Prominent Black Newspaper Slams Carson in HUD Role

The editorial board of the New York Amsterdam News, one of the nation’s oldest and most prominent African-American newspapers, has come out in angry opposition to the nomination of Dr. Ben Carson to become the next Secretary of Housing & Urban Development (HUD).

In an editorial titled “We Don’t Need a Doctor in the House,” the newspaper criticized Carson for “indecisive” and “wishy-washy behavior” as a candidate for the Republican presidential nomination. The editorial took umbrage at Carson’s appointment to run HUD despite having no previous experience in formulating housing policy, stating that the nomination was racially motivated.

“Nominating Carson to head HUD is clearly a bone tossed to the African-American community, one that we should hurriedly toss back,” the editorial said. “More than one commentator has compared the choice to one President Reagan made when he selected Samuel Pierce to head HUD. And many of you may recall the scandal that followed Pierce after he left office. Federal investigators uncovered a path of abuse and favoritism, although Pierce, known as ‘Silent Sam,’ was never charged. There is little evidence that Carson has a clue about urban policy when it comes housing, and we can bet that he will be no more than a puppet to the privatization and deregulation strings pulled by his master.”

The editorial also compared him to another prominent African-American Republican, tartly claiming that “this black face in a high place may be nothing more than the second coming of Clarence Thomas.” The editorial did not spark any comment from Carson or the Trump transition team.