California lawmakers have decided not to recognize the day the actor John Wayne was born as “John Wayne Day” after reviewing a past statement opponents say was “racist.”
On Thursday, legislators reviewed a 1971 Playboy magazine interview with the famous actor, in which he talked about white supremacy, according to reports.
“We can’t all of a sudden get down on our knees and turn everything over to the leadership of the blacks,” he said. “I believe in white supremacy until the blacks are educated to a point of responsibility. I don’t believe in giving authority and positions of leadership and judgment to irresponsible people.”
Several Republican lawmakers reminded the group that Wayne is recognized as an American hero worldwide.
Proponents for the resolution also argued that other people have had such an honor regardless of controversial things that they may have said or done in the past.
However, once the vote was cast it fell 35-20.
May 26, 2016, had been the day lawmakers were going to pick as John Wayne Day. An airport in Orange County is already named after him.
The lawmaker who had originally made the resolution to honor Wayne said it failed because of “the orthodoxy of political correctness.”