La. Pol's 'Buckwheat' Remark Sparks Ire

[Newsjock]

Source: Associated Press

HOUMA, La. (AP) — A white state lawmaker in a runoff election called a black civil-rights veteran who had helped her campaign "Buckwheat," prompting the NAACP to urge voters to kick her out of office.

Rep. Carla Blanchard Dartez, a Democrat, acknowledged that she ended a Thursday night conversation with Hazel Boykin by saying, "Talk to you later, Buckwheat." Dartez had been thanking Boykin for driving voters to the polls.

... Boykin, 75, helped desegregate restaurants and the parish school system in the 1960s. Her son, Jerome, is president of the Terrebonne Parish chapter of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People.

... Jerome Boykin said Monday he planned to ask voters to cast ballots against Dartez, who faces Republican Joe Harrison in Saturday's runoff.

"At this point, the NAACP is not concerned about the Democratic Party or the Republican Party. If a Republican is elected because of her racist remarks, that's her responsibility," he said of Dartez.


Read more: http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5jol1stoHanScCbli9oDkzKFgjiBgD8SSDCQG0

[seriousstan]

1. "I made an insensitive comment, and I regret my choice of words," ?????

Where does the idea that "Buckwheat" is a choice come from? How does your brain have that in the "choices" to begin with?

I am not one who takes immediate offense to "targeted" words. I think "tarbaby" has a legitimate use as "quagmire". I also think it can be used as a racial slur. It's use can be debated....but Buckwheat?? Especially since there seems to be no personal exception granted between these two people. They didn't have a running "Little Rascals" joke between them.

[humbled_opinion]

13. Whew at least she didn't call her a nappy headed HO !!!

[XemaSab]

2. Buckwheat?

[zbdent]

3. stupid!!! stupid!!! stupid!!!

hate to let it happen, but if you're that dumb ... she may as well lose ...

[cstanleytech]

5. Yup shes dumb if not atleast a closet racist. NT

[kimmylavin]

4. What an idiot!

And look at all that Ms. Boykin has done, for YEARS.
What a stupid, insensitive and totally disrespectful thing to say.

[skipos]

6. LA has a lot of Republicans pretending to be Democrats (Nagin comes to mind). Is Dartez another? nt

[bigworld]

7. Is 'buckwheat' always racist?

I know several older (white) people who use it regularly toward younger (white) people as a term of endearment, sort of like "whipper snapper."

I wouldn't think, given the circumstance, she meant it any other way.

And I would hope that the NAACP looks at her entire record before calling her out on the usage of this term.

[daleo]

11. I think it's ok for pancakes

But I think it is best avoided in other contexts.

[cstanleytech]

12. Depends on the useage, maybe she was joking but I really doubt it.

As for the NAACP that made me chuckle, some ways they behave nearly as bad as the KKK in my opinion.

[NorthernSpy]

8. Dartez is trash -- she also drove drunk, and her husband employs illegal aliens...

http://www.nola.com/newsflash/louisiana/index.ssf?/base/news-35/1194915244253500.xml&storylist=louisiana


I think the NAACP is absolutely right on this. This trashy bitch doesn't deserve to win.

[superconnected]

9. Buckwheat? That woman is bad for the dem image.

[Dr.Phool]

10. She only gets off the hook if Boykin says "Dats O-tay".

Which ain't gonna happen.