Errol Musk, who is Elon Musk’s dad, recently tried to stand up for his son when people said Elon was racist. Errol said that when Elon was a kid in South Africa, they had Black servants who were like friends to Elon. But instead of helping, Errol’s words made more people upset.
Errol told a news site called NewsOne that he thinks the racism claims are just silly politics. However, many people didn’t like what he said. They think his words show he doesn’t understand how unfair and tough life was for Black people in South Africa a long time ago, during a time called apartheid, when rules kept people apart because of their skin color.
Errol also said South Africa back then was a safe, happy place with almost no crime. But lots of people disagree and say he’s making it sound better than it was. They’re mad because they think he’s pretending apartheid wasn’t a bad thing, when really it hurt a lot of people.
Elon and his dad don’t always get along. Elon says he built his big companies, like Tesla and SpaceX, all by himself with hard work. But Errol says Elon got help from the family’s money, like from a special green gem mine in Zambia. Elon says that’s not true and there’s no proof his dad had anything to do with it.
Even though Errol wanted to help Elon, his words have made people talk even more about the Musk family’s past. Now, some are wondering what Elon really thinks about treating everyone fairly, no matter who they are.
