Fox News host Bill O’Reilly addressed a largely African-American audience at Rev. Al Sharpton’s National Action Network Conference on Wednesday afternoon, receiving warm applause after he was introduced by Sharpton. But his reception quickly soured when he began to talk about his perception of race in America, particularly after 9/11.
“We pretty much dropped that race stuff after 9/11,” said The O’Reilly Factor host, soliciting a reaction of boos from the attendees.
WATCH BILL O’REILLY GET BOOED AFTER HIS COMMENTS ON RACE
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During his remarks O’Reilly praised President Barack Obama for not using his race to win the 2008 election. He also bashed the media for painting the Tea Party movement as racist.
The National Action Network Conference kicked off in New York Wednesday and will run through Saturday. Michael Steele, Bill Cosby, Tom Joyner, Roland Martin, and Rep. James Clyburn are among the speakers expected to speak at the conference, which is dedicated to policies and issues affecting the African-American community.
On Sunday, April 18th, MSNBC will air moments from the convention during its live panel discussion entitled Debating The Black Agenda.