What did Whoopi Goldberg say? Oscar-winner sparks backlash with Holocaust comments

Whoopi Goldberg recently came under fire after making controversial comments about the Holocaust. The acclaimed actress appeared on The View to discuss a Tennessee school’s ban of Art Spiegelman’s Pulitzer Prize-winning novel Maus.

According to the BBC, the graphic novel, centered on the journey of a Holocaust survivor, was banned after the school deemed it “inappropriate for 13-year-olds.” During a discussion about the ban, Goldberg claimed that the Holocaust was “not about race”:

“The Holocaust isn’t about race. No, it’s not about race. It’s about man’s inhumanity to man.”

As co-host Ana Navarro stated that the mass genocide was about “white supremacy” and targeted the “Jews and Gypsies,” Goldberg claimed that the former is “missing the point”:

“But these are two groups of white people. You’re missing the point. The minute you turn it into race, it goes down this alley. Let’s talk about it for what it is. It’s how people treat each other. It’s a problem. It doesn’t matter if you’re black or white because black, white, Jews, Italians, everybody eats each other.”

In response to the statement, The View co-host Joy Behar argued that the Nazis considered Jews to be “a different race.”

The heated discussion came to an abrupt end after Goldberg turned to the camera and went for a commercial break while others continued to speak.

However, the Oscar Award-winner left many people disappointed with her comments and faced severe backlash on social media.

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"When you only see the world through an American lens"- Twitter reacts to Whoopi Goldberg’s remarks

Whoopi Goldberg faced severe criticism for controversial comments on the Holocaust (Image via Bryan Bedder/Getty Images)

Whoopi Goldberg is undoubtedly one of the most prominent names in Hollywood, with numerous accolades and several acclaimed films to her credit. The recognized media personality has also served as a panelist on The View since 2007.

The Color Purple star is also a human rights advocate and is known for using her voice to speak for equality. However, the Golden Globe winner recently landed in hot waters after saying that the Holocaust was “not about a race.”

Several people were left upset with Goldberg’s comments, with many taking to Twitter to call out the actress for her opinion:

In response to the mass criticism, Whoopi Goldberg issued an official apology on social media and took responsibility for her actions.

The actress also apologized for hurting Jewish people around the world with her choice of words and said the community will always have her support.