Political commentator and activist Reecie Colbert has issued a scathing rebuke to actress and comedian Amanda Seales following Seales’ viral remarks questioning former President Barack Obama’s contributions to the Black community.
In a now widely circulated video, Seales asked, “I see lots of folks really still loving Obama, and I be like, still? Please tell me what did Obama do specifically for Black people, please!”
The question triggered a strong and pointed response from Colbert during her appearance on The Clay Cane Show on YouTube.
Colbert did not mince words. “This is an unserious question because you don’t want to actually talk policy—you just want to harp on ‘show me a bill that says only Black,’” she said, calling out what she sees as a performative demand for policies with “Black” written in “neon letters.”
She went on to list several measurable gains under the Obama administration that benefitted Black Americans, including the Affordable Care Act, which expanded health coverage to more than 3 million non-elderly uninsured Black people.
“Any gain we made is dismissed,” Colbert argued. “That’s stupid.”
Colbert also invoked the Matthew Shepard and James Byrd Jr. Hate Crimes Prevention Act, noting that James Byrd Jr.—a Black man murdered in a racially motivated hate crime—was a central part of the legislation.
“Obama signed a Black hate crime bill. Did it say ‘Black-ass James Byrd Jr.’? No. But that represents the Black community,” she said.
Citing Obama’s early actions to stabilize the economy in the wake of the 2008 financial collapse, Colbert said:
“He had a tax credit that could be retroactively applied to your last tax return. You could immediately get $6,000. That’s how I was able to renovate my home.”
Beyond defending Obama’s record, Colbert sharply criticized the misdirection of energy in the current political climate.
“Why are we even talking about Obama?” she asked. “We have a white nationalist clansman in the Oval Office right now. But that doesn’t hit the algorithm the same.”
She also highlighted ongoing attacks on healthcare, Medicaid, and housing assistance in Congress and called on critics to focus on present-day policy threats:
“Let’s keep our eyes on what’s happening right now. That’s the bigger fish to fry.”
Colbert’s remarks are resonating with many online who view Seales’ critique as lacking historical and policy nuance. The exchange reflects debates about what constitutes progress for Black Americans—and whether symbolic victories should be dismissed if they aren’t explicitly labeled as Black-only policies.
