Fox News Anchor Holds Press Conference To Speak On Network’s Racism
It feels like Fox News is facing scandals from every direction. On one end, its losing some of its most prominent figures after years of sexual harassment finally caught up with them. On the other, more stories are coming out about how hard it is to work at the news station as a Black employee.
The latest of which came from Kelly Wright, a news anchor for the network who held a press conference on Wednesday.
“As you may know by now, that I am the only black male anchor, which in 2017 shouldn’t be the case, and it speaks volumes of the disregard to equality at Fox News,” Wright said. “It is indefensible and inexcusable when there are so many talented black men and women who are more than capable to fulfill that role. We have a culture of systemic and institutional racial bias.”
“So, when my colleagues from other departments began to publicly reveal their encounters with blatant acts of discrimination in their department, I watched it. I prayed about it. I cried it and said I can no longer sit in silence, collect my paycheck and act like I didn’t experience racial bias on my own level as an on-air personality.”
Wright went on to state that he repeatedly requested the company attempt to grow in regards to representation. At one point, he was forced to fight back tears as he spoke of the restrictions he felt as a person of color in the workplace.
“I should not have some sort of glass ceiling placed over me,” he said. “Management should not place an umbrella or a lid over my career or the career of anyone… simply based on the color of our skin and what they deem is ‘acceptable’ to their viewers.”
Wright’s press conference may be the most personal take on the racial inequalities within Fox News thus far. Watch the full video below.