing racial tensions and the responsibilities of public figures in perpetuating or challenging such narratives.

On Instagram, where the post was shared by The Neighborhood Talk, reactions were vehement. One user remarked, "Those stats are literally NOT TRUE [laughing emojis] this is exactly why racism will never end…people like this just keep the fire lit and we'll forever be divided! Elon knows what he's doing by going along with it smh…bet y'all will still buy and drive his cars… smh." 

Another commented on Musk's intentions: "He way more sinister than he shows tryna tell folks lol he bought Twitter for a reason."

In other news related to Musk, the tech mogul continues to make headlines with new ventures on X. 

Recently, Swizz Beatz and Timbaland announced they are bringing their popular music battle platform, Verzuz, to X, marking a significant move in the platform's content expansion.

 

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