Ben Carson opened his tenure as Housing and Urban Development secretary with remarks to agency staff about American idealism that drew unwanted attention when Carson equated slaves to immigrants.
"There were other immigrants who came here in the bottom of slave ships, worked even longer, even harder for less. But they too had a dream that one day their sons, daughters, grandsons, granddaughters, great-grandsons, great-granddaughters might pursue prosperity and happiness in this land."
It's not the first time that Carson, who was confirmed last week, has discussed slavery in the political sphere. In 2013, he called Obamacare "the worst thing that has happened in this nation since slavery."
