Alabama Sen. Tuberville equates descendants of enslaved people to criminals

Sen. Tommy Tuberville, R-Ala., falsely compared descendants of enslaved people to criminals during his speech on Saturday, drawing criticism that his remarks were racist.

The lawmaker was invited to speak at a pro-Trump rally in Minden, Nevada to support Republican candidates ahead of November's midterm elections. In an overwhelming white crowd, Tuberville criticized Democrats for being "pro-crime."

"They want crime because they want to take over what you got. They want to control what you have. They want reparations because they think the people that do the crime are owed that," Tuberville added. "Bullsh*t! They are not owed that."

Reparations refer to compensation for those who have suffered wrongdoing. Over the years, there's been growing support to offer reparations for Black Americans whose ancestors were enslaved as a way to address the lingering effects of slavery.

Last spring, a bill to study reparations for slavery had the support of more than 170 Democratic co-sponsors. A House committee voted to advance the legislation but it has yet to be considered by the full House of Representatives.

The Democrats do not have an explicit policy surrounding reparations, though some prominent party members have advocated for the idea.

In a press statement, NAACP President Derrick Johnson called Tuberville's comments "flat out racist, ignorant and utterly sickening."

"His words promote a centuries-old lie about Black people that throughout history has resulted in the most dangerous policies and violent attacks on our community," Johnson added.

Tuberville's office did not immediately respond to NPR's request for comment. [Copyright 2022 NPR]