As serious as the controversy in Jena, La., is, there’s no reason for a veteran civil rights leader to accuse an African-American presidential candidate of “acting white” simply because he hasn’t emphasized the issue to the leader’s liking. And yet, that’s exactly what’s happened with Jesse Jackson and Barack Obama.
The Rev. Jesse Jackson sharply criticized Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama Tuesday over his reaction to the arrest of six black juveniles in Jena, Louisiana on murder charges, accusing the Illinois senator of “acting like he’s white,” according to a South Carolina newspaper.
The comments reportedly came during a speech at Columbia’s historically black Benedict College.
The State newspaper reports Jackson later said he did not recall saying Obama is “acting like he’s white,” but continued to condemn the Illinois Democrat as well as the other presidential candidates for not bringing more attention to this issue.
Jackson, who endorsed Obama earlier this year, said, “If I were a candidate, I’d be all over Jena…. Jena is a defining moment, just like Selma was a defining moment.”
As a substantive matter, I think Jackson is on firm ground imploring the country to take the Jena Six matter more seriously. It is, as I argued the other day, one of the more painful examples of racism in recent memory. Everyone — the media, politicians, etc. — should demonstrate a sincere interest in what’s transpired.
But “acting white”? That’s cheap and offensive; Jackson really ought to know better.
For what it’s worth, it’s not as if Obama has been ignoring the Jena controversy. Last week, long before Jackson’s comments, the senator’s campaign released a statement not only condemning the charges against the Jena six, but also calling on the local Louisiana district attorney to drop the excessive charges brought in the case.
“When nooses are being hung in high schools in the 21st century, it’s a tragedy,” the Obama statement said. “It shows that we still have a lot of work to do as a nation to heal our racial tensions.” Indeed, as Andrew Sullivan noted, Obama’s been talking about the case quite a bit recently.
Apparently, by Jackson’s standards, this is insufficient. Worse, it’s “acting white.” Wow.
Because Jackson’s comments in South Carolina have percolated up to the national news, Jackson’s Rainbow PUSH Coalition felt compelled to issue a statement responding to the uproar this afternoon.
I reaffirm my commitment to vote for Sen. Barack Obama. He has remarkably transcended race, however the impact of Katrina and Jena makes America’s unresolved moral dilemma of race unavoidable. I think Jena is another defining moment of the issue of race and the criminal justice system. This issue requires direct and bold leadership. I commend Sen. Obama for speaking out and demanding fairness on this defining issue. Any attempt to dilute my support for Sen. Obama will not succeed.
It’s a curious statement. First, it doesn’t deny the “acting white” charge. Second, he alludes to efforts to “dilute” his support for Obama, though, as Greg Sargent noted, it’s not at all clear that anyone is trying to drive a wedge between them. If anything, Jackson was doing that all on his own with his comments in South Carolina.
Sullivan makes the case that this could inadvertently help Obama, by positioning him as a new generation of leaders who are detached from the old guard. Obama is just as committed to civil rights, the argument goes, but this is a new message from someone taking a new approach.
Maybe, maybe not, we’ll see how this plays out. In the short term, though, I think Jackson owes Obama an apology.