Tony Award winner Audra McDonald, an outspoken Civil Rights activist, has taken to Twitter to rebuke Fox News host Bill O鈥橰eilly for his comments about slaves who helped build the White House.
First Lady Michelle Obama delivered a powerful speech at the Democratic National Convention July 25, one that brought awareness to the fact that slave labor was used to build The White House, among other government buildings in Washington, D.C.
It was not the first time Mrs. Obama had stated the fact publicly, but the delivery of those words during the DNC drew major national media attention.
, including an interview with journalist Jesse Holland who wrote The Invisibles: The Untold Story of African American Slaves in the White House.
Conservative Fox News host Bill O鈥橰eilly also picked up on the First Lady鈥檚 speech during his July 26 program. O鈥橰eilly stated that it was a 鈥減ositive comment鈥� on the evolution of American history, adding that the history behind Mrs. Obama鈥檚 words were 鈥渇ascinating,鈥� and that additional workers were also responsible for the construction of The White House. (The Times stated that white laborers, including those from Maryland and Virginia, as well as Irish, Scottish and other European immigrants were hired alongside slaves.)
However, it was O鈥橰eilly鈥檚 comments regarding the treatment of slaves that ignited a fierce online backlash. 鈥淪laves that worked there were well fed and had decent lodgings provided by the government, which stopped hiring slave labor in 1802. However, the feds did not forbid subcontractors from using slave labor.鈥�
McDonald swiftly took to Twitter to rebuke O鈥橰eilly for his comments.
Her tweets, which include powerful and stark images of slavery in America follow:
Dear Bill O'Reilly...live in this:
鈥� Audra McDonald (@AudraEqualityMc)
Dear Bill O'Reilly...Wear these:
鈥� Audra McDonald (@AudraEqualityMc)
Dear Bill O'Reilly...Take a ride on this:
鈥� Audra McDonald (@AudraEqualityMc)
Dear Bill O'Reilly...endure some of these...
鈥� Audra McDonald (@AudraEqualityMc)
Dear Bill O'Reilly...live through this a few times...
鈥� Audra McDonald (@AudraEqualityMc)
Dear Bill O'Reilly...Maybe now you'll get why people are having a hard time with your description of the slaves 'accommodations'.
鈥� Audra McDonald (@AudraEqualityMc)
