Whoopi Goldberg has come under fire for saying the Holocaust was not about race.
The Oscar winner was discussing on The View how a book called Maus has been removed from the Tennessee school curriculum because authorities believed it was inappropriate for kids.
The Pulitzer Prize-winning graphic novel depicts Jewish people as mice while the Nazis are shown as cats.
Advert
The Tennessee school board removed it from an eighth-grade language arts curriculum because of 'bad language and the depiction of female nudity', according to The Sun.
Goldberg slammed the decision because she believes it's important for students to learn about atrocities of the past.
"I'm surprised that's what made you uncomfortable, the fact that there was some nudity. I mean, it's about the Holocaust, the killing of six million people, but that didn't bother you?" Goldberg questioned.
Advert
"Well, this is white people doing it to white people. Y'all go fight amongst yourselves."
Her co-host, Sara Haines, agreed, adding: "Look at what kids watch these days and the music they listen to. To say that showing them a work of art or history that happened is bad language or nudity?
"Turn off reality TV, turn off the radio, turn off everything they're doing because kids are exposed to this stuff really early in inappropriate situations, not one where you're learning or teaching."
However, Whoopi then took a left-field approach.
Advert
"If you're going to do this, then let's be truthful about it," Goldberg said. "Because the Holocaust isn't about race. No, it's not about race."
She added: "It's about man's inhumanity to man...that's what it's about."
According to Peter Longerich, Adolf Hitler identified The Slavs, Gypsies, and Jewish people as being 'racially inferior' and were therefore 'considered to be a danger to the Aryan or Germanic master race'.
Advert
One of Whoopi's other co-hosts, Ana Navarro, tried to correct her by explaining how white supremacy was a core principal of the Nazi party.
Goldberg fired back by saying: "But these are two groups of white people. You're missing the point. The minute you turn it into the race, it goes down this alley."
She continued: "It doesn't matter if you're black or white because black, white, Jews ... everybody eats each other."
Her comments have been slammed by people on social media as well as from prominent groups and organisations.
Advert
Anti-Defamation League CEO Jonathan Greenblatt tweeted: "No @WhoopiGoldberg, the #Holocaust was about the Nazi's systematic annihilation of the Jewish people - who they deemed to be an inferior race.
"They dehumanized them and used this racist propaganda to justify slaughtering 6 million Jews. Holocaust distortion is dangerous. #ENOUGH"
StopAntisemitism added: "Newsflash @WhoopiGoldberg 6 million of us were gassed, starved and massacred because we were deemed an inferior race by the Nazis. How dare you minimize our trauma and suffering!"
The pro-Israel group StandWithUs wrote: "The Holocaust was driven by multiple factors, and there is no doubt that one of them was Nazi racism against Jews. Nazis back then and white supremacists today consider Jews to be a different and inferior race."
Featured Image Credit: ABCTopics: Entertainment, Celebrity
