Jamie Foxx has shared his thoughts on the removal of DEI programs, Black Excellence, and how former President Barack Obama has changed people's perception of Black people.
During a recent conversation with ESSENCE on the purple carpet for the premiere of Apple TV+'s new documentary Number One On the Call Sheet, Jamie talked about why the government and the powers that be should "stop playing" with Black people. Jamie produced the two-part film and spoke about how important it is to honor Black excellence.
According to Foxx, he doesn't understand why the Black community is dealing with all this when everybody else loves the culture and takes from it.
"Stop playing with us," said Foxx. "All that DEI goofiness you talking about man, stop playing. Give us our props. Stop messing with our history. The more you erase, the more we replace. I don't get why they so mad at us."
He continued, "Somebody said, 'Why it got to be Black Excellence?' Why not? Why not? Why can't I show these young black kids, girls and guys a different side? Perception is everything. Showing these kids a different perception. How great is that?"
Foxx then explained how former President Barack Obama made him change his perception of himself after seeing how the first Black president acted while in office. He also said if the government is going to take away DEI initiatives, then the Black community should be able to get back what's rightfully theirs, like R&B music.
"They love what we do. I know y'all out there bullshitting right now. Y'all love us, y'all love our music," he said. "If y'all talking about DEI then give some of our stuff back, like our R&B. Stop playing with us. Stop singing like us, stop dancing like us. Give us our shit back. Nah, I'm just kidding."
Since 2024, several large American companies have scaled back or removed their DEI programs, claiming pressure from President Donald Trump and his administration enforced the changes.