After rejecting three written remorse letters, popular musician Kamahl has asked that broadcaster Phillip Adams publicly apologize for calling him a “honorary white.”
When Adams claimed in a since-deleted tweet that cricketing legend Don Bradman regarded the Malaysian-born performer as a “honorary white,” Kamahl said he was “humiliated” by Adams.
Adams compared Bradman’s 13-year relationship with Kamahl with his hesitancy to meet Nelson Mandela in a highly read piece from December.
It is obvious that Bradman appointed you an Honorary White, Kamahl. Adams claimed that one of the most prominent politicians of the 20th century was regarded unworthy of Bradman’s endorsement.
Adams’ Twitter response from Kamahl, “You may be white, but oh your soul is black!” led to demands for the presenter’s dismissal as the two’s argument heated up.
When ABC chief David Anderson claimed that Adams had given Kamahl a message expressing his apologies, the first controversy—which began on social media—erupting into a Senate estimates hearing last week.
The ABC had looked into the situation, according to Mr. Anderson, and Adams, the host of Late Night Live, had apologized in January.
According to what Mr. Anderson had heard, Mr. Adams had apologized to Kamahl in writing. I apologized privately in a letter to him for it.
The Australian reports that last Thursday, Kamahl wrote to Mr. Anderson to let him know he hadn’t gotten any contact from the ABC or Adams.
The 88-year-old said in his letter, “I hate the fact that you have placed the event on public record as a defense of how you and your administration have successfully handled this matter.”
“You claimed that Adams had contacted me to personally apologize for his egregiously improper statement on the public record.
‘Mr Anderson, let me be clear: Adams has merely blocked me on Twitter and reiterated his first racial epithet, calling me a “honorary white,” as his response to this matter.
Neither Adams nor the ABC, his employer, have offered any kind of apology to me.
As a matter of fact, Mr. Anderson, I am a very proud black Australian guy who feels very offended by the treatment I have got from your staff and your company.
Adams contributes to The Weekend Australian Magazine with a piece as well.
According to The Australian, Mr. Anderson wrote Kamahl an email the next day asking him to “accept my heartfelt apologies.”
I was informed that an apology had been delivered to you, Mr. Anderson wrote. “I requested that Mr. Adams personally apologize to you on my behalf.
I would never purposefully mislead somebody on this or any other topic because I have a tremendous deal of respect for you and the contributions you have made to not just the ABC but to our nation.
Later on that day, Adams, who claimed to have given the singer a handwritten letter two weeks earlier, sent another letter of apology to Kamahl.
Adams said in his email, “It bothers me terribly that you think I’ve been both harsh and nasty to you.”
This is the result of a misinterpretation of “that tweet,” which was meant to criticize Bradman rather than you. I’m sorry that you were upset by what I said and that it was misconstrued.
I sincerely apologize.
On Monday morning’s 2GB program, Ben Fordham questioned Kamahl about whether he had accepted Adams’s apologies.
Of course not, the man said. ‘The only way to make amends is to do it openly, whether it is on television or in another manner. It is the minimum that is required.
There is a written letter that says, “There is a laundry list of different things he has personally endured but nothing true.” It also claims that he is married to an Aboriginal female, has a kid, and other things.
Adams used to counter any accusations that he was racist by mentioning his own family, especially his second wife Patrice Newell.
Four days after his first statement, he asked on Twitter, “Is Adams a racist?” a bigot, My wife, who is Aboriginal, and my youngest daughter may not concur.
And neither did my oldest daughter, who became a Jew.
Former model and TV host Newell, who is now an author and biodynamic farmer, was adopted as an infant and subsequently discovered her real mother was Native American.
Aurora, the daughter of Adams, 83, and Newell, 66, was born. Rebecca, a doctor who converted to Judaism, is the oldest of his three additional children from his previous marriage.
Adams said in a previous answer to his detractors that he had long supported gays, refugees, and Indigenous Australians and was a recipient of the Human Rights Award.
He said on Twitter, “Have dedicated my life combating racism in all its manifestations.”
The following day, an emotional Kamahl broke down while telling Daily Mail Australia that Adams was a “bully” and that his “honorary white” statement made him feel ashamed.
“I believe he intended to make fun of me, how dare I be so successful?” said he. “How can I be successful while being black?”
While Adams may have the strongest mastery of the English language, he chose to be mean-spirited despite the fact that he was being flippant. He may have been attempting to be mean.
In order to provide non-whites some of the rights and benefits of whites, the Apartheid administration in South Africa adopted the phrase “honorary white” in the 1960s.
While he is believed to have afterwards regretted his choice, Bradman, who had no connections to the government, was partially to blame for the Australian cricket team’s 1971 visit to South Africa being called off.
The truth is that the athletic legend missed the opportunity to see Mandela because he was ill at the time.
Nonetheless, Bradman sent Mandela a present and a note, praising him as “a champion of humanity and a man with a sympathy for mankind.”
Kamahl said that he was happy to have known Bradman. The two corresponded through over 80 letters, and Kamahl often visited Bradman for lunch and supper at his Kensington Park, Adelaide, home.
»Kamahl wants Phillip Adams to publicly apologize for labeling him a “honorary white.”«