On Race, Mike Johnson Says His Views Were Shaped by Raising a Black Child

[Demovictory9]

https://www.nytimes.com/2023/10/27/us/politics/mike-johnson-house-speaker-son.html

On Race, Mike Johnson Says His Views Were Shaped by Raising a Black Child
The new House speaker has kept his oldest son out of the public eye — except when the Republican talks about race.


When Mike Johnson, the new House speaker, talks about race in America, he often draws a striking personal connection, telling the story of how he and his wife, Kelly, “took custody” of a Black teenager 24 years ago and raised him as a son.

“I have walked with him through discrimination that he has had to endure over the years and the hurdles he sometimes faced,” he told a House committee in 2019, while testifying against reparations for slavery. “I know all this because I was with him.”

When Mr. Johnson was named House speaker this week, his relationship with his son, like much of Mr. Johnson’s personal and political life, faced new scrutiny. There is no mention of the man, who is now an adult, raising his own family in California, in Mr. Johnson’s official biography. And he does not appear in the family photos posted on the congressman’s website. Mr. Johnson has four biological children: two daughters and two sons.

On Friday, Mr. Johnson sought to explain the absence, saying it was in deference to his son Michael’s request for privacy.

____

At the time, Mr. Johnson noted that his oldest biological son, Jack, was now the same age as Michael was when he came into the house. “And I’ve thought often through all these ordeals over the last couple of weeks about the difference in the experiences between my two 14-year-old sons,” he said in the PBS interview. “Michael being a Black American and Jack being white Caucasian. They have different challenges. My son Jack has an easier path. He just does.”

When he was nominated for House speaker this month, Mr. Johnson — a hard-line conservative whose election to the new post has been applauded by the conservative movement — earned for those remarks rare criticism from the right, which viewed them as an acknowledgment of systemic racism.

[cachukis]

1. Unadulterated bull shit.

[TheBlackAdder]

21. Was this the child her completely ignored at his son's wedding just a short while back.

I've heard rumors that one of his sons was married recently and when he gave a speech, and he got up and spoke glowingly about all of his children (their successes and virtues) but completely excluded one child. He did not even mention that child's name. There was a gasp in the audience, as the attendees took note.

[cachukis]

22. It appears so. Have not chased down his

whole history, but his comments piss me off.
Claims he understands racial bias are not proven by his actions.
Posing for pictures, sans his black son, is obviously an indicator.

[struggle4progress]

2. Is this a story like Gaetz's "adopted son" Nestor?

[Farmer-Rick]

3. Weird that there are no pictures of

Their adopted son on any of his social media. His other white kids are there with the family but not Michael. Hmmm Christian Nationalists tend to lie......a lot. Especially about black adopted children.

[KentuckyWoman]

4. Which one of them is black?

While I do respect the acknowledgement of systemic racism, I don't for a minute believe the boy doesn't want to be in the family photos.

[mockmonkey]

9. Someone has to take the picture...lol! n/t

[chouchou]

5. I thought..

..dogs and pony shows were out of fashion.
I certainly don't trust people like Mark Johnson.
His words sound like a con-job.

[BootinUp]

6. Some may say I am being awful but

I am starting to doubt just about everything this guy says.

[OAITW r.2.0]

7. Black son? Nope.

[chicoescuela]

8. I'm white with an adopted since birth black daughter. She is in all the family pictures.

And now I have a very handsome black granarson. He is also in all the family pictures

[Maru Kitteh]

11. That's because your family is comprised of actual humans, I am guessing

and not pod people obsessed with genitalia and the 17th letter of the alphabet.

[chicoescuela]

17. I would like to think that is correct

[nolabear]

16. I've got an adopted grandson who's black. I'm that obnoxious grammy

who, somewhere in the middle of every conversation will find a way to show you those babies. I cannot imagine not showing him off just like I do his brother. He’s my baby!

[chicoescuela]

18. Of course

[GreenWave]

10. It will be interesting to see how many anti-disriminatory bills he brings to a vote.

I mean he saw it up close and personal.

I predict zero.

[ecstatic]

12. Good point. He has stated multiple times that his "black son"

has it harder and faces discrimination that his white son doesn't face.

Time to actually do something about it. Use the gavel and do something.

Democrats need to once again bring up the voting rights bills and the police brutality bills. Let this motherfucker prove that he gives a shit, otherwise it's all empty rhetoric/ bullshit.

[Johonny]

13. GOPers only care about real issues

When they affect them personally. They only care about themselves.

[Cha]

14. I bet whatever he says about him.. he's Lying and Gaslighting.. that's ALL

they do.

[Duppers]

15. Think he LIED.

Well, of course: he's a Republican.

[niyad]

19. "taking custody of" a 14-year old is NOT "raising" him.

(We "raise" corn. We "rear" children.)

[LiberalFighter]

20. What legislation has he been part of to make life for blacks equal to whites?

Or more likely what legislation has be been part of that allowed discrimination to continue?

[LetMyPeopleVote]

23. To prove naysayers wrong....

Link to tweet