Sportscaster Mike Tirico dodges Black identity: ‘Why do I have to check a box?’

During an interview with the New York Times, sportcaster Mike Tirico seemed to suggest that he didn’t want to be considered Black.

When asked about his racial identity, especially because Tirico is considered one of the most prominent Black sportcasters, Tirico hedged and dredged up his Italian mother rather than speaking directly on his Blackness.

“Why do I have to check any box?” he said. “If we live in a world where we’re not supposed to judge, why should anyone care about identifying?”

He then added, “The race question in America is one that probably never produces a satisfactory answer for those who are asking the questions.”

The interview, which was called “Mike Tirico Would Like to Talk About Anything but Mike Tirico,” drew plenty of attention to his racial identity, especially considering his whole answer seemed to suggest that he wanted to talk about anything but his racial identity.

The response has ranged from confusion to anger, with some pointing out that he simply cannot distance himself from who he is and that people will still see his race when they look at him no matter how much he tries to put the focus off of it.

You can check out some of Twitter’s reactions below: