Ben Carson compared slaves to immigrants seeking a better life in his first official address today as Housing and Urban Development Secretary, setting off an uproar on social media.
In what appears to be an embarrassing pattern of mis-steps on race for the Trump Administration, Carson told a room packed with hundreds of federal workers that the Africans captured, sold and transported to America against their will had the same hopes and dreams as early immigrants.
"That's what America is about. A land of dreams and opportunity. There were other immigrants who came here in the bottom of slave ships, worked even longer, even harder for less," said Carson, speaking extemporaneously as he paced the room with a microphone.
"But they, too, had a dream that one day their sons, daughters, grandsons, granddaughters, great grandsons, great granddaughters might pursue prosperity and happiness in this land."
His comments were broadcast live to all of HUD's regional field offices as well as to the public.