Joe Biden Refuses to Explain What He Meant by ‘Roaches’ in 2017 Video

The Racial Slur Database, an online website working to combat racism by educating on the etymology of denigrating language, characterizes “roach” as an offensive term used against African Americans. A 2017 paper published by the Rachel Carson Center for Environment and Society denotes the term derives from the tragic history of slavery. European ships carrying enslaved Africans were the first to bring cockroaches to North America—a result of the often cramped, filthy, and inhumane conditions blacks were subject to below deck. The introduction of an invasive species, like the cockroach, alongside slavery in North America gave rise to unfair racial connections.

“The horrifying conditions of the ocean crossing and the formidable economic conditions experienced by African Americans following emancipation gave fuel to a fallacious association between blackness, poverty, and filth that pervades the American cultural imaginary,” Lindsey Garcia wrote for the Carson Center.

One only has to look at the recent public controversy surrounding the rap star Cardi B to understand the negative and racist overtones associated with the term. In 2017, the rapper drew condemnation from the black community for calling dark-skinned African American women “roaches” in old social media posts. Cardi B eventually clarified she was using the term in reference to someone who was “disrespectful,” like many do in her native New York City borough of the Bronx. Even before the explanation was offered, a number of prominent black public figures denounced the artist’s use of the word as racist. Many, cited the term’s longstanding racial significance as an impetus to speak out.

Although it is unclear if Biden knew the offensive history behind the term “roach” when using it in 2017, the former vice president’s record in public office does not bode well for his defense. Biden’s history of racially insensitive remarks spans from his early days in the U.S. Senate, when he warned busing would lead to a “racial jungle,” to his 1988 presidential run, in which he downplayed his support for civil rights to court Southern voters.