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Senator John Kennedy brands Boston professor a 'butthead' for suggesting ACB is a white colonizer for adopting Haitian children - as the SCOTUS nominee calls the comments 'deeply offensive and hurtful'

US Senator John Kennedy has branded a Boston University professor a 'butthead' for suggesting Amy Coney Barrett was a white colonizer for adopting Haitian children.

The Louisiana Republican made the comments as he asked the Supreme Court Justice nominee to respond to Ibram X. Kendi's remarks, during the first round of confirmation hearings on Tuesday.    

Kendi, a tenured professor of history and the director and founder of Boston University's Center for Antiracist Research, drew backlash in September after he suggested Barrett, who has two adopted black children, was racist and using her kids as props. 

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Senator John Kennedy asked Amy Coney Barrett to respond to suggestions that she is a 'white colonizer' for adopting Haitian children during the first round of confirmation hearings on Tuesday

Senator John Kennedy asked Amy Coney Barrett to respond to suggestions that she is a 'white colonizer' for adopting Haitian children during the first round of confirmation hearings on Tuesday

Barrett, a devout Catholic, has seven children - five biological and two adopted. Her youngest child also has Down Syndrome

Barrett, a devout Catholic, has seven children - five biological and two adopted. Her youngest child also has Down Syndrome

'Some butthead professor at Boston University says that because you and your husband have two children of color, that you're a white colonist,' Kennedy said. 

'The implication is that you're a racist and that you use your two children as props. Do you use your children as props?'

Barrett said the 'deeply offensive and hurtful' comments towards her family was a 'risk' that she and her husband had to consider when accepting the nomination.  

She told the senator she had to take into account 'things that are not only hurtful to me, but are hurtful to my children.'

' are my children, who we love, who we brought home and made part of our family, and accusations like that are cruel,' she added.  

'Yeah they are,' Kennedy replied before pausing briefly. 

'How low can you go... I didn't want to ask that question when your kids are here. I'm sorry you had to go through that,' he added before moving on to his next question. 

Boston University Professor Ibram X. Kendi had responded to a tweet that included a picture of Barrett's sister, Carrie, holding children who were not adopted by the judge

Boston University Professor Ibram X. Kendi had responded to a tweet that included a picture of Barrett's sister, Carrie, holding children who were not adopted by the judge 

Kendi tweeted in response: 'And whether this is Barrett or not is not the point'

Kendi tweeted in response: 'And whether this is Barrett or not is not the point'

On Tuesday, Kendi took aim at Kennedy on Twitter as he replied to a video clip of the senator saying it 'hurts to be called racist'

On Tuesday, Kendi took aim at Kennedy on Twitter as he replied to a video clip of the senator saying it 'hurts to be called racist' 

Kendi was slammed on social media last month with some people calling on him to resign over his comments on Judge Barrett - a devout Catholic who has five biological and two adopted children.

Kendi had responded to a tweet that included a picture of Barrett's sister, Carrie, holding children who were not adopted by the judge.

'Some White colonizers 'adopted' black children,' Kendi said. 'They 'civilized' these 'savage' children in the 'superior' ways of white people, while using them as props in their lifelong pictures of denial, while cutting the biological parents of these children out of the picture of humanity.' 

Ibram X. KendiTrump's Supreme Court nominee Amy Coney Barrett has two adopted children from Haiti. Democrats have been criticized for questioning the legitimacy of the adoptions

Ibram X. Kendi , a professor and author, last month tweeted that Judge Amy Coney Barrett , President Trump's pick to succeed Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg on the Supreme Court, is a 'white colonizer' because she adopted two black children from Haiti

Kendi took to Twitter again on Tuesday to respond to a video clip of Kennedy that resurfaced in which he said 'it hurts to be called a racist' and that the term is 'one of the worst things you can call an American.' 

Who is Ibram X. Kendi?

Ibram X. Kendi is a professor of history and the director and founder of Boston University's Center for Antiracist Research.

He author of three number 1 New York Times bestsellers and this month was named to Time100 list of most influential people in the world.

He describes himself on his website as a hardcore antiracist and softcore vegan and married his wife, Dr. Sadiqa Kendi, a pediatric emergency physician, in 2013. 

Kendi changed his middle name to Xolani, which means 'Peace' in Zulu, and his surname from Rogers to Kendi when he got married after choosing the new name together. Kendi means 'loved one' in Meru. 

Al Sharpton said of Kendi: 'It is no surprise that Kendi has emerged as one of the most important scholars of his generation, accurately interpreting the civil rights gains and losses across the many years. But Kendi doesn't simply engage in the 'paralysis of analysis,' as Martin Luther King Jr. once observed. 

'He provides concrete and actionable steps and recommendations that we can all take to wipe out the vestiges of racism and bigotry and strive to be—to use the term Kendi popularized in 2019­—antiracist.'  

In 2018, Kendi was diagnosed with stage 4 colon cancer but is now cancer-free following treatment.

'So instead of striving to be antiracist, they proclaim 'I'm not racist,' while continuing to be racist, and attacking the person calling them racist,' Kendi tweeted.

'They ignore or deny their racist harms and call the people pointing them out hurtful and divisive. What a destructive cycle.' 

Kendi, the author of three number 1 New York Times bestsellers including How to be an Antiracist, describes himself on his website as a hardcore antiracist and softcore vegan.  

In a follow up tweet last month, Kendi clarified that whether Barrett was in the photo or not 'is not the point.'

'It is a belief too many White people have: if they have or adopt a child of color, then they can't be racist.'

'I'm challenging the idea that White parents of kids of color are inherently 'not racist' and the bots completely change what I'm saying to 'White parents of kids of color are inherently racist.'

'These live and fake bots are good at their propaganda. Let's not argue with them.' 

He was slammed for suggesting that white parents who adopt black children do so to shield themselves from charges of racism.  

Chris Viegas called for Boston University to fire Kendi, tweeting: 'You should be fired for your racism w your statements about the Christian Act of #JudgeAmyConeyBarrett adopting two Haitian children. May Boston University @AASAatBU reconsider your status!! You are not worthy!!'

Samuel Kunz wrote: 'Ibram MUST Resign. Being a racist a**hole and injecting his hateful and racist ideas must not stand. #ResignNow #hatefulbigot.'

Another person said: 'You are more racist than David Duke ever thought about being. You should resign over your disgusting anti-adoption comments. How can you possibly fairly teach white students when you despise them so much.'

Another Twitter user suggested Kendi was promoting the same argument that white supremacists use to discourage adoption of black children.

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