Coors was criticized for remarks he made on February 23, 1984, in a seminar held by the Minority Business Development Center in Denver. In off-the-cuff remarks, he stated that "...ancestors were dragged here in chains against their will… I would urge those of you who feel that way to go back to where your ancestors came from, and you will find out that probably the greatest favor that anybody ever did you was to drag your ancestors over here in chains, and I mean it." He also remarked Africa's economic problems stemmed from "a lack of intellectual capacity."