Charlie Kirk Is Dead—But Black America Remembers His Racism

Charlie Kirk, a conservative activist, founder of Turning Point USA, and close ally of President Donald Trump, was assassinated on Wednesday afternoon during a campus event at Utah Valley University. Police say a sniper opened fire from a nearby rooftop as Kirk spoke to a crowd of nearly 3,000. Utah Governor Spencer Cox condemned the killing as a “political assassination.”

Kirk, 31, built a national following by rallying young conservatives. But for many Black Americans, his legacy is defined not by his organizing prowess but by his words—comments that many saw as deeply racist and corrosive to democracy.

Charlie Kirk’s Record on Race and Civil Rights

Kirk frequently cast doubt on the qualifications of Black professionals. “If I see a black pilot, I’m gonna be like, boy, I hope he’s qualified,” he once said. 

In another instance, he referred to “a moronic black woman” in customer service and questioned whether she was hired “because of her excellence, or … because of affirmative action.”

He also attacked civil rights leaders and the laws that reshaped the nation. “Clarence Thomas was a far better black role model to celebrate than Martin Luther King. Period. End of story. This guy is not worthy of a national holiday,” Kirk said. 

At Turning Point USA’s America Fest in 2023, he went further: “MLK was awful. … We made a huge mistake when we passed the Civil Rights Act in the 1960s.”

Black women in public life were also targets. He called journalist Joy Reid, former First Lady Michelle Obama, Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee, and Supreme Court Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson “affirmative action picks,” claiming they did not “have the brain processing power to otherwise be taken really seriously.”

He blamed a Black fire chief in Austin, Texas, for flooding deaths that occurred a three-hour drive away from the city.

Even as the nation embraced Juneteenth as a federal holiday commemorating emancipation, Kirk denounced it. “Juneteenth should not be a federal holiday,” he wrote on social media in June. In a video, he argued, “This holiday is not about celebrating emancipation regardless of the veneer they put on it.”

These statements form the backdrop against which Black leaders and communities are now processing his death.

Community Voices: Anger and Double Standards

On the ground, responses were more direct.

Like many in the Black community, screenwriter Hank Byrd points to Kirk’s long history of demeaning Black people.

“In the wake of Charlie Kirk’s assassination, y’all expect Black folks to muster up sympathy and empathy for a man who never had any for us? A man who mocked victims of gun violence, trafficked fake crime stats, and wrapped his white supremacy in ‘dog whistles’ that weren’t even subtle? You can’t be serious.”

Byrd added: “Prayers to his family who will miss him. That’s as human as I can be.”

For Shavonda LaKay Pannell, the moment highlighted racial hypocrisy.

“I find it very odd that this same energy is never met when it’s Black boys or men killed by the police who were doing absolutely nothing and not resisting arrest. … Trayvon Martin died and they called him a thug as if that made it ok. … It breaks my heart because I have always been one who loves everyone regardless of race, political views, etc. but it does hurt seeing those same people have so much to say and yet have nothing to say when a Black person was murdered for absolutely no reason.”

Kirk also claimed George Floyd died from a drug overdose, not from Officer Derek Chauvin’s knee on his neck. Moreover, he praised Kyle Rittenhouse after he killed a racial justice protester following George Floyd’s death, telling him: “You’re a hero to millions, it’s an honor to be able to have you.”

Black Institution Urges Restraint after Charlie Kirk Assaination

Shalomyah Bowers, speaking on behalf of the Black Lives Matter Global Network Foundation, framed the killing as part of an escalating trend. 

“The killing of Charlie Kirk marks another dangerous step forward in this escalation. … In the aftermath of these tragedies, social media platforms and commentators often begin amplifying the worst things the individual may have said or done, as if trying to justify the violence or diminish its gravity. This is a deeply troubling trend,” Bowers wrote in a statement sent to The Black Wall Street Times. 

Bowers urged Americans to break the cycle of revenge: “Vigilante justice has no place in a just society. Not on the left. Not on the right. Not in response to racism, and not in the name of righteousness.”

Kirk gained notoriety for controversial views; he publicly criticized Black Lives Matter and called George Floyd a “scumbag.”

Charlie Kirk released a podcast with Rob McCoy, in which they denounced Black Lives Matter as “malevolent,” “anti-American” and “anti-Christian.”

Black Leaders Condemn Violence

Former President Barack Obama denounced the assassination, urging Americans to reject violence as a political tool. “We don’t yet know what motivated the person who shot and killed Charlie Kirk, but this kind of despicable violence has no place in our democracy. Michelle and I will be praying for Charlie’s family tonight, especially his wife Erika and their two young children,” Obama posted on social media.

Maryland Governor Wes Moore warned that political violence threatens the foundation of democracy itself. “Political violence is unacceptable. We will not tolerate it—not now, not ever. The future of our democracy will depend on our ability to resolve political differences peacefully, and not violently,” Governor Moore said in a statement. He also ordered officials to fly state flags at half-staff.

From Rhetoric to Power: Charlie Kirk had a major influence on politics

Charlie Kirk did not confine his words to fringe corners of the internet. As the founder of Turning Point USA, he built one of the largest mostly white conservative youth networks in the country, with chapters on hundreds of college campuses. That infrastructure gave his rhetoric political reach, mobilizing young voters and shaping how a new generation of conservatives understood issues of race and identity.

By hosting far-right and white supremacist figures, Charlie Kirk helped normalize ideas once relegated to America’s political margins. Those choices blurred boundaries between mainstream conservatism and extremist ideologies. They offered legitimacy to voices attacking immigrants, Black communities, and LGBTQ people. His framing of affirmative action and Juneteenth fueled policy debates on education, civil rights, and diversity rollbacks.

In this sense, Kirk’s legacy extends far beyond his incendiary quotes. It shows how one figure could turn resentment into political currency. He influenced lawmakers and energized conservative base voters. His words also gave cover to a movement increasingly willing to undermine hard-won civil rights protections.

Americans polled heavily disagree on political threats and intimidation

A Reuters/Ipsos poll conducted in October of last year asked if Americans agreed with a statement that it was “acceptable for a member of my political party to threaten and/or intimidate others to achieve a political goal.” Just 6% of respondents – a trivially small share in terms of an opinion survey – said they agreed.

“It is obviously a tragedy on a personal level, but it also does have the capacity to further inflame a political environment where the temperature is already way too high. That’s a real possibility, and a real risk,” Ruth Braunstein, a professor of sociology at Johns Hopkins University said.

As Ali Breland of Mother Jones reported in 2024, Kirk has “hosted far-right and white supremacist figures on his podcast and has tweeted in support of whiteness, earning praise from white supremacists.”

A Tragedy That Leaves Racism Unresolved

Charlie Kirk’s assassination reveals two grim realities: the rise of political violence in America and the enduring pain of racism. People will remember his death as a personal tragedy and a national flashpoint.

For many Black Americans, it cannot erase the harm of his words or the policies he championed. As the country mourns, debates, and fractures further, one truth remains. He is gone; however, the racism he spread still endures. That reality demands a reckoning bullets cannot resolve.

---

The Black Wall Street Times amplifies journalism that confronts uncomfortable truths—like how Charlie Kirk’s death intersects with America’s rising political violence and the enduring harm of his racist rhetoric. 

We depend on paid subscribers to sustain work that contextualizes tragedy, exposes hypocrisy, and refuses to let racism go unchallenged.

$8/month — Fuel reporting that documents the impact of racism on Black communities.
$80/year — Power investigations into political violence, extremism, and civil rights.
$250/year — Become a Founding Member and help sustain unapologetic journalism that holds leaders accountable and tells the truth about power.