Yvonna Russell: Delicious Diva Sasha Allen
State Sen. James T. Meeks (pictured right), a Chicago mayoral candidate and reverend at the South Side mega-church Salem Baptist, found himself in boiling water this week, when he made some interesting comments on WVON-AM radio.According to FOX-TV Chicago, Meeks made these comments while discussing his education policy during a forum radio:
"I think that the word 'minority,' from our standpoint, should mean African-American," Meeks said, according to FOX-TV, a conservative news station known for its political bent.
"I don't think women, Asians and Hispanics should be able to use that title. That's why our numbers cannot improve, because we use women, Asians and Hispanics, who are not people of color, who are not people who have been discriminated against. We fought for these laws based on discrimination. Now, groups that have not been discriminated against are the chief beneficiaries."
The comments caused a firestorm of controversy among other elected officials, conservatives, voters and business leaders, who asked Sen. Meeks to clarify what appears to be reverse discrimination and sexist statements about women, Hispanic and Asian business-owners not deserving the benefits of affirmative action.
Now Meeks says his comments were taken out of context and is trying to distance himself from the remarks. In a statement released late Thursday, Bryan Zises, director of Sen. Meeks's campaign, said:
"Senator Meeks strongly believes all minority and women-owned businesses deserve their fair share of City contract opportunities.
"But there's no pretending that Chicago has a history of systemic corruption in its minority and women-owned business program and that African-American owned businesses are the most underrepresented among city contractors. Lucrative contracts have repeatedly gone to companies disguised as minority- or women-owned, resulting in multiple investigations, firings and imprisonment on this issue."
Indeed, Chicago has a long history of political corruption, but Sen. Meeks has a history of foot-in-mouth statements that could very well jeopardize his candidacy in a city that has a history of deep-seated racial politics.
Several years ago, Meeks reportedly likened Mayor Richard M. Daley to a "slave master'' and called some elected officials "house n*ggers who are gonna fight you to protect that white man.''
For another example of Chicago's racial politics, one need look no further than the tumultuous election of the city's first black mayor, Harold Washington, in 1983. Washington battled through the rough and tumble ranks of the notoriously corrupt white Democratic machine politics that still exist today. Washington was not unscathed and the battle to fill his seat after his untimely death in 1987 created a lasting schism among black politicians.
So in an already racially tenuous environment in the city and across the nation, any seemingly disparaging comments about any group could sound the death knell for a public official running for office. In Chicago, blacks make up 33 percent of the 1.3-million likely voters, while whites make up 36 percent of the electorate, according to Labels & Lists, a voter-data agency.
Sen. Meeks is also a member of a crowded field of candidates running to replace retiring Mayor Daley on Feb. 22, including Rahm Emanuel, U.S. Rep. Danny Davis, former U.S. Sen. Carol Mosley Braun, City Clerk Miguel Del Valle and Gery Chico, a former Daley staffer.
Not to mention that the black vote is already splintered among three candidates, including himself, Braun and Davis.
Still, his camp is looking to the future:
"As mayor, he would put an end to the corruption and lack of accountability that has been allowed to go unchecked," Zises said in the statement.
Comments: (21)
Add a comment
By: Julie on 12/17/2010 7:44PM
This individual is a bigot, a racist, and a misogynist who calls himself a "reverend" and is not qualified to run an ant hill.
Reply to this Comment | Report This
By: soundoff on 12/18/2010 1:39AM
As harsh as it sounds but the truth is afirmmative action came into play because of blacks being discriminated against I hardly believe white women are discriminated against not even on a cloudy day. Though he is not my choice for mayor he is right.
Report This
By: brad on 12/17/2010 10:41PM
Meeks is correct. The problem with affirmative action programs is that it may be intended for Black Americans and Mexicans but the African Blacks from Nigeria and Kenya and the Cubans and South Americans will sneak in and take these preferences.
Reply to this Comment | Report This
By: JANEYJEAN on 12/18/2010 9:18AM
Meeks is correct- however it is tough to tell the truth without appearing to be biased. The affirmative action program was designed with too many loopholes, thus anyone, including white women can claim to be a'minority' and thus undermind the real intent of the program.
I am Black and have not benefited from affirmative action- it works aganist us by pre-supposing that we got the job simply due to the color of our skin, rather than our credentials!
You can repeal it now!
Reply to this Comment | Report This
By: eeduj1001 on 12/19/2010 11:38PM
White people are born into the wealth they don't deserve and have never earned. But as black people, we must go about feeling as if whatever we have we don't deserve because of how it must "look" t others regarding whether or not we have finally earned it. I don't care. If I have it I am going to enjoy it.
White folks are never concerned when they have everything about how it must look to others in terms of the color of their skin or when they get a job and haven't been concern about this skin color issue in terms of what they have or deserve for more than 400 years. All I know is that whatever I have I worked for it ( I certainly didn't steal it) and I am going to enjoy it and I don't care about what the racist white folks think or anyone else who is trying to measure my worth in accordance to their perpetual irrational obsessions and compulsions over my race in terms of their constant measurements over what I get to have.
STOP WORRYING OVER THEIR CONSTANT OBSESSIONS OVER WHAT WE HAVE!
Report This
By: clarke on 12/18/2010 12:39PM
ANYBODY THAT IS DUMB ENOUGH TO "TELL THE TRUTH" WHEN IT COMES TO MATTERS LIKE THESE IS TOO STUPID TO BE A MAYOR OF A CITY LIKE CHICAGO. THAT IS THE PROBLEM WITH MOST BLACK POLITIANS, THEY REALLY HAVEN'T LEARNED HOW TO PLAY THE GAME YET. HE THOUGHT HE COULD "TELL THE TRUTH" HOW DUMB WAS THAT?
Reply to this Comment | Report This
By: jeromequigley on 12/18/2010 2:09PM
Clarke: that saddest part about your post is that it is Entirely True!! Look at Nina Turner in Cleveland...she supported a bill she believed in, and would help the city. But she was going against the Old Black Mens Club of cleveland and they slammed her! The call and post had a cartoon depicting her as a modern "Aunt Jemima" with the caption of "I be's da new leader"??? And the call n post is a solely black owned(Don King) paper. And worse when peepz was waiting for the local NAACP to say some thing, they did not know the Prez of that chapter was the Legal Advisor of the call and post as well as editor. So he came out and justified it as being "just political jousting"?? Oh how sad!! But Ms. Turner is and will be a Great Rep for any city or state and she walked right through them! However right or wrong Mr Meeks is, he should of very well kept those opinions to himself! The system set up for the poor,middle income and those not in the power loop(and no not limited to whites only, trust on that) is working just like the rich/powerful wanted it too! They gave into a lot of demands by power players(who are in the LOOP) ie: jessie and Al(but it was all done behind the scenes first and then acted out like a play in front of US citizens, boy what a good show they did too)for the black community, and a lot of things that should never been let to pass because it was giving the AA community as I can best say it: "over priveledge"!(please don't let that throw you off to thinking I don't understand or agree without any doubt that so many AA were wronged in so many ways after being forced to come here. I do!! just read on)that set it up though that once that got it past ever one(white's that truely felt bad for the AA history in the US, blacks who felt and deserved a "fair shot" at life in US). That they could use spin in once everyone was ok with it, spin it by being able to use Affirmative Action for any race and any reason and now that the basic was a tone for the US peepz would not(or if they did would be accused of being a racist or self hater)be able to stop it! So now "a action" is used by everyone who it was not intended for AND it made the AA community weaker! Where as the peepz in my neighborhood(meaning a well mixed of half white half black)the black mothers were one of the Strongest examples you saw! When we would all play together that was who's house you would act the Best at! Cause if not, she would whoop you, then by the time you got home she already called your mom and would get it again!! But by breaking down the history of AA workin endlessly for every thing, the rich/powerful broke that cycle of hard work and family!! Sorry to go off but peepz need to see that we are being divided and played by the Rich/powerful of this country and until peepz stop fussing over the small b.s. and come together we are all doomed to be at the bottem of Their Boots!! Peace!!
Report This
By: clarke on 12/19/2010 10:21AM
HEY jq, THANKS FOR THE INFO. DON'T REALLY KNOW MUCH ABOUT CLEVELAND AND CERTAINLY DIDN'T KNOW THEY HAD AN "OLD BLACK MAN'S CLUB". NOW I DO THINK THEY ELECTED THE FRIST AFRICAN AMREICAN BIG CITY MAYOR, IF I'M NOT MISTAKEN, WHOSE NAME I DON'T REMEMBER RIGHT NOW, WAS IT SOMETHING STOKES?
Report This
By: Lee on 12/18/2010 6:34PM
The brother is right, but in Las Vegas, Asians & Mexicans are working for six dollars and hour. They are not even making minimum wage.
Reply to this Comment | Report This
By: tired of poor me attitude on 12/18/2010 7:24PM
Affirmative action is for those so dysfunctional they can't do it without the the help of the White Man.
Reply to this Comment | Report This