Critics of Logan Paul are praising his passionate speech about anti-racism: 'Acknowledge and weaponize your privilege'
- Logan Paul made a passionate speech about racism and the Black Lives Matter movement at the start of his latest Impaulsive podcast episode.
- He titled the podcast "America is racist," and spoke for two minutes about his privilege as a white man, and how friends, family, and authorities should be held to account.
- He said it's not enough to be "not racist," you should be "anti-racist."
- Thousands of people shared the clip on social media, praising Paul for his passionate stance.
- Even those who have been critical of Paul because of his controversial past said they were impressed with the fact he was using his platform for good.
Thousands of people are praising Logan Paul for his passionate speech at the beginning of his latest Impaulsive podcast episode.
Paul spoke for over two minutes, condemning racism in the US, and addressing his own privilege as a white man. The episode was titled "America is racist," and included much discussion about how everyone is responsible for holding their friends, family, politicians, and police officers accountable for systemic racism in the country.
Paul said he was embarrassed it had taken him 25 years to realize it's not enough to be "not racist."
"You have to be anti-racist," he said. "You condemn those who feign superiority because of the color of their skin."
Echoing the words of rapper and activist Killer Mike, Paul urged his listeners to "bully the politicians at the voting booth."
"Make your voice heard. Attend a protest. Speak up against injustice," he said. "If you're white, if you look like me, use your privilege. And for those who do not think white privilege exists, you are f---ing blind. You are delusional and you are part of the problem."
He said he can count the amount of times he's feared for his life at a routine traffic stop "on zero hands," and the only reason he gets away with "some of the hooligan s--- I do in my vlogs" is because he's a white person.
"I'm confident that I do not have to fear for my life should the cops show up," he said. "Acknowledge and weaponize your privilege."
Paul said he and his cohosts were attending protests because he wanted to be part of working to find a solution to the country's "inability to truly treat humans as equals" in 244 years of existence.
"If you are an influencer or celebrity friend of mine, I hope you are using your platform to continue to spread the message of solidarity and unity," he said. "I do not have all the answers but I know we must now reverse engineer the system as a collective. We must open our eyes and realize that there is only one race, and that is the human race."
The clip ends with Paul naming some of the black people who tragically lost their lives at the hands of police officers.
"On behalf of Breonna Taylor, we must change. On behalf of Ahmaud Arbery, we must advance," he said. "And on behalf of George Floyd, and the hundreds of others who have been unjustly murdered in this country, we must evolve."
Thousands of people shared the clip on social media, saying they were impressed that Paul was using his huge platform to be so vocal about such an important issue.
Even some of Paul's critics, who still consider him a controversial YouTuber for his past mistakes, commended him for his words.
"Logan Paul really made a better statement than most people with a following," wrote one viewer on Twitter.
"Never thought I'd see the day where I actually agree with Logan Paul," said another.
One person tagged President Trump, saying, "now this is a speech."
"Why can't all leaders and celebrities make a speech as good as this?" they said. "If Logan Paul can, anyone can."
Paul's response to the Black Lives Matter movement and the protests happening all around the world is a stark comparison to his brother Jake Paul's behavior.
On Sunday, Jake denied allegations he was looting and vandalizing a mall in Scottsdale, Arizona, when several videos showing him and his friends in the area circulated on social media.
"For context, we spent the day doing our part to peacefully protest one of the most horrid injustices our country has ever seen, which led us to being tear-gassed for filming the events and brutality that were unfolding in Arizona," he claimed.
However, several online commentators noticed Jake holding a vodka bottle that had been stolen from a P.F. Chang's, and noted that it looked like the group travelled to Scottsdale for fun.
Many found it tasteless that Jake was filming in the area at all, taking attention away from the protests which were largely peaceful, according to the Associated Press.
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