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Following Elon Musk’s acquisition of Twitter Inc. for $44 billion, writer and activist Shaun King created further controversy after he commented on the Tesla CEO’s purchase of the social media. After King’s comments where he referred to Musk’s purchase of Twitter as ‘white power,’ the activist temporarily deactivated his Twitter account.
King, renowned for his activism during the height of the Black Lives Matter movement, also called either one of Musk’s parents “a white nationalist.” The activist further insinuated that the billionaire’s decision to purchase Twitter was based on his favor for “white nationalists.”
What did Shaun King say about Elon Musk?
Along with some heavy accusations against the 50-year-old South African businessman, the 42-year-old activist said that Musk “(is) upset that Twitter won’t allow white nationalists to target/ harass people.”
The BLM activist further mentioned how it was not about political sides for him but:
“It’s about how the richest man in the world, a son of Apartheid, raised by a white nationalist, wants to be sure his speech, and that of other white men, isn’t censored.”
Shaun King also added that this is why ‘white nationalists’ are happy on Twitter today. In addition, the Kentucky native labeled Elon Musk’s plans as ‘dangerous.’
What is Shaun King’s ethnicity?
Since King became established as an activist in the Black Lives Matter (BLM) movement, many have questioned his ethnicity. The controversial issue remains unclear as no concrete report has backed King’s claims of being biracial. Many reportedly conservative sources have doubled down on the activist’s ethnicity.
In August 2015, Shaun King wrote a column in the Daily Kos to address the accusations of having white parents. He revealed about having his white father’s name on his birth certificate. King also claimed that his biological father was black.
Shaun King wrote:
“I have been told for most of my life that the white man on my birth certificate is not my biological father and that my actual biological father is a light-skinned black man.”
The Power of 100 writer also addressed rumors about falsifying his ethnicity to be eligible for a scholarship from Oprah Winfrey for Black people. Shaun King iterated:
“(I) was then offered a scholarship from Oprah Winfrey when I returned to complete my studies…I didn’t apply for it. Nobody does. The college selects brothers who need it, and I was, very gratefully, chosen for it.”
In 2015, the conservative website Breitbart accused King of not being biracial. They cited a report from the Kentucky Office of Vital Statistics. The birth certificate reportedly had a white man named Jeffery Wayne King as his father.
However, it must be noted that the state of Kentucky does not necessarily name the biological father on birth certificates. Thus, unless a verifiable source confirms the claims of King’s biracial lineage, his ethnicity cannot be confirmed.
