Former ESPN anchor Sage Steele blasted the Left’s “preaching” of “diversity, tolerance, and acceptance” while she has faced criticism for celebrating her biracial identity.
Steele sat down with Daily Wire Editor Emeritus Ben Shapiro on the “Sunday Special” edition of his podcast for an hour-long conversation about her career and the fallout at ESPN. After telling Shapiro about what led to the infusion of politics and sports at ESPN, Steele was asked about the pressure she has received to repeat leftist talking points on race and gender.
“You’re a black woman, which means that you have two of the intersectional checkmarks, but you don’t necessarily mirror everything that the intersectionality crowd would want you to say,” Shapiro said. “How much pressure have you gotten both inside ESPN and then also just from the outside world to sort of repeat slogans that people think you should be saying based on your identity?”
“I think one of the biggest things that has made me so divisive and disliked and at least parts not all for sure, but parts of the black community is my conversation about being biracial,” Steele replied. “So if I’m asked and if I’m filling out a census … I’m going to check black and white, you know, my dad’s black, my mom is white.”
“I’m so proud of both. And for some reason that’s controversial,” she continued, adding that she would expect her family’s racial makeup to be celebrated by those who constantly push for more diversity, equity, and inclusion.
“And I just was always confused by that and like, why isn’t my family the actual perfect definition of diversity and tolerance and acceptance and inclusion?” Steele asked.
“Why is it bad that I love my mom as much as my dad and want to celebrate her as well? And when I was crushed for that a few times, I got ticked off. I’m like, enough. This is total B.S.,” she said. “And it’s actually complete hypocrisy, the opposite of what we are preaching of diversity and tolerance and acceptance.”
WATCH THE FULL ‘SUNDAY SPECIAL’ EPISODE WITH SAGE STEELE
Steele, who recently launched her new podcast “The Sage Steele Show” on Bill Maher’s Club Random Studios platform, told Shapiro earlier in the interview that politics wasn’t a major concern at ESPN until there was a “huge turn” in 2016 when Donald Trump defeated Hillary Clinton in the presidential election.
A few years later, Steele was punished by ESPN for negative comments she made on COVID vaccine mandates and President Barack Obama. Steele left the network in 2023 after settling a lawsuit with ESPN, alleging the company wrongfully retaliated against her after she expressed her opinion.