“On Tuesday, the NAACP passed a resolution denouncing racist elements within the Tea Party movement. Responding to the resolution, Tea Party Express chairman Mark Williams lashed out against the civil rights group, claiming that “they make more money off of race than any slave trader ever.” Williams continued his assault last night on CNN, telling host Roland Martin, “Racists have their own movement. It’s called the NAACP.” So what does Williams do to refute the charges of racism in the tea party? He posts the following satirical letter on his website. “Apparently Colored People are an entirely new race of people and one to which the title applies. Here NAACP President Precious Ben Jealous explains to President Abraham Lincoln the reasons for the resolution in this newly discovered letter :”
Dear Mr. Lincoln
We Colored People have taken a vote and decided that we don’t cotton to that whole emancipation thing. Freedom means having to work for real, think for ourselves, and take consequences along with the rewards. That is just far too much to ask of us Colored People and we demand that it stop! In fact we held a big meeting and took a vote in Kansas City this week. We voted to condemn a political revival of that old abolitionist spirit called the ‘tea party movement’. The tea party position to “end the bailouts” for example is just silly. Bailouts are just big money welfare and isn’t that what we want all Coloreds to strive for? What kind of racist would want to end big money welfare? What they need to do is start handing the bail outs directly to us coloreds! Of course, the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People is the only responsible party that should be granted the right to disperse the funds. And the ridiculous idea of “reduce[ing] the size and intrusiveness of government.” What kind of massa would ever not want to control my life? As Coloreds we must have somebody care for us otherwise we would be on our own, have to think for ourselves and make decisions! The racist tea parties also demand that the government “stop the out of control spending.” Again, they directly target Colored People. That means we Colored People would have to compete for jobs like everybody else and that is just not right. Perhaps the most racist point of all in the tea parties is their demand that government “stop raising our taxes.” That is outrageous! How will we Colored People ever get a wide screen TV in every room if non-coloreds get to keep what they earn? Totally racist! The tea party expects coloreds to be productive members of society? Mr. Lincoln, you were the greatest racist ever. We had a great gig. Three squares, room and board, all our decisions made by the massa in the house. Please repeal the 13th and 14th Amendments and let us get back to where we belong.
Sincerely, Precious Ben Jealous, Tom’s Nephew National Association for the Advancement of Colored People Head Colored Person
Yes this is proof positive that there is no racist element within the tea party. At least that is what Massa Mark would want us to believe. He has removed the letter from his site and apologized for using the word “massa.
Comments
Well, Williams is right about one thing. there IS a racist organization out there, and it is the NAA(Liberal)CP. While I don’t think such satire is helpful at that level of leadership, he wouldn’t be the first to do it nor the last. It distracts from the very real concern that the NAA(L)CP needs to purge the racist elements from THEIR ranks before they go casting stones at anyone else.
(P.S., it’s time to find a different name for this group. Don’t get offended if someone refers to “colored people” if you have that as part of your name.)
Ok elogam since you say there is racist elements to NAACP what examples do you cite as such? Perhaps if you were aware of the history of the organization you wouldn’t sound like a slightly sanitized version of Williams your self if you ask me.
I can clearly site visual examples of elements of the Tea Party movement that do showcase racism. Here is some right here:
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/04/15/tea-party-photos-tax-day_n_186752.html
And spare me the whining of the fact it’s from a liberal site please (rolling my eyes)!
It is unfortunate that from your writings I see on Politics page that you just don’t get it about racism. Nor in a lot of ways do I expect you to. Thanks to people like Williams and to some degree people like yourself you have proved the NAACP right on the bigoted elements of the teaparty. Such a happy day (sarcasm injected)!
If you read his post, while he has removed the letter and talked about moving forward with Mr. Jealous, he did not remove any of the comments made before he edited out the “satire.” Read them. His explicit racism and depiction of black people as the “lowest common denominator” are pretty much all the proof we need that while the Tea Party as a whole may not be racist, this leader most certianly is.
If “racist” is a word he doesn’t like, perhaps we should just use the term “Xenophobe” instead. That covers both the President’s Muslim and Kenyan roots, not just skin color!!
Tea Party rules:
When they call us racist, be horrified and outraged because there are only a handful of racists in the party… but at the same time, call the Obama administration racist because of 4 radical black panthers.
Embrace the term “feminazi,” but scream “sexism” when anyone challenges the credibility or intelligence of Sarah Palin.
*Insert more hypocritical rules here*
“His explicit racism and depiction of black people”
Marney,
I have no interest in getting into an argument about specific words and language and I don’t know what is in Mr Williams’ heart, but if we deconstruct the letter, here is my take:
- There is a belief on the right that “civil rights” leaders and organizations like the NAACP and the Reverends Jackson and Sharpton actually keep black Americans down by creating a sense of hopelessness to affect their own lot and by looking to the government(Democrats) for crumbs of “advancement”. This keeps Black Americans beholden(almost slave like)to the government and reliable Democratic voters.
- I’m not making any judgment on the existence of racism in America, but regardless, many on the right, including me and folks like Bill Cosby and Juan Williams believe that black Americans would me in much better shape by looking within instead of to the Government.
With that said, now let’s look at Mr Williams satirical letter written from the leader of the NAACP to Abraham Lincoln. Without judging the relative merits of using words like ‘massa’, he attempts to write it in a vernacular of the mid-19th century and transferring the modern day “civil rights” perspective to the period of emancipation.
Sometimes, the best way to demonstrate a concept is to take it to an extreme and that’s what this letter does. From an academic perspective, I believe that Mr Williams was attempting to demonstrate what he perceives as the modern day civil rights movement actually keeping black Americans in servitude to the Government and the Democratic Party.
Again, not judging the detail and execution, but I do not think this is overt proof of racism. It’s satire used to make a point and if one can resist the surface charge of racism (which is thrown around WAY to easily these days) you can see that the letter does a decent job of demonstrating how the “civil rights” movement has lost it’s way.
Libertarian, it is unfortunate you are bringing critical and intellectual analysis into a “feelings” fight. Such displays of reason are a waste of effort on those who lead purely with emotion. You either agree with them or there’s “obviously” a problem with you. Sort of the same “you’re with us or against us” argument that the Left disliked about GWB. Thanks anyway….
“…you can see that the letter does a decent job of demonstrating how the “civil rights” movement has lost it’s way.”
Dear “Libertarian,”
Whether or not the Civil Rights movement has lost its way is beside the point. This letter is not a reasonable or logical critique of the state of civil rights in the U.S. This kind of foul and offensive “satire” has no place in a mature dialog on race, civil rights, or the workings of government in our country. Neither does it have any place in any sort of innocent satirical critique of civil rights.
Personally, I’m glad that Mark Williams has lost his s**t in public and shown what a disgusting person he is. His attempt at humor is *beyond shameful* and it *is* racist and offensive. If you aren’t offended by Williams’ letter, you ought to be!
The NAACP has done the right thing in this situation. I hope others join their voices against this hate.
It is an interesting progression of comments, if one cares to read and analyze them. The Libertarian presents logic and analysis, and the obviously non-libertarian Anna shoots it down based not on single fact, but on feelings and personal attack, completely validating Elogam’s point above. By the way, Anna, if critical satire “has no place in a mature dialog on race, civil rights, or the workings of government in our country,” then Jonathan Swift should be expelled from the ranks of great writers (assuming you’ve read him).
Mark Williams is not unique nor the first to make the accusation that the government is the new slave master and that millions of Americans are quite satisfied to reduce themselves to slavery in return for a handout (which is sometimes quite generous, especially for those that know how to work the system) and a total absolution from responsibilities and requirements to think for themselves. Although slavery in the modern American mind implies race, this in fact, could not be further from the truth. Slavery has existed among whites, blacks, reds, and whatever other color a human can have. In modern America, slavery, economic and mental, exists among all races, creeds and nationalities. It is entered into willingly by an individual when he trades independent actions and thinking for a government handout. A number of black writers, business people and even politicians (very few) have been saying the same thing – get off the plantation. To challenge them in a logical and intellectual manner would be suicidal for any socialist or an opportunist (like Sharpton, Jackson, etc.) So the evident response to them is silence. Perhaps they’ll just go away… The response to Mark Williams is, of course, different. Here, a standard tactic (it never fails) is used – accuse him of being a racist. Do not analyze what he said, just devalue him personally by calling him a racist.
Mark Williams represents a population of American Citizens. I am totally disappointed that more people will not take a stand and face reality. The race war is useless, the problem is the economy. I am pastoring a multi-racial congregation, we love God and each other. They do not see me as a black woman. but as their spiritual leader. Mark Willims, you need guidance, your letter was intented to provoke a race war, but the war is on the economy. I would like for others to join me in a race to promote a progressive economy, positive choices and for the betterment of all Americans.
Libertarian, I was specifically talking about the comments Mr. Williams made AFTER his ridiculous “satire” letter, not what he wrote in the letter itself, which is what you appear to be defending. His sense of humor sucks, if you ask me, and that letter was just stupid. But if he says it’s “satire,” fine, I’ll take him at his word.
But in the comments that followed the post, someone pointed out to him that people who don’t understand his “satire” could be offended, to which he replied that he didn’t care about the opinions of “the least common denominator.” (You actually have to go to his blog and read those comments, they are not on this post.) It’s fair to make the connection that those who are most offended by his attempt at humor would be black people, and hence, Mr. Willaims equates those black people as the “least common denominator,” and by his own words, he doens’t care about them or their opinions.
THAT is his explicitt racism and depiction of black people. Not in the part where he was trying to be “funny,” but rather, where he defends his sense of humor by refering to those who fight against racism as the “least common denominator.”
Perhaps Mr. Williams should be more careful when responding to comments on his blog, lest his inner racist burst on out.
You know, I have listened to both sides of this argument for years and I have determined some interesting facts.
1. White people give power to Jesse and Al, by proclaiming that they speak for ALL BLACK FOLKS! 2 men speak for 20 million? wow.
2. You harp on the word “colored” but historically, that is what whites called black people when the organization was founded. Now, if you noticed it encompasses all colors, so from a historic, and current sense, the name is ok.
3. I have found many whites that think because there are many historically black groups and organizations, the fact that we call them black, means we are racist. It flies in the face of the fact because of Jim Crow and overall hatred of all things black historically, we had to have separate groups, facilities, etc.
4. The idea that black folks do not think for ourselves and we want to be lead by a “massa” again, is a white belief. I think it is to justify their own racial bias and prejudices. I have never thought of Jesse or Al, or the NAACP as my leaders. I am a registered independent. My problem is that the current republican party, or tea party for that matter doesn’t make many black people feel that we actually matter or belong really. Some of my political beliefs are on par with both parties, but because i am a black man, most instantly think that i am fully in the democratic party frame of mind. talk to a few of us, you may be surprised of the answers.
There are many racist in this world, and it all results from fear by whites, and mistrust by black folks. Until we learn that like it or not we are americans, and if we dont have a war or a tragedy to bring us together, and learn to be americans first, we will fail as a nation!
By the way, I also wrote this in response to the letter:
Ishtarmuz in response to Mark Williams’ letter to Abe Lincoln, Wrote Ayn Rand.
http://ishtarmuz.wordpress.com/2010/07/19/in-response-to-mark-william%E2%80%99s-letter-to-abe-lincoln-i-wrote-ayn-rand/
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