Lowery was hardly race-bating,,,those who accuse him are just stupid stupd stupid

[Perky]

This was not about people's voting decision. He did not say "vote for Obama".

This was about endorsermsnets and those who continue to poo poo his candidacy. and those who think it is not time for a black candidate to run for president who was not a part of the civil rights struggle of the sixties.

“No matter how much education they have, they never graduated from the slave mentality,” Lowery said of those who have advised Obama to wait, or have doubted his ability to compete in a general election.

“The slavery mentality compels us to say, ‘We can’t win, we can’t do,’”

But this elder stateman who was one of Martin's liuetenant, a key figure in the Civil Rights struggle. a man who has known Jim Crow and has been the point of the spear in the movement, is making a very valid point about the naysayers within the the Old Guard.

Here is a black man who is the epitome of what King was talking about in the "I have a dream" speech and there are some within that community saying he is not black enough.... He is not one of us.....He does not share our experiencees. He is not worthy." That is lagely because those experiences define them. It is largely a generational thing....but that generation can sometime get stuck Genuflecting towards Sweet Auburn and Selma and singing "we shall ovvercome" rather than recognizing that Obama is what overcoming is about.

Compare what Lowery says above with waht Obama said in Selma a few weeks after he annunced he was running for president.

We're in the presence today of giants whose shoulders we stand on, people who battled, not just on behalf of African Americans but on behalf of all of America; that battled for America’s soul, that shed blood , that endured taunts and formant and in some cases gave -- torment and in some cases gave the full measure of their devotion.

It's because they marched that we elected councilmen, congressmen. It is because they marched that we have Artur Davis and Keith Ellison. It is because they marched that I got the kind of education I got, a law degree, a seat in the Illinois senate and ultimately in the United States senate.

It is because they marched that i stand before you here today. was mentioning at the Unity Breakfast this morning, my -- at the Unity Breakfast this morning that my debt is even greater than that because not only is my career the result of the work of the men and women who we honor here today. My very existence might not have been possible had it not been for some of the folks here today. I mentioned at the Unity Breakfast that a lot of people been asking, well, you know, your father was from Africa, your mother, she's a white woman from Kansas. I’m not sure that you have the same experience.

And I tried to explain, you don't understand. ....


So don't tell me I don't have a claim on Selma, Alabama. Don't tell me I’m not coming home to Selma, Alabama.

I’m here because somebody marched. I’m here because you all sacrificed for me. I stand on the shoulders of giants. I thank the Moses generation; but we've got to remember, now, that Joshua still had a job to do.

As great as Moses was, despite all that he did, leading a people out of bondage, he didn't cross over the river to see the Promised Land. God told him your job is done. You'll see it. You'll be at the mountain top and you can see what I’ve promised. What I’ve promised to Abraham and Isaac and Jacob. You will see that I’ve fulfilled that promise but you won't go there.

We're going to leave it to the Joshua generation to make sure it happens. ...


We've got to get over that mentality. That is part of what the Moses generation teaches us, not saying to ourselves we can't do something, but telling ourselves that we can achieve.

[maddiejoan]

1. Vote for Obama

or you are still a slave.

gotcha.

[William769]

2. There was no mistake in that message.

But then again when you take all the messages that are being put out, you do get a MO.

[Perky]

6. idiocy....plain and simple

you can say it it over and over....but it is not what he said.

[maddiejoan]

8. Then perhaps you should learn how to read.

[Perky]

7. idiocy....plain and simple

you can say it it over and over....but it is not what he said.

[ellacott]

3. This is a very hard concept for people to understand

As witnessed by the response. It's kinda sad.

[MethuenProgressive]

4. Lowery was obviously playing the Race Card.

One civil rights veteran who is backing Obama shares that view. Joseph Lowery, former head of the Southern Christian Leadership Council, calls colleagues who are supporting Clinton "good old boys."

"They are business-as-usual, old-guard politicians and it's hard for them to break out of that mold," Lowery said.

At a speech Wednesday before the Hungry Club at the Butler Street YMCA in Atlanta, Lowery said blacks who doubt Obama's ability to compete are guilty of "a slave mentality."

"No matter how much education they have, they never graduated from the slave mentality," Lowery said. "The slavery mentality compels us to say, 'We can't win, we can't do."'

"good old boys" = Red Necks
don't support Obama = guilty of having a slave mentality
I see the OP innocently forgot to add a link.
Here's a link: http://www.nbc11.com/politics/15082596/detail.html

[Perky]

5. You have no sense of what Lowery is about and who he was talking to

Do you even know who is in the Hungry club.?

Do you even know who was at the event in Selma?

Have you ever listened to the Selma speech?

There is a huge difference between saying vote for Obama or you have a slave mentality and saying those b;lack leaders who marched with Marting who do not see that Obama is the hope of MLK's dream, ned to come out of their appeal to History.


The comment was not about race as it was about generational change. He is saying that the old guard leadership that chooses not to embrace Obama is stuck in the desert.

And I can assure you that"good old boys" was not a reference to rednecks that is just nonsensical. It was a reference to Andy Young's comment of about a month ago. WHere he said that Obama was not ready beccause he did not have enough "family around him" meaning old guard black leadership.

[MethuenProgressive]

21. "The comment was not about race" - Perky

That's a silly thing to say. Even for you.

[Perky]

23. It was not about race....It was about intergenerational poliics within the SCLC

As a point of fact it was really about Andy Young and purposely echoed Obama's speech in Selma.


Do you even know who is in the Hungry Club?

[redqueen]

9. Sorry, but the implication is that Black people who don't support Obama have a "slave mentality"

It's clear & undeniable.

If you don't want to call it race-baiting, fine... IMO it is, but opinions differ.

One cannot ignore the disgusting implication he made, though.

[ellacott]

11. My goodness, that's not what he said

Why do you all keep reading over words. That's not what he said at all. It's so amazing to me that so many whites that have commented here keep reading over words.

What is disgusting is how people don't take time to understand.

[redqueen]

13. Oh, I'm white now?

:puke:

I'm done attempting to discuss this shit right here and now. I will not get pissed off again with this racist BS.

[IndianaJones]

16. I would characterize it more as bigoted BS. I thought you were red. nt.

[ellacott]

22. Well shit, my mistake

but you definately are wrong in what you are saying.

[EffieBlack]

20. Rev. Lowery implied no such thing. You can infer anything you wish, but that doesn't

make your inference accurate.

[Barack_America]

10. Blacks aren't even allowed to discuss internalized racism within their community?

Wow. Did he specifically tell blacks to vote for Obama? Or did he just discuss his fears that they wouldn't due to this "slave mentality".

What frightens me most is that many people here don't recognize an intellectual discussion when they see one.

[ellacott]

12. It's truly sad

[EffieBlack]

14. It's sad - and remarkably paternalistic

Far too many white folks love to lecture black people about how we need to "get over" racism, how our leaders never speak truthfully to us, but instead are "race pimps" intent on convincing us that racism is still alive and well.

Yet when a civil rights leader of Rev. Lowery's caliber and reputation speaks plain and tells his black audience that black folk must get past a fear of racism and not allow it to keep them from moving forward, some of these same white people (most of whom probably don't have a clue about who he is and what he did for this country and for THEM) trash him, call him names, and insist that he's "playing the race card."

Good Lord save me from white folk who claim to be progressive, yet think they have every right to instruct black folk how to think, speak and behave.

[ellacott]

15. Yes

They know better.:eyes:

[IndianaJones]

17. there is some truth to your statement. nt.

[Barack_America]

18. Effieblack, would you mind starting a thread about Rev. Lowery?

I, for one, would like to know more about him.

(or if there is a thread that I missed, could you kick it?)

[ellacott]

19. Very well said

W.E.B. DuBois spoke about the same thing with (some)White Liberals.