Columnist Argues the Farrakhan Litmus Test Must Go
Marjorie Valbrun, a columnist for TheRoot.com, remembers when Louis Farrakhan gave a first controversial speech at Madison Square Garden in the fall if 1985. The media sought out every black prominent political leader they could find and asked if they would denounce him. Valbrun said "something was wrong with this picture."
Nation of Islam leader Louis Farrakhan listens to the applause of the crowd before delivering the keynote address at the Nation of Islam's Saviour's Day convention February 25, 2007 at Ford Field in Detroit, Michigan. The title of the speech was 'One Nation Under God: The Confusion, the Guidance, the Warning.'
Bill Pugliano/Getty Images
"Bullying black leaders to represent the entire black race and to speak and think as one, while also treating every loud-mouthed, controversial black leader as if they represent the opinions, political views and personal aspirations of every black American, seemed to me to be a journalistic and political double-standard that was rarely, if ever, applied to white leaders and politicians."
And 23 years later, she argues, things haven't changed much, as witnessed in the exchange Tuesday night between NBC debate moderator Tim Russert and Sen. Barack Obama over remarks made by Farrakhan in support of Obama. (As Valbrun correctly points out, Farrakhan did not officially endorse Obama -- in fact, he specifically said he didn't want to say anything that would hurt Obama, understanding how his remarks would be used -- but said Obama was the "hope of the entire world that America will change.")
"Why is it that only after they repudiate Farrakhan are they then deemed not to be closet black militants?," she writes. Neither Farrakhan ("Most blacks in this country could give two hoots what the man says or thinks"), nor Al Sharpton nor Jesse Jackson have the influence over black Americans that white Americans think they do.
And she says that white politicians are not held to the same standard. For instance, when talk show host Don Imus made racist remarks about the black female basketball players at Rutgers University.
"Reporters did not run out in droves to ask white politicians to reject Don Imus after he made his remarks about the black female basketball players at Rutgers University. White politicians did not eagerly line up to do so. Nor did they repudiate fellow white politicians who did not. A few, and only a few, said they would no longer go on the Imus show. (Tim Russert, who appeared often on the Imus show, was not among those who said they would no longer be a guest.)"
Valbrun says considering that it's been 23 years, and that very few black Americans look to Farrakhan for "direction on how to vote," it's time to put "put the Farrakhan litmus test to rest -- for good."
8:00 AM ET | 02-28-2008 | permalink
