Major League Baseball (MLB) star Tommy Pham, formerly of the San Diego Padres before becoming a free agent, rebuked California Gov. Gavin Newsom trying to relate to black people by touting his low SAT score.
Speaking with Atlanta mayor Andre Dickens in front of a large crowd over the weekend, Newsom cited his 960 SAT score as somehow being evident he relates to black people.
“I’m not trying to impress you,” Newsom said. “I’m just trying to impress upon you, ‘I’m like you. I’m not better than you.’ I’m a 960 SAT guy.”
Pham clapped back in an Instagram Story, saying he “can’t relate” to the governor’s statement.
“I was a straight A student and scored well on my SAT,” Pham said. “He thinks black ppl are dumb.”
In response to the backlash from several Republicans and others online, Newsom attempted clarify his comments, saying he only meant to highlight his lifelong struggle with dyslexia.
“You didn’t give a shit about the President of the United States of America posting an ape video of President Obama or calling African nations shitholes — but you’re going to call me racist for talking about my lifelong struggle with dyslexia?” Newsom said in response to Fox News anchor Sean Hannity.
“Spare me your fake fucking outrage, Sean,” he added.
For his part, Andre Dickens defended Newsom’s statement as a “moment of vulnerability.”
“Take it from someone who was actually in the chair asking the questions: context matters more than a headline. The conversation around his new book included him speaking about his own academic struggles, including not doing well on the SAT. That wasn’t an attack on anyone. It was a moment of vulnerability about his own journey,” Dickens said.
“We’ve gotten so used to loud, chest-pounding politics that when someone speaks about shortcomings, people try to twist it into something else,” he continued. “Let me be clear though. This is Atlanta. We don’t need anyone to tell us when to be offended. And history has shown … when we are, you’ll know.”
