Elon Musk, the owner of SpaceX, has been accused by The Root, a publication that focuses on African American news and perspectives, of sparking a wave of hostility against Carron Phillips, a black journalist from Deadspin.
Phillips had previously written an article criticizing a 9-year-old Kansas City Chiefs fan for allegedly wearing blackface.
On November 28, Musk tweeted, "Carron Phillips is an unapologetic racist and a deceiver. Shame on him." This tweet quickly garnered thousands of likes and comments, leading to a surge of emails to journalists associated with Deadspin, demanding Phillips' dismissal, according to The Root.
Phillips' controversial article featured a photograph of 9-year-old Holden Armenta at a Chiefs game against the Raiders on November 26. The image showed the Native American child wearing red and black face paint, colors that are part of the Chiefs' logo, as well as a Native American headdress.
The Root defended Phillips, arguing that the photograph was used to highlight broader issues of racism within the NFL. The publication explained, "In the photo, broadcasted by CBS and re-posted by Deadspin, only half of the childs face was visible.
The visible side was painted black. For those who dont know, white Americans used to paint their faces black to mock Black people, which is why the image of wearing Black across ones face is considered offensive."
The article also pointed out that the child is Native American, and quoted the boy's father as saying, "We never in any way, shape, or form meant to disrespect any Native Americans or any tribes. The tribe were from doesnt even wear that type of headdress. This specific headdress is a novelty piece. Its a costume piece."
The Santa Ynez Band of Chumash Indians, with which the boy is associated, stated that it does not support the wearing of regalia as a costume or any form of cultural appropriation.
An activist from a different tribe, who is advocating for the Chiefs to change their name in the same way the Washington Redskins did, also criticized the wearing of the headdress.
The Root further highlighted the prevalence of racist tropes and names in American sports, citing the Florida State Seminoles, the Chicago Blackhawks, and the former Cleveland Indians, now the Guardians, as examples of teams with offensive names and mascots.
The publication concluded by questioning why fans would take issue with such practices when the team itself appears to condone them, noting the team's "offensive name and an even more offensive chant" that they do not discourage.
Following the publication of the article, the parents of Armenta reportedly threatened legal action against G/O Media, the parent company of both Deadspin and The Root.
A letter from the parents stated, "It is not enough to quietly remove a tweet from X or disable the article from Deadspins website. You must publish your retractions and issue an apology to my clients with the same prominence and fanfare with which you defamed them."
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