Did Palin Really Say She Wouldn't Hire Blacks?
Sarah Palin admittedly hasn't had much of a track record when it comes to acknowledging let alone promoting diversity during her short tenure as Alaska governor. She's on record with a terse utterance on hate crimes legislation and another one on cultural diversity.
During the 2006 gubernatorial campaign she told the Eagle Forum that she opposed expanded hate crime legislation. In her gubernatorial campaign booklet in 2006, Palin gave her equally terse view of discrimination. She simply said that she and her gubernatorial running mate would provide opportunities for all Alaskans. There is no record that Palin has made any other public statements on diversity and minority issues since then. This in itself might be cause for only a slight eyebrow raise.
But Palin's skimpy track record and paucity of words on diversity is relatively tame compared to the far more damaging accusation that's making the rounds. On April 29, fourteen Alaska black leaders that included prominent ministers, NAACP officials, and community activists met with Palin to voice their complaint over minority hiring and job opportunities. During the meeting she allegedly said that she didn't have to hire any blacks. Even more damning, she purportedly said that she didn't intend to hire any.
This charge is so racially incendiary that it sounded like yet another one of the legion of Palin urban legends that have fueled the cyber gossip mill from the instant Republican presidential contender John McCain plopped her on his ticket. The charge had to be confirmed or denied. If Governor Palin or any other public official flatly said that they had no intention to hire blacks that would be politically unpardonable. And for a potential vice-president it would and should be the kiss of death.
In a phone message to this writer, Megan Stapleton, a Palin spokesperson who works with the McCain-Palin campaign committee, vehemently denied that Palin ever said that she would not hire blacks. Sharon Leighow, a communications spokesperson in the Alaska governor's office, also disputed the allegation. She said that Palin's press secretary was part African-American and that two of her senior advisors were Filipino and Korean.
But Leighow was also adamant that Palin did not hire staff persons based on color, but solely on talent and skill. As she put it, "Governor Palin is totally color-blind."
In a call to this writer, Gwen Alexander, President of the African American Historical Society of Alaska who initially reported Palin's quip stuck by her contention that Palin made the racially charged retort. She also charged that Palin did not support or even officially acknowledge the group's annual Juneteenth Commemoration.
June nineteen is celebrated as the date of slave emancipation in Texas. Alaska is one of thirteen states that have designated it an official holiday. Other Alaska governors have sent the traditional greeting and acknowledgment to the Society. Alexander says Palin snubbed the group.
The unofficial charge then is that Palin is insensitive to the state's African-Americans, and that includes refusing to hire and appoint African-Americans. That charge is hotly disputed by Palin's staff and they cite names and numbers to back it up. But apart from the veracity of the charge and the denial, Palin's statement that she's absolutely color blind when it comes to hiring and appointments does set off warning bells.
The color blind argument strikes to the heart of the continuing debate over what and how far governor's, indeed all public officials, should go to insure that their staffs and their appointments truly represent the broadest diversity possible. Officials must make a concerted outreach effort to make that happen. Palin's color blind posture more often than not has been nothing but a convenient excuse not to seek out, and hire and promote African-Americans and other minorities in their administration, no matter how qualified.
Diversity is a major issue this election. It's implicit in Democratic rival Barack Obama's White House run. It's explicit in Ward Connerly's anti-affirmative initiative on the ballot in three states this November. Obama opposes it. McCain backs it, and so does Palin.
Palin's commitment to diversity is no small point in Alaska. According to the 2000 Census figures blacks make up officially about four percent of the state population. But those who self-identify at least in part as African-American bump up the percentage much higher. This is not an insignificant number especially when American Indians, Aleuts, Eskimos, and Asians are taken together. Minorities then make up about one quarter of Alaska's population. This makes the state one of the most ethnically diverse in the nation. Diversity must be more than a word that an Alaska governor pays campaign lip service to and then ignores.
Palin's campaign and gubernatorial spokespersons say the knock that she is hostile to blacks and minorities is unfair. That may well be true. But to those Alaska black leaders who challenged Palin on her administration's minority hiring practices, to them the knock is much deserved.
Earl Ofari Hutchinson is an author and political analyst. His new book is The Ethnic Presidency: How Race Decides the Race to the White House (Middle Passage Press, February 2008).
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African-Americans make up around 4% of the overall population of Alaska.
We should familiarize ourselves to the history of African-Americans in Alaska:
www.akhistorycourse.org/articles/article.php?artID=233
African-Americans who built the highway to Alaska stayed to live after it was completed. Taking the position that the people who continue to play a significant role in the building of the infrastructure of Alaska should not be represented on the staff of Gov. Palin is preposterous.
Gov. Palin's attitude toward Alaska's black population indicates what her feelings might be toward all African-Americans as vice-president and possibly president of the United States. Like Sen. McCain, Gov. Palin shows little or no respect for the observance of Juneteenth Independence Day in America. Juneteenth is an official state holiday observance in Alaska which requires the Governor to issue an annual proclamation. Despite the statute, Gov. Palin did not issue a Juneteenth Proclamation in 2007.
Gov. Palin still refuses to meet with African-American leaders of the Ministers Alliance to discuss job opportunities for African-Americans during the building of the Alaskan pipeline. Again, in my opinion, if elected to the White House, most likely her actions toward African-Americans will not change. Let African-American leaders in Alaska tell their own story about Gov. Palin. I remain quite concerned about what I am hearing.
“DOC”
Rev. Ron Myers, Sr., M.D.
National Juneteenth Observance Foundation (NJOF)
www.Juneteenth.us
As for Governor Sarah Palin's involvement in the African American community, the Governor's office hasn't participated in any of our Alaska Juneteenth Events. All previous Alaskan Governor's have traditionally attended and participated in our annual Juneteenth Celebration. Gov. Palin was the first governor not to send out a congratulatory letter or assist us in any way with our Juneteenth activities.
I didn't have the courtesy of receiving a reply when I asked for a representative from the Governor's office to come and speak at our Juneteenth Celebration if Governor Palin was unable to attend. I never even heard of Gov. Palin until she was elected Mayor of Wasilla, Alaska, in Mat-Su Valley.
My other opinion is why would an individual who, to my knowledge, has not hired any African Americans on her gubernatorial staff, insist so passionately on being on a television show owned and operated by an African American, Oprah Winfrey?
While meeting with Black leaders concerning the absence of any African Americans on her staff, Gov. Palin responded that she doesn't have to hire any Blacks and was not intending to hire any. What kind of attitude is this toward African American for who may be the first Vice-President of the United States?
Gwendolyn Alexander, President
African American Historical Society of Alaska
Alaska Juneteenth Celebration
P. O. Box 143105
Anchorage AK 99514
(907) 884-6860
I'm still not clear why a Texas holiday would be celebrated outside of Texas. June 19 is when news of the Emancipation reached slaves in Texas. Alaska was a part of the Russian Empire at the time and was not involved in our war.
I'm skeptical that a politician would make such remarks. I'm skeptical that if such remarks were made that nothing would be made of it. The gov of NY hires a hooker and it's lead news nationwide but the gov of another state makes overt racist remarks to NAACP leaders and nobody considers it newsworthy until she's running for VP and almost a month has to pass after she is selected before the story come out? Even then it's still not big news but something that blogger has to break?
In the post above this one where you sign a different name but use the same handle you explain that these leaders were to discuss the opportunities of blacks to work building a gas pipeline. Since the pipeline is being built by TransCanada Pipelines why ask the gov about jobs at all? Why not ask TCP?
Editor's correction to story needed:
JUNETEENTH IS A STATE HOLIDAY OR STATE HOLIDAY OBSERVANCE IN 29 STATES, NOT JUST 13 AS REPORTED IN YOUR STORY!
"DOC"
Rev. Ronald V. Myers, Sr., M.D.
Chairman
National Juneteenth Holiday Campaign
National Juneteenth Observance Foundation (NJOF)
National Juneteenth Christian Leadership Council (NJCLC)
www.Juneteenth.us
www.19thofJune.com
www.njclc.com
www.JuneteenthJazz.com
And this is what, America?
The best way to disprove this allegation is to produce the name of Black employees that she has hired. This should be public information so no privacy concerns here....
They have: "That charge is hotly disputed by Palin's staff and they cite names and numbers to back it up."
Sarah Palin allegedly referred to Obama as Sambo after his victory in the democratic primaries.
Here's an interview with the Author who broke the story
http://newsone.com/elections/article/newsone-exlusive-interview-with-charley-james-writer-who-broke-sambogate
Here's the original story
http://newsone.com/article/palin-called-obama-sambo-clinton-the-b-word-
And being willing to get real about all of this. I am very worried about the singular direction, wild anger and racism that is so blatant in this election season.
A quick story -- S. Palin was at her church awhile back for a program. Part of the program was about God's retribution. The speaker's example was how a palistenain (sp) loaded up a truck with explosives, drove the truck through a check point and then blew the truck up killing some Jews. [That is the tone that he had.]He indicated that it was ok since killing the Jews was retribution and they deserved it since they had not been "converted."
This view can manifest it self with power foreign policy and reflected back with power, no education loans, racist policies -- a modern share cropper life.
Of coarse McCain said nothing and Palin never got up and left in protest.
Since Alaska wasn't purchased until 1867 and didn't achieve statehood until decades later, why would they celebrate June 19th? What sense does that make? When the proclamation reached Texas Alaska was part of a different country thousands of miles away with no interest in the war.
Palin has stated that she is colorblind in hiring and promoting practices. Are you suggesting that she shouldn't be? Are you suggesting that there should be a racial component in who gets hired regardless of if that is the best person for the job? What sense does that make? Do you practice this in your life? Suppose you needed a life saving surgery, you could seek out the best doctor regardless of who it may be and there are plenty of skilled minority surgeons and one of them may be the best. But what if the best doctor isn't a minority? Would you go to a less qualified doctor because they are a minority regardless of their skill? What if the most qualified doctor is a minority but a member of the largest minority, should you still use them or should you seek out a doctor from a even smaller minority skill be damned?
You again? And you ask why I called you a bigot? You pop up in every blog defending white insensitivity to minorities. Alaska has around 30,000 AAs. It's not about Alaska's statehood. It's about recognition of the struggles of a specific people, much like what's done in the US with jews and holocaust reminders. And THAT happened in an entirely different country!! And there is no such thing as "colorblindness" if that means hiring anyone but people of color. And you're confusing yourself with that doctor analogy. What if you were injured in Vietnam, Desert Storm, Afghanistan or wherever you've been, and the only corpsman able to put pressure on your wound, give blood, or do a field operation on your carcass was black? Would you say "no! find me a white corpsman"? As a marine, you of all people should know better.
yes me again, what else am I going to do all day? be productive for my employer?
My last post with the actual debate was deleted, I don't know why I don't curse at all and always strive for civility. Anyway
Why is it that hiring the best person for the job regardless of who they are is racism if the person they hire is white? If there were a blind hiring process such as all applicants were at least initially only reviewed based on written applications and all names had been removed and the best person for the job was not a minority would this still be racist? How?
Are you insinuating that people of color can't compete with white people and must receive a built in boost to be competitive? That sir, smacks of racism and has no place in a civilized society.
"Since Alaska wasn't purchased until 1867 and didn't achieve statehood until decades later, why would they celebrate June 19th? What sense does that make? When the proclamation reached Texas Alaska was part of a different country thousands of miles away with no interest in the war."
Your conclusion is preposterous. When did Alaska join the United States? 1959. That is almost 50 years ago.
For you to ask the question " . . . didn't achieve statehood until decades later, why would they celebrate June 19th?" is unbelievable. There are 29 states that currently celebrate Juneteenth. No state is required to celebrate it.
However for you to justify their not using it for the reason you questioned is dumb, dumb, dumb!
Alaska was purchased from the Russian Empire in 1867 and became a US territory, they achieved statehood in 1959.
But I digress using either date Alaska wasn't a part of the US when the Emancipation Proclamation was read or when the Emancipation was enforced in TX. I'm stumped to explain why any state other than Texas would celebrate a Texas holiday. Do other states also celebrate Texas Independence day or San Jacinto Day? Why not?
This woman is evil. I hope the Mcains are not so naive to think that she is trully with them. The minute John Mcain screws she will be the first vice president in history to challenge the president to score politically. This nonsense about her standing up to the good old boy network are calculated moves to boost her image. She is said to call Obama sambo so fill in the blanks.
The real P_lin
http://www.laprogressive.com/2008/09/05/
I'm patting myself on the back for finally reading your entire post. It's nice to see you come around to logical conclusions based on real thoughts and feelings, instead of a self-created negative-imaging of reality. Congratulations on an honest, gut-level posting.
Tony
That's because she lost the "Miss Alaska" to a beautiful black woman!
Good point... really makes you wonder!
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