DJ's Quip Linking Haitians and HIV Sparks Outrage

Henry Louis Gates' "The Root" ^ | 22 Dec | Valcourt

[flowerplough]

Community leaders gathered near radio station Hot 97's New York headquarters Tuesday to call for the firing of popular DJ Cipha Sounds, who said on air last Friday, "The reason I'm HIV negative is because I don't mess with Haitian girls."

Cipha Sounds, whose real name is Luis Diaz, has since walked back his comments. In an on-air apology, Sounds called his joke "stupid" and "tasteless" and said he was embarrassed. "I do nothing but rep for the Haitian people," he said. The apology came after the hip-hop and R&B radio station saw a backlash from listeners, including complaints on Twitter and Facebook.

Community leaders and elected officials -- including those of Haitian descent -- who gathered on Tuesday, however, said that Sounds' apology wasn't enough. "Don't get it twisted," said Manhattan Deputy Borough President Rosemonde Pierre-Louis, who is Haitian American. "This is only the beginning." New York has the largest Haitian immigrant population in the United States.

A spokesperson for the radio station could not be reached for comment Tuesday.

Sounds isn't the first Hot 97 DJ to come under fire for offensive comments about people of specific ethnic groups. In 2005 a couple of staffers were fired by the station after a tsunami-relief parody containing racial slurs about Asians aired.

[flowerplough]

Paging "Patient Zero". And you probably won't find the quote online, but semi-accused, possible-kid-raper Paula Poundstone, way back in the GRIDS/AIDS days, used to joke about the newly-discovered disease slowed her way down, because she'd primarily been attracted to poor bisexual intravenous-drug-using Haitian men.

[GeronL]

Too close to the truth to be offensive.

[achilles2000]

They find it offensive because it is so close to the truth.

[Echo4C]

Funny, went to the link and found out this guy co-hosts the show with Peter Rosenberg. People in the DC area might remember Peter Rosenberg from a few years back when he hosted a midday show on 106.7 WJFK (now called The Fan). Rosenberg is a VERY ignorant leftist, and I wouldn’t be surprised if this Cipha Sounds guy is too.

[A_Former_Democrat]

Good grief, some people need to lighten up. The guy apologized and make a fool of himself. That’s enough. Leave him alone.

[hinckley buzzard]

Yes, coming from Haiti was one of the original risk factors for AIDS.

[HighWheeler]

“Sounds called his joke “stupid” and “tasteless”.”

— -—

Notice he didn’t say he was wrong about his original assertion.

[Does so]

For a certain perverted segment of our population, visiting Haiti could result in AIDS.

[blam]

Does Haitian = Black?

[Neidermeyer]

Does Icelandic = White?

[1rudeboy]

I heard people referring to it as the “4H” club back in the 1980’s. Haitians, hemophiliacs, homeosexuals, and heroin users.

[blam]

"Does Icelandic = White?"

Okay. Good answer.

However:

Indians In Iceland

(ahem)