Imagine Pete Hegseth, a Fox News personality and outspoken conservative, floated as a top contender for a significant government role.
Hegseth, a former Army officer, has built a career as a provocative commentator, openly dismissing the importance of public health measures, railing against so-called “woke culture,” and suggesting that women have no place in combat roles.
For a man like Hegseth, these controversial stances have done little to impede his rise; if anything, they’ve bolstered it. Now, consider this: What if Pete Hegseth were a Black man?
The transformation of perception would be immediate and unforgiving. The qualities framed as “bold” or “patriotic” in Hegseth’s white male image would be painted as “angry” or “threatening” if he were Black. The media narrative would shift dramatically, and the public scrutiny would be relentless.
Pete Hegseth unfit, still picked
Take, for instance, Hegseth’s assertion that women should not serve in combat roles. In 2017, he argued that integrating women into front-line units complicates and weakens the military, making the claim that the military is not a social experiment.
These remarks were met with sharp criticism but ultimately written off as part of his hardline conservative persona. Now imagine a Black man, particularly one in a prominent position, making the same statement. The outrage would be amplified, with cries of sexism mixed with allegations of bitterness or chauvinism. Headlines would paint him as out-of-touch, unqualified, or worse, ungrateful for the opportunities afforded to him.
This double standard is not hypothetical—it’s deeply ingrained in America’s racial fabric. Consider the data: Black men make up only 3.1% of executive leadership roles in Top 100 companies, despite being nearly 7% of the population.
White men, on the other hand, hold more than 85% of these top positions. In politics, this disparity is even starker. A 2020 study by the Joint Center for Political and Economic Studies found that while Black Americans make up 13.4% of the U.S. population, they hold less than 5% of top staff positions in Congress.
These numbers reflect a broader reality: Black men must not only meet but often exceed every qualification to even be considered for opportunities that white men like Hegseth are handed with ease.
Pete Hegseth’s military service, while honorable, does not make him unique. There are thousands of Black veterans with similar or greater accomplishments who will never receive the same media platform or political clout.
A racial double standard
Hegseth’s rise also underscores how white privilege insulates individuals from the consequences of their words and actions.
His public dismissal of handwashing during the pandemic—a statement that would have been career-ending for a Black commentator—was laughed off as a quirky aside. His rhetoric against diversity initiatives in the military, a thinly veiled appeal to white grievance politics, was celebrated by his base.
But if a Black man were to dismiss public health measures or critique systemic inequalities in the military, the backlash would be swift and severe. He would be labeled irresponsible, divisive, or unfit for leadership.
The racial double standard in America is perhaps most glaring when it comes to who is afforded the benefit of the doubt. White men like Pete Hegseth can voice controversial opinions and still be viewed as leaders. Black men, however, are scrutinized under an unforgiving lens where even minor missteps are amplified.
Consider the cases of Colin Kaepernick and Barack Obama. Kaepernick, a Black man who peacefully protested racial injustice by kneeling during the national anthem, was effectively blacklisted from the NFL. His silent protest was deemed unpatriotic by critics, including Hegseth and his Fox News colleagues. Contrast this with Hegseth’s public outbursts and inflammatory rhetoric, which have only enhanced his reputation among conservatives.
Structural barriers
Similarly, President Obama faced relentless scrutiny during his presidency, from questioning his birthplace to demanding he denounce every controversial action taken by Black public figures.
Meanwhile, Donald Trump, who appointed Pete Hegseth to the Department of Veterans Affairs’ board, faced comparatively little accountability for his divisive rhetoric and policy failures.
The systemic barriers that Black men face in reaching top positions are not just anecdotal—they’re structural.
A study by the Center for Talent Innovation found that Black professionals are nearly twice as likely as white professionals to feel that they must downplay aspects of their identity to succeed in the workplace. Additionally, Black job applicants receive callbacks for interviews at half the rate of white applicants with identical résumés, according to research from the National Bureau of Economic Research.
This inequity extends beyond the professional realm. Black men are disproportionately incarcerated, over-policed, and underrepresented in positions of power. If Pete Hegseth were Black, his past controversies—no matter how trivial—would be weaponized against him. His career would likely have been derailed long before he reached national prominence.
Pete Hegseth nominee sends the wrong message
The implications of this double standard are profound. It tells Black men that no matter their qualifications, they will always be judged more harshly, afforded fewer opportunities, and scrutinized more intensely than their white counterparts. It reinforces a system where whiteness is not just an advantage—it’s a prerequisite for success in many of America’s most powerful institutions.
Pete Hegseth’s ascent is a glaring example of how white privilege operates in plain sight. It shields him from accountability, elevates his voice, and positions him for opportunities that would be unimaginable for a Black man with the same résumé and rhetoric. This is not merely a critique of Hegseth himself but of the system that enables him.
If we are to move toward a more just and equitable society, we must confront these disparities head-on. We must ask why America tolerates—and even celebrates—mediocrity and controversy in white men while demanding perfection from Black men.
And we must demand better, not just from our leaders but from ourselves. Because until this double standard is dismantled, the American Dream will remain just that—a dream, inaccessible to too many.
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