ESPN's Stephen A. Smith: 'Makes Absolutely No Sense' Black Conservatives Pariahs in 'Our Communities'

ESPN commentator Stephen A. Smith said on Friday that it made “absolutely no sense whatsoever” that black conservatives are “ostracized” and considered “pariahs” in black communities across America. 

Smith made his comments while responding to Cleveland Browns legend and civil rights activist Jim Brown’s assertion last week that Los Angeles Lakers superstar Kobe Bryant does not understand the black American culture as well as other “American” blacks because Bryant spent part of his youth in Europe while Bryant’s father played basketball in italy. 

On ESPN’s First Take, Smith, after saying he thought Brown’s remarks were “inappropriate,” said:

When it comes to the African-American community, you have a plethora of individuals. For example, the black population hasn’t given the Republican Party more than 15% of its vote since 1964. And anybody who is deemed a black conservative, I am not one of them — I’m a registered Independent, just to get that out of the way — but those that I know who are black conservatives are considered pariahs and are ostracized in our communities and it makes absolutely no sense whatsoever.