Da’Vinchi says his recent comments about Americans and slavery didn’t come out the way he intended.
The BMF alum appeared on “The Breakfast Club” Tuesday, Oct. 27, and was asked to address the backlash over remarks he made earlier this month.
“I was just delivering my speech in a way that just wasn’t ideal for that type of conversation,” Da’Vinchi said.
The Haitian-American actor stopped by the morning show to promote his new roles in NBC’s Chicago Fire and Tyler Perry’s Netflix film, Why Did I Get Married Again?
He insisted he was not referring specifically to Black people when he used the word “incompetent” to describe Americans in the previous interview.
“I wasn’t speaking to one group, I was just speaking of my generation,” he said.
“I think the language was too abrasive for such a nuanced conversation,” the actor added. “I know my wording was very clumsy, so I shouldn’t have used harsh language like ‘incompetent.’ I should have definitely used different language.”
Related: Da’Vinchi Claims American Work Ethic ‘Promotes’ Laziness
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The controversy began with the Oct. 2 installment of Cam Newton’s “Funky Friday” podcast. A discussion about Black British actors being cast as African Americans shifted to Da’Vinchi’s criticism of the American work ethic and parenting.
The New York-born actor, whose parents are Haitian, suggested American culture coddles children and leaves young adults dependent on others. He compared that to his own upbringing by immigrants, saying he could fend for himself at an early age.
He fueled more anger when he appeared to minimize the continuing effects of slavery during the Cam Newton interview. Asked Tuesday if he thinks Black Americans use slavery as an excuse for setbacks, he said absolutely not.
“It’s legitimately why we’re here today,” he responded. “It’s not an excuse, it’s a reality. It’s why we’re here.”
Da’Vinchi said the consequences of slavery are not unique to African Americans and affect the entire Black diaspora.
“Every Black person around the world, we’re going through some things left and right because the Transatlantic Slave Trade was so massive,” he stated.
Still, he insisted it’s time “to move forward,” something he said he learned from his mentors.
“Everyone around me, all my mentors, they’re like, ‘Bro, that’s gonna happen. You have to move forward. You didn’t get the job, they gave it to a white person. You’ve got to move forward.’ I can’t live in that space,” he said. “So, forgive me if my thinking was in a way that was like offensive, but that’s the resilience that I try to tap into, you know the Sojourner Truths of the world, the Harriet Tubmans of the world. These people were like, despite what’s going on, we’re going to prevail.”
The actor noted that he initially did not realize how much controversy his remarks caused because he spends very little time on social media.
“I didn’t know how bad things were until people started calling me,” he shared.
You can watch the new interview below:
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