Eva Longoria lauded for apologizing after being accused of racism & of stealing Black women’s spotlight by praising Latina voters
Actress Eva Longoria has been praised after issuing a public apology for calling Latina voters the “real heroines” of the 2020 election for turning out in support of Joe Biden. Some thought she was taking credit from black women.
“Women of color showed up in big ways,” the Desperate Housewives star said when asked about Biden’s winning demographics in a Sunday MSNBC interview. “Of course, you saw in Georgia what Black women have done,” she continued, referencing the typically conservative state’s unprecedented shift toward the Democratic Party.
“But the Latina women are the real heroines here, beating men in turnout in every state, and voting for Biden/Harris at an average rate close to three to one!” Longoria pointed out.
“Women of color showed up in big ways. Of course, you saw in Georgia what Black women have done but Latina women are the *real* heroines here.” - Eva Longoria, what?pic.twitter.com/8m8aFd0ZnT
— philip lewis (@Phil_Lewis_) November 9, 2020
Despite the fact that the actress was clearly comparing Latinas’ turnout for Biden to turnout figures for Latino men, many thought she was trying to downplay the electoral input of black women. Thus, online commenters took it upon themselves to cancel Longoria, labeling her ‘racist.’
@EvaLongoria Are you serious with this garbage? Shame on you! Shame on you. @AriMelber Ya ya Black women in GA but « Latina women were the real heroines here. » Seriously? Everybody has to step on BP. Trash
— Welansa Asrat, MD (@Dr_Asrat) November 9, 2020
Eva Longoria really took a page out of Gina Rodriguez's book of how to be an anti-Black racist volume 20.
— Anna Gifty (@itsafronomics) November 9, 2020
In turn, Longoria quickly decided to apologize, saying she was “sorry and sad” that her comments were “perceived as taking credit from Black women.” The liberal celebrity reiterated she was making a Latino-men comparison, adding: “My wording was not clear and I deeply regret that, there is such a history in our community of anti-Blackness and I would never want to contribute to that.”
Please read 👇🏽👇🏽👇🏽 pic.twitter.com/KO80U2yarD
— Eva Longoria Baston (@EvaLongoria) November 9, 2020
Many of those offended were eager to “accept an apology” and move on. Some commenters said that it wasn’t even necessary since the whole outrage was based on a phrase “taken out of context.”
🙌🏾 thanks for coming back out and elaborating on your words. We’ve just gone through 4 years of hell and I think some have forgotten what it means to just accept an apology.
— DaJuan Johnson (@dajuanjohnson) November 9, 2020
Forgiven! Now let's keep fighting the good fight.
— 🌊Bella 🌊 🆘️ 🌏✝️ (@bells_nyc) November 9, 2020
I don't understand why people are going after Eva Longoria. She praised the turnout of black women voters in Georgia and then said Latinas beat the Latino men in voting. Y'all taking her words out of context.
— Karis Chetty (@KalDC) November 9, 2020
Despite the apology and the clarification, quite a few commenters continued to pile on Longoria for the perceived offence, still saying she “negated the discussion around black women” voters.
it’s a challenge to accept this apology you said what you said exactly how you intended it the first time!!! Your use of the word “real” negated the discussion around black women being the MVPs of this election. You basically all lives mattered us.
— Nicole :) (@iamCOLLY) November 9, 2020
it’s not “how it was perceived” you directly mentioned what Black women have done and went straight into “but latinas are the *real* heroines here”—a direct comparison steeped in antiblackness and a blatant erasure of Black latines in the process. do better.
— Jhaunay-Amanie Hernandez (@jhaunay) November 9, 2020
“I mean you saw what Black women did in Georgia but Latinas are the REAL heroines of all of this.” it's the "but" for me...
— Essence (@essence_dionne) November 9, 2020
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