On his nationally syndicated WABC morning talk show on Citadel Broadcasting Corporation, Imus, in response to a statement from another WABC programmer about Dallas Cowboys defensive back Adam “Pacman” Jones’ legal difficulties, asked “What color is he?” When the programmer responded he’s African-American, Imus responded, “Well, there you go. Now we know.”
Civil rights leader Al Sharpton addressed the comment in a statement released late Monday. The statement reads as follows:
“It has been reported to me that statements were made by Mr. Imus this morning and National Action Network has monitored his show since his return. I find the inference of his remark disturbing because it plays into stereotypes. Any use of stereotypes is always counterproductive. We will determine in the next day or so whether or not his remark warrants direct action on our part as we did in April of last year.”
Information from the Associated Press contributed to this report.