Posted on 10/15/2006 9:59:27 PM PDT by MadIvan
40 years after poll equality was enforced a black leader faces bias accusations
AS YOU drive toward Macon, past festering swampland and Baptist churches, fire-and-brimstone radio sermons filling the car and lumber trucks thundering by, it is hard to shake off the ghosts of the past.
Here, only 40 years ago, in the heart of Mississippi Burning country, the Ku Klux Klan were firebombing black churches and lynching and murdering without fear of arrest. Even today, the thick red clay and sprawling woodlands that line the road still hold the bodies of some of their victims.
African-Americans brave enough to try to register to vote in the early 1960s in this part of the Deep South were met with qualifying questions by white officials: how many bubbles in a bar of soap? How many feathers on a chicken? Whites held every elected office, down to the local tax assessor and police chief.
So it is a startling experience to meet Ike Brown, in a part of Mississippi where discrimination against black people was so bloody and brazen that it became one of the prime motivators behind the 1965 Voting Rights Act, the landmark civil rights-era legislation that outlawed the discriminatory voting tactics of whites.
Mr Brown, a legend in Mississippi politics, is being sued by the Department of Justice for “blatant and outrageous” violations of the Voting Rights Act.
But Mr Brown is black — and his alleged victims are white. For the first time the Voting Rights Act is being used to allege racial discrimination against white voters by a black official. Until recently this was an unimaginable turn of events, particularly in Noxubee County, close to some of the worst atrocities of the civil rights era.
Bill Minor, 84, a journalist who has covered Mississippi politics for 59 years, said: “In 1965 it was inconceivable that the Act would be used against blacks in Mississippi. The whole rationale of the act was to stop whites stopping blacks from voting. It totally turns the Act on its head.”
When Mr Brown, the head of the Democratic Party in this part of rural Mississippi, arrived in Macon 26 years ago, all but one of the county’s 44 elected officials were white. Today, only one is white: Ricky Walker, the county’s prosecuting attorney. He is also a Democrat, but alleges that when he sought re-election in 2003 Mr Brown recruited a black opponent — who was ineligible to run because he was from another part of the state — simply because he was white.
“That was racist,” Mr Walker says, sitting in his office on Main Street, Macon.
“He actively supports one Democrat over another, and they are always black. And he’s said he will get me sooner or later.”
Mr Brown is also accused of excluding whites from political meetings, intimidating white voters and blocking them from voting by challenging their registrations.
Mr Walker says that there is “no doubt” that blacks in Mississippi suffered terrible abuses, and condemns it. “But those times are long since past. Mr Brown’s case is an indication that the Act has worked so well, and circumstances changed so much, that the need for it has changed. It is the white minority that now needs protection.”
Few would suggest that whites are being systematically victimised in the South. Indeed, racism against blacks is still a problem. But the transformation of the political landscape in the South since the civil rights era is profound.
In 1970, there were only 86 elected black officials in Mississippi. Today there are more than 800 — more than any other state in the US.
“Mr Brown’s case does not surprise me,” said one lawyer who asked not to be named. “Blacks and whites are human. They tend to act the same way when they get into power.”
Mr Brown scoffs at Mr Walker’s contention that whites need protecting. He says that the case has been brought against him by the Bush Administration because he has been so successful at filling political posts with blacks.
Whites such as Mr Walker run as Democrats, Mr Brown says, but they always vote Republican in presidential contests. Only blacks are reliably Democratic.
Mr Brown’s lawyer, Will Colom — a black Republican — said: “Ike, like every politician in Mississippi, has to deal with the question of race. But he deals with it like it was dealt with in the 1960s and 1970s. He doesn’t recognise the progress we have made.”
However, Mr Colom adds, he has seen no evidence that Mr Brown has done anything wrong.
“This case just shows that the white minority in Noxubee County have been able to access the Justice Department. And there are still no blacks in Mississippi who could do that.”
TOWARDS CIVIL RIGHTS
August 28, 1955 Emmett Till, 14, a black teenager from Chicago, was abducted from his great-uncle’s farm in the Mississippi Delta town of Money for allegedly whistling at a white woman in a grocer’s shop. His mutilated body was found three days later by fishermen. The woman’s husband and half-brother were acquitted of Emmett’s murder by an all-white jury after only 67 minutes ’ deliberation
June 2, 1964 Three civil rights workers — James Chaney, Andrew Goodman and Michael Schwerner — were murdered by the Ku Klux Klan in the Mississippi town of Philadelphia. The murders caused a nationwide outcry and President Johnson called in the FBI. Nobody was ever charged with their murder. In June 2005, Edgar Ray Killen, a former Klansman, was convicted of manslaughter for orchestrating the killing
March 7, 1965 In Selma, just across the Alabama border from Macon, Mississippi, 600 civil rights marchers were attacked by state and local police with clubs and teargas. Scenes of the bloody marches were broadcast across the US, and the Selma attacks became one of the most infamous symbols of the era
May 1954 One of the most important cases of the civil rights-era was Brown v Board of Education in Topeka, Kansas. In the landmark decision, the Supreme Court declared that racial segregation in schools was unconstitutional
Regards, Ivan
Ping!
“In 1965 it was inconceivable that the Act would be used against blacks in Mississippi. The whole rationale of the act was to stop whites stopping blacks from voting. It totally turns the Act on its head.”
If that was the case then the act was never about "equality"
but was only race based legislation.
Democrats hate it when the shoe is on the other foot and it doesn't fit.
I never knew the American south was turning into South Africa!
Is the Times aware that it was a Republican who wrote the Voting Rights Act?
"Few would suggest that whites are being systematically victimised in the South. Indeed, racism against blacks is still a problem."
Darn right, whites aren't being systematically victimzed at all. In fact, racism is alive and well, keeping blacks down. I've heard tales about blacks being discriminated against regularly, with extra credit being given to white students with lower grades and test scores to allow whites into colleges and get them scholarships. In fact, whites can get scholarships solely on the basis of their skin color. And they regularly get civil service jobs because of the color of their skin, since that puts them over the point total over their competitors.
Oh, wait a sec...I think I have how affirmative action works all backwards again. Must be I keep thinking about that silly 'content of their character' line of King's and getting it mixed up.
Next step:
Take away farms and give them to cronies.
Excellent point.
this is just the another plank in the lib/sem political platform....apartheid against white taxpaying americans!!!!
why should they be able to vote...they will NOT vote for lib/dems...therefore...they should be barred from the voting booth!!!!
What a load of CR#P! Racism against all kinds of races is still a problem all over the world, and will always be a problem. Such is human nature. It is way too easy to zoom in on the South and see "racism" and pretend it doesn't exist anywhere else.
And what is with the last four paragraphs reiterating the atrocities of the 50's and 60's? That is history now. How about pointing out some of the advantages blacks have over whites now.
**August 28, 1955 Emmett Till, 14, a black teenager from Chicago...June 2, 1964 Three civil rights workers — James Chaney, Andrew Goodman and Michael Schwerner — were ...March 7, 1965 In Selma, just across the Alabama border from Macon, Mississippi, 600 civil rights marchers ...May 1954 One of the most important cases of the civil rights-era was Brown v Board of Education in Topeka, Kansas.**
I think Bill Clinton was at ALL of those events.
The quote from that journalist jumped out at me too. Almost like he's bemoaning the reverse application now.
Mr Brown’s lawyer, Will Colom — a black Republican — said: “Ike, like every politician in Mississippi, has to deal with the question of race. But he deals with it like it was dealt with in the 1960s and 1970s. He doesn’t recognise the progress we have made.”
However, Mr Colom adds, he has seen no evidence that Mr Brown has done anything wrong.
“This case just shows that the white minority in Noxubee County have been able to access the Justice Department. And there are still no blacks in Mississippi who could do that.”
Wait a minute, I thought he said only blacks were reliably democrat. Does this mean his ahem, "republican" (how convenient) attorney votes democrat too??
I wonder if Mr. Brown and his attorney would like a little cheese to go along with their whine.
"White folks don't like being discriminated against any more than black folks do..."
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.