The set up and attack on Sheryl Sherrod has provided us with a true teachable moment. One that is filled with many memorable lessons on how to handle race baiting.
By now if you have taken the time to listen to the news reports it is obvious that Sheryl Sherrod was set up by Andrew Breitbart. Sherrod wasn't the target of Breitbart's attack, it was The National Association for the Advancement of Colored People. This is obvious in the headline of the video post. Video Proof: The NAACP Awards Racism-2010.
There were many bloggers who jumped on the original video and condemned Sherrod's remarks about a situation in which she had to help a White farmer. Sherrod admitted that she had some pretty strong feelings about being in this position. Feelings that were not pro helping the farmer.
What nobody knew at this time was the full context of her speech. The video had been cut to make it seem as if Sherrod was admitting she was a racist and misused her position with USDA to deny services to a White farmer in jeopardy of losing his property.
The video clip motivated Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack to demand Sherrod's resignation. It was co-signed by Ben Jealous the President and CEO of The NAACP.
Now that the full video of Sherrod's speech on March 27, 2010 is now available it is obvious that she gave a tremendously honest and educational speech. If you haven't viewed it yet, I suggest that you take time to do so.
She really did some teaching that evening. I enjoyed her remarks.
Now that the truth has been released into the situation, the NAACP is declaring that they were snookered. I had to look this term up because I wanted to be sure that I fully understood the definition before I made my comments.
The term snookered is used in billiards. The slang definition of snookered means to lead another into a situation which all possible choices are undesirable; a trap. It also means to be fooled by someone. The formal meaning of snookered is to leave your opponent without a shot. This is in reference to playing billiards.
While it is true that a trap was set up for the NAACP to step into, Ben Jealous is not going to get a pass from me on his actions. He is the individual who walked into the situation without having the full facts on hand. The trap might have been set to snare the organization but Jealous basically handed the opposition the NAACP's behind uncovered.
Before Jealous stepped out in the public to decry Sherrod's "racist actions", he should of requested an upload of the entire speech. The NAACP has a You Tube account. That is where I viewed the video. The speech is about 45 minutes long. If he had taken the time to view Sheryl's address before stepping out with his remarks-this story would have an entirely different twist. The heat for race baiting would be turned on Andrew Breitbart and all the journalist and media outlets that ran the story as true.
That's not how it worked out. Jealous left an impression about the organization that he leads that does not set well on my mind.
Ben Jealous was quick to throw up the historical facts of the NAACP's anti-racist work, he seems to have forgotten that Sherrod was never contacted by him for clarification regarding her remarks. How is it that The National Association for the Advancement of Colored People can totally overlook a woman of color in the center of a major controversy over race related issues? That is what happened. A point that Glen Beck has gleefully pointed out in his defense of Sherrod.
Ben Jealous is a high profile Black male leader. At this moment I would tell my sons to not follow his example in this case. He sent a national message out that I am finding really hard to ignore. Women of color should not expect any protection from the national leadership of the NAACP.
Males of color need to be more concerned about protecting imagery instead.
This is how I see his actions. He was quick to side with the very forces that set the trap. Then when the truth unfolds he wants to use a pass to excuse his actions. Instead of standing up like he honestly needs to do. Owning up to his part in this situation. Issuing an apology to Sheryl Sherrod for his remarks about her professional judgement and actions.
If the national Black male leadership never issues apologies to Black women, what type of example is being set for younger generations of Black people to follow? Jealous is not truly a victim in this situation. Sherrod is the victim. He joined in the attack on the side of the people who set up her up to get at the NAACP. I don't expect much from racist minded individuals. But if Jealous is going to be the leader of the NAACP, he needs to do the right thing.
This is how I see the situation. I am not going to let him use the trap as a bypass for his response. He was wrong and he needs to own up to his mistake.
That is the true teachable moment in this situation.
Wednesday, July 21, 2010
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1 comments:
Yes. I've been saying this for the last 24 hours. They gave Breitbart, the same man who published video about ACORN that a court ruled was doctored, more benefit of doubt than they gave Shirley Sherrod. In essence, they willingly chose a liar's word. And now Brietbart is running around and still not taking responsibility.
The NAACP seems to have forgotten the struggle. They called out the racist tea party elements and then took knives to a gun fight. *SMH*
However, Ben Jealous has been apologizing all over the place to Shirley Sherrod. So has the White House. So has Vilsack. Not that it excuses them, however.
Someone asked me how is it I'm on the NAACP's case more than the White House. I said it's because it was an NAACP event at which Sherrod spoke. They should have been the first ones to check out the facts. All it would have taken is a call to their chapter in Georgia that held the Freedom Fund Banquet. They found the tape quickly enough after the **** hit the fan. Why not before?
But I wish that someone would take Breitbart out of the picture. What he did and what he's doing is reprehensible. He admitted that he didn't care what happened to Sherrod when he ran posted that clearly edited clip. He was so anxious to discredit the NAACP, he didn't even stop to think about what he was doing and didn't bother to watch the whole video until after the AJC broke the story and Sherrod was on CNN calling him a liar.
And Fox News is acting like they weren't one of the first networks running the edited clip.
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