Tuesday, August 3, 2010

Statement by Niger Innis

National Spokesman for the Congress of Racial Equality (CORE)

National Black Conservative Press Conference

National Press Club, Washington DC

August 4th, 2010

I am so proud to be here with my colleagues representing the Congress of Racial Equality, a 68 year old civil rights organization. The civil rights movement with great leaders like Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and countless others changed America for the better. The racial pendulum has swung dramatically in America, and we can all thank that great revolution for it.

But tragically, the grand daddy of all of us in the movement, the NAACP, has become a vehicle for the most divisive racial politics. It has become a wholly owned subsidiary of the most extreme elements of a political party. I am not naive. I know that civil rights and politics have intersected in the past. But where as the King led civil rights movement impacted the politics (and both political parties) of the 50's and 60's; today's NAACP has become the handmaiden of politicians. And it is spewing racially combustible politics that is a betrayal of their own legacy.

These race baiting tactics often employed by the NAACP reflect the tactics, not of it's past leaders that helped dramatically change America for the better, but the opponents of said change; the opponents of the Civil Rights revolution. Instead of whites wearing Klan robes terrifying other whites by alleging fantastical lies about blacks, you now have suit wearing blacks terrifying other blacks and browns with the fantastical lies perpetuated about Americans exercising their 1st amendment rights -- the Tea Party. Same racial terror tactics, just different color victims and victimized.

It is not only a pleasure, but a duty of the Congress of Racial Equality to stand here, with our colleagues and confront the racial lies as we did during the civil rights period. To testify to the fact that we have been enthusiastically invited and warmly received by numerous Tea Parties, North and South, East and West. This Tea Party movement echoes the grassroots movements that made America what she is today. It follows the tradition of the Abolitionist movement, Women's Suffrage movement, anti-Vietnam protests and the aforementioned Civil Rights Revolution.

I proudly stand with my conservative colleagues against this racial terrorism being executed by the NAACP and elements of the Democratic Party. We know that it's not only the right thing to do today, but it is what the great leaders of yesteryear would have done; including the past leaders of the NAACP.

For more information regarding tomorrow's National Black Conservative Press Conference, please visit: http://www.lloydmarcus.com/?p=1392