After newcomer Leslie Jones received backlash due to her slavery joke during SNL's "Weekend Update" segment, CNN's Don Lemon came to her defense.
The anchor sided with Jones when she said African Americans can be over sensitive.
“Leslie Jones responded by saying that black people were too sensitive sometimes,” Lemon said. “In this case, she is right.”
It all started when Jones said during the SNL segment that "back in the slave days" she would be in more demand than Lupita Nyong'o.
“I would be the number one slave draft pick,” she said.
Although people expressed insult via Twitter, Lemon didn't see any offense to the joke.
“For almost all of last year, people were on a tear, complaining about diversity, asking where are the sisters on ‘SNL,'” he said. “And now that there are some on there, you complain about her material.”
Furthermore, Lemon suggested that the SNL comedian shouldn't be the spokesperson for all African Americans.
“She shouldn't have to carry the collective burden of all black people on her shoulders. She's a comedian, not a civil rights worker,” he said.
Then he advised Jone to "ignore the haters."
“Leslie Jones, ignore the haters,” he concluded. “The loudest voices on Twitter aren't necessarily the majority. Do your thing. Kick ass and take names.”
