A sports reporter who accused a young Chiefs fan of racism against both Black people and Native Americans has learned that not only was the child not wearing blackface, but he is a Chumash Indian.
Deadspin reporter Carron Phillips accused Holden Armenta of mocking black people after seeing a profile photo that didn’t have half of his face painted in the red of his beloved football team.
Phillips also slammed Holden’s Native American headdress and his “Tomahawk Chop” gesture, claiming the little boy had “found a way to hate black people and Native Americans at the same time.”
Tonight it emerged that the youngster himself has Native American heritage and that his grandfather is a member of the Santa Ynez Band of Chumash Indians, and that the team’s multi-ethnic squad had enthusiastically joined in with Holden’s “Indian” chop gesture.
“Just stop,” the boy’s mother, Shannon Armenta, wrote on Facebook, “he’s Native American.”
Deadspin reporter Carron Phillips accused young Kansas City Chief fan Holden Armenta of wearing racist blackface after seeing a photo that didn’t have half of his face painted in the red of his beloved football team
The Pulitzer-nominated reporter also touched on Holden’s Native American headdress — before his mother revealed her son has Chumash heritage
Phillips claimed the boy had ‘found a way to hate black people and Indians at the same time’
Phillips’ comments sparked a firestorm of debate when he picked Holden’s photo from the 65,000-strong crowd at the Raiders’ Allegiant Stadium on Sunday.
‘It takes a lot to disrespect two groups of people at the same time’ He wrote in his blog on the sports website.
“This is what happens when you ban books, oppose Critical Race Theory and try to erase centuries of hate,” he wrote in his blog on the sports website.
“You are giving future generations the ammunition they need to evolve and recreate racism better than before.”
Other websites picked up the story with broadcaster CBS criticizing which zoomed in on Holden’s outfit.
“Everyone is making a huge deal out of this and trying to show only one side of their face to push their narrative,” Real Kansas City Chiefs fans protested on Facebook.
Deadline was corrected by content curators at social media platform X when it tweeted the story.
“The child is not wearing ‘blackface,’” they wrote.
“The Deadspin article is intentionally misleading. As several fans in attendance noted, the other half of his face is painted red.”
And X owner Elon Musk weighed in on the controversy, congratulating his team on discovering the flaw.
“Another victory by @CommunityNotes that exposes deception,” he tweeted.
Within hours, other photos of the boy emerged showing his face painted in the team’s full red and black colors, but the Pulitzer-nominated reporter was unabashed.
“For the idiots in my mentions who consider this an innocent act because the other side of his face was painted red, I could argue that it makes it worse,” he tweeted.
“You’re the ones who hate Mexicans but wear sombreros on Cinco.”
The football team is under increasing pressure to drop the “Chiefs” from their name, following the former Washington Redskins who were renamed Washington Commanders in 2022.
Native American headdresses have been banned at the team’s Arrowhead Stadium since 2020, and there is pressure on them to also ban the chopping motion – which resembles a tomahawk strike – that fans use to show their appreciation.
“If the NFL had banned hacking of Chiefs games and been more aggressive in changing the team’s name, we wouldn’t be here,” Phillips wrote in his piece.
Holden with his headdress and his family at a recent Chiefs game
Holden’s outfit won him fans among the Raiders’ cheerleaders on Sunday
Enthusiastic Chiefs fans have defied calls to end their use of the tomahawk chop
“While it is not the union’s responsibility to prevent racism and hatred from being taught in the home, it is a union that has ruthlessly participated in prejudice.”
“This has nothing to do with the NFL,” Shannon wrote on Facebook.
“CBS has also shown it several times and this is the photo that people have chosen to sow division.”
Ny Breaking.com has reached out to the former New York Daily News reporter for his reaction to the revelation about Holden’s heritage.