Daniels’s remark provoked criticism for being insensitive about the historical context surrounding cotton-picking, which is commonly associated with antebellum slavery in the South.
“Hey racist, picking cotton was typically not a paid position,” wrote one commenter.
“White people have NO history of manually picking cotton in the USA so I feel like he’s being racist..” wrote another.
Others were more sympathetic to Daniels’s message, which appeared to be a general statement about the perceived immaturity of the new crop of college students.
“I think he’s saying they need to learn what it’s like to have to actually do hard work that’s all,” another commenter wrote.
Earlier this week, Daniels was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame.
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