‘Duck Dynasty’: Phil Robertson Racist? Duck Commander Clarifies Views On Pre-Civil Rights Louisiana

When the Duck Dynasty GQ interview was published some called Phil Robertson racist for his comments about pre-civil rights era Louisiana. But the now Duck Commander is responding to the controversy by releasing a book called UnPHILtered which discusses his views on that topic in addition to general thoughts on business, faith, and family.

In a related report by The Inquisitr, the GQ interview was also infamous in the homosexual community because of the comments about homosexuality being a sin. But now Phil is responding to his critics by claiming that he’s “as much a homophobe as Jesus.”

Phil Robertson appeared on Good Morning America earlier today and reporter Ryan Owens said “Robertson’s comments about growing up in pre-civil rights era Louisiana also rubbed some people the wrong way” because Phil said that yet black people “couldn’t go to the same school. They couldn’t use the same water fountain.” At the time when the comments were first published, the NAACP criticized the Ducky Dynasty star by claiming Phil said “African Americans were happier under Jim Crow.”

But the full quote never specifically mentioned Jim Crow laws and the GQ interview only published the comments related to pre-civil rights Louisiana in an out-of-context sidebar. Instead of discussing Jim Crow laws, Phil seemed to be focused on federal welfare and entitlement programs in relation to his own personal experiences.

“I never, with my eyes, saw the mistreatment of any black person. Not once. Where we lived was all farmers. The blacks worked for the farmers. I hoed cotton with them. I’m with the blacks, because we’re white trash. We’re going across the field…. They’re singing and happy. I never heard one of them, one black person, say, ‘I tell you what: These doggone white people’—not a word!… Pre-entitlement, pre-welfare, you say: Were they happy? They were godly; they were happy; no one was singing the blues.”

The video segment from Good Morning America had Phil Robertson clarifying what he thought about issues of race.

“There is one race, one race on this planet. It’s called the human race. We’re all the same. To me, there is absolutely nothing that color has to do with it.”

What do you think about Duck Dynasty and Phil Robertson’s comments on race?