I brought you a post last week showing video of the repeated naked racist tone at Tea Party rallies. Yesterday doing their supposed protest of health care on capital hill; Tea Partiers visited their vile racism upon legislators.

It is clear this feigned outrage is not about big government and socialism; as these people didn’t get angry until a Black man became president. Their now blatant racism only underlines what was obvious from the start. The far right is mad that they lost the election; and even madder that they lost it to a Black man.

mlloyd commenting at FrumForum frames the issue succinctly:

The Tea Party movement is funded and supported by GOP outfits like Dick Armey’s “Freedom Works” and Roger Ailes’ tv network [Fox News].
The brackets are my addition

When the GOP controlled the government, they ballooned deficits (and expanded executive power, and squandered our resources in the Middle East, and created an unpaid-for budget-busting Medicare entitlement etc.) without so much as a peep from the people who now go to tea parties.

These outbursts are the natural outcome of this movement. There is no other reason for its existence.

MSNBC as well as others report that Black lawmakers John Lewis and Emanaul Cleaver were called the n-word, and spat upon by Tea Partiers at the “Health care” protest. While likewise openly homosexual Congressmen Barney Frank was called a “f–”.

On their First Read blog they quote the following from African American House Majority Whip James Clyburn:

Clyburn, who helped lead sit-ins in South Carolina in the ’60s had this to say regarding the Tea Partiers:

“It was absolutely shocking to me, last Monday, I stayed home to meet on the campus Pomford University where 50 years ago, as of last Monday, March 15th I led the first demonstrations in South Carolina, the sit-ins…quite frankly I heard some things today that I haven’t heard since that day. I heard people saying things today I’ve not heard since March 15th, 1960 when I was marching to try and get off the back of the bus. This is incredible, shocking to me.

He added, “It doesn’t make me nervous, I am the hardest person in the world to intimidate. … Well a lot of us have said for a long time that none of this is about health care at all. … It’s about extending a basic fundamental right to people who are less powerful.”

As I stated at my Twitter earlier today, I think the racism of the Klu Klux Tea Party is beautiful. Just like with Sheriff Bull Connor and his dogs and firer hoses; the more they show their ugly racism the more they fuel what’s right!

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Tavis Smiley’s “We Count! The Black Agenda is the American Agenda”

Here the last 40 minutes, if like me you don’t want to watch hours of this stuff.

But if you do want to see the whole thing…

…here is the first 3 hours.

See under the cut. Click link for video:
The discussion commences about the 13 minute mark

ACTION in red below.
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Marpessa Kupendua of the Free The Scott Sisters site writes that:

On 12/24/93, the Scott County Sheriff’s Department arrested Jamie and Gladys Scott for armed robbery even though three young males, ranging from ages 14 to 18, confessed to committing the crime and the women have unwaveringly maintained their complete innocence. Despite this, the corrupt Mississippi sheriff used coercion, threats, and harassment to compel the young men to turn state’s evidence against the Scott Sisters due to a long-standing vendetta against a family member. The judge in the case, Marcus Gordon, has an extensive racist past that includes granting bail to the KKK murderer of 3 civil rights workers in 1964. In 10/94 the Scott Sisters were sentenced to extraordinary double-life terms each, despite the facts that no one was harmed, neither sister had prior convictions, no weapon was ever recovered, and the amount alleged to have been taken was approximately $11.00. Even if they were guilty as charged, this sentence is completely outrageous and cruel.

The Scott Sisters are now in their 15th year of incarceration and their five children and grandchildren are being raised by their now ailing mother. The defendants and their family are wholly dependent on support from the press, organizations, and all those dedicated to justice in making this debacle as public as possible.

Jamie Scott, is now in a dire medical situation in Central Mississippi Correctional Facility, and may lose her life before being able to prove her innocence without proper medical treatment. In January of this year she had double Kidney failure, and the prison infirmary is simply not equiped to treat her condition. Yet other than during 1 emegency situations, prision officials have not been responsive to putting Jamie in a facility that can properly treat her.

That’s why we’re asking the public to contact the following officials and demand they act on this situation:

GOV. BARBOUR’S OFFICE
P.O. Box 139
Jackson, Mississippi 39205
1-877-405-0733 or 601-359-3150
Fax: 601-359-3741
(If you reach VM leave msgs, faxes, and please send letters)

CONTACT CHRISTOPHER EPPS
Christopher Epps, Commissioner of Prisons for the State of Mississippi
601-359-5600
CE…@mdoc.state.ms.us
723 North President Street
Jackson, MS 39202

Congressman Bennie Thompson
3607 Medgar Evers Blvd.
Jackson, MS 39213
601-946-9003(ph)
601-982-5337 (fx)
Benniethomp…@mail.house.gov

Congressman John Conyers
2426 Rayburn H.O.B.
Washington, DC 20515
Ph: 202-225-5126
Fax: 202-225-0072

Jamie has endured almost weekly medical failures including chronic and recurring catheter infections, catheter malfunctions, dialysis equipment shut-downs, unsanitary living conditions and inability to receive the medically required diet for someone in her serious medical condition.

At the present time the catheter is grossly infected, causing her greater illness and much more serious risk. According to Marpessa Kupendua, Jamie and Gladys’ mother, Mrs. Evelyn Rasco, received word on March 11, “that Jamie’s temporary catheter has been moved to her chest and is plugged up with green fluid and pus. Her hands, legs and feet are swollen and she is in tremendous pain. She is very, very weak. This is at least her fourth catheter infection and this one is extremely bad, Jamie is doing very poorly. The prison is aware of Jamie’s current condition yet Jamie remains in the prison infirmary.”

PBS.org says of the situation:

Southern cities maintain segregated public facilities — like movie theaters, hotels, and lunch counters in downtown stores. In Greensboro, North Carolina, four black college students stage the first sit-in at a white lunch counter. Activist Jim Lawson holds workshops in non-violent protest at Nashville’s Fisk University. He attracts people like college student Diane Nash and seminarians John Lewis and C. T. Vivian, and teaches non-violent direct action tactics adopted from Indian leader Mahatma Gandhi, including peaceful resistance.

Studnents from Tennessee State and American Baptist College also participated.

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This March is the forty year anniversary of those sit-ins.

NPR did a short piece on the radio last month, prompted by Sarah Palins ridiculous comparison of the Tea Party “movement” to the Civil Rights Movement:

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On April 19th Rev. Jim Lawson will again be picking up the banner of non-violent protest in Nashville leading a march on April 19th. More to come on that in future.

Here’s some video about that time period.

Sis. Marpessa, who works with Mrs. Rasco’s the Scott sister’s mother; has asked Afrosphere bloggers to conduct a day of blogging to help the wrongly convicted sisters specifically at this time of medical need.

Below is a preliminary press release for the Thursday March 18, Day of Blogging. It should provide the info you need if you’re not familiar with the situation or just need more details. You can also visit Mrs Rasco’s site: http://www.freethescottsisters.blogspot.com.

For Immediate Release
Afrosphere Action Coalition – March 18, 2010
Contact: Marpessa Kupendua The of Committee to Free the Scott Sisters at nattyreb@gmail.com

Wrongly Convicted In Dire Health Situation
DAY OF BLOGGING FOR THE SCOTT SISTERS

Jamie Scott, who was convicted with her sister Gladys Scott and given double-life sentences each for an $11.00 robbery of which there was no credible evidence presented at trial. The prison is aware of Jamie’s current condition yet Jamie remains in the prison infirmary.

Mrs. Rasco and Afrosphere Bloggers are calling on the public to request that elected and prison officials in Mississippi immediately move Jamie to qualified medical facilities where she can receive proper medical care forthwith. We also ask that the media do investigative inquiry about this tragic situation.

CONTACT GOV. BARBOUR’S OFFICE
P.O. Box 139
Jackson, Mississippi 39205
1-877-405-0733 or 601-359-3150
Fax: 601-359-3741
(If you reach VM leave msgs, faxes, and please send letters)

CONTACT CHRISTOPHER EPPS
Christopher Epps, Commissioner of Prisons for the State of Mississippi
601-359-5600
CEPPS@mdoc.state.ms.us
723 North President Street
Jackson, MS 39202

Congressman Bennie Thompson
3607 Medgar Evers Blvd.
Jackson, MS 39213
601-946-9003(ph)
601-982-5337 (fx)
Benniethompson@mail.house.gov

Congressman John Conyers
2426 Rayburn H.O.B.
Washington, DC 20515
Ph: 202-225-5126
Fax: 202-225-0072

On 12/24/93, the Scott County Sheriff’s Department arrested Jamie and Gladys Scott for armed robbery even though three young males, ranging from ages 14 to 18, confessed to committing the crime and the women have unwaveringly maintained their complete innocence. Despite this, the corrupt Mississippi sheriff used coercion, threats, and harassment to compel the young men to turn state’s evidence against the Scott Sisters due to a long-standing vendetta against a family member. In 10/94 the Scott Sisters were sentenced to extraordinary double-life terms each, despite the facts that no one was harmed, neither sister had prior convictions, no weapon was ever recovered, and the amount alleged to have been taken was approximately $11.00. Even if they were guilty as charged, this sentence is completely outrageous and cruel.

The Scott Sisters are now in their 15th year of incarceration and their five children and grandchildren are being raised by their now ailing mother. The defendants and their family are wholly dependent on support from the press, organizations, and all those dedicated to justice in making this debacle as public as possible.

Their Story has had some success in getting media of late, the most notable being a very brief mention on HLN’s “Issues with Jane Velez-Mitchell”, a clip of which is available to view here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yO_p3tbjy5E

In an email from Robert Greenwald he states:

I am very pleased and excited to present to you our latest project Cuéntame and your hosts Axel Caballero and Ofelia Yañez.

Join us as we tackle wide-ranging subjects from latest in Latino culture, music and arts to exposing Tea Party racism and Glenn Beck’s dangerous hate speech.

Join the Cuentame movement to expose Tea Party racism at Facebook

Wonder if Mr. Baker is laughing now. It is widely reported that he has been let go as CEO of Tennessee Hospitality Association in a unanimous vote of the organization’s board.

Mr. Baker might think conjuring up old racial denigration standards is funny; but I gotta tell you, getting your comeuppance and losing your job for showing off your pointy white hat, now that’s a riot.

Walt Baker’s interview with News Channel 5 Nashville

Tennessee Hospitality Association CEO Walt Baker sent out an email last week to 12 prominent Nashvillians in which Michelle Obama is compared to a Chimpanzee.

Tennessee Hospitality Association was instrumental in the development of the new Nashville Convention Center project.

On Saturday the publicly funded Convention and Visitors Bureau announced that it would be canceling its $50,000 marketing contract with Baker’s company.

CVB president Butch Spyridon is one of the people Baker sent the email to.

Here is the original email sent by Barker:

From: Walt Baker To: Albie DelFavero, Bruce Dobie, Butch Spyridon, Joe Hall, Peter Heidenreich, Terry Clements, Toby Compton, Chuck Creasy, Rob Moorefield, Ken Whitehouse, Paul Brown, Bob Davis Date: March 4, 2010 9:18:29 PM CST
Quoting Larry the Cable Guy…I don’t care who you are, this is funny…

I was at the store yesterday, and I ran into Tarzan! I asked him how it was going and if he was into anymore movies.



He told me that he could no longer make any more movies as he had severe arthritis in both shoulders and could no longer swing from vine to tree.


I asked how Jane was doing, he told me she was in bad shape, in a nursing home, has Alzheimer’s and no longer recognizes anyone, how sad. I asked about Boy, and he told me that Boy had gone to the big city, got hooked up with bad women, drugs, alcohol, and the only time he heard from him was if he was in trouble or needed something.


I asked about Cheeta, he beamed and said she was doing good, had married a Lawyer and now lived in the White House!!!

Butch Spyridon, in a CVB president press release said:

“On behalf of the Nashville Convention & Visitors Bureau, I apologize for the offensive email sent yesterday by Tennessee Hospitality Association CEO Walt Baker. As a recipient of the email, I am embarrassed for my organization and myself. The content is deeply hurtful to all Nashvillians and beyond. The attitudes expressed in the email are both appalling and unacceptable, and are not shared or condoned in anyway by the NCVB or by me personally.

Nashville’s hospitality industry has worked tirelessly to create a welcoming environment for our visitors and this behavior discredits the work done by so many. After serious consideration, the NCVB has terminated its contract with Mr. Baker’s marketing agency, Mercatus Communications. I have communicated this action and my deep regrets about the email to the Mayor’s Office and other hospitality industry leaders.”

Bakers apology with the prentense that it was somehow not meant to be racist; nor evening insulting:

“Thursday night I spontaneously forwarded — to a small group of people — an email that had been sent to me as political humor. As I forwarded it, I did not think or consider its implications, other than that it was political humor. I am saddened that anyone misinterpreted the sentiments behind the email. I deeply apologize to anyone who is offended by this action. I hope that those who know me realize that the message was not intended to be malicious or hurtful in any way and can find it in their hearts to forgive me.”

Quick Where are they now list of the Jena Six, per Friends of Justice:

Jena Six “” Where are they now?

¢ Robert Bailey Jr. is enrolled at Grambling State University and will attempt to walk on to the football team.

¢ Mychal Bell is enrolled at Southern University and will attempt to walk on to the football team.

¢ Jesse Ray Beard is finishing high school in Connecticut.

¢ Carwin Jones is planning to go to college in Texas starting in August.

¢ Bryant Purvis is enrolled at a community college in Texas and plays on the basketball team.

¢ Theo Shaw is enrolled at Louisiana Delta Community College in Monroe and was elected vice president of the school’s student government association for the 2009-2010 school year.

Former Jena 6 student Robert Bailey Jr. is taking classes at GSU [Grambling State] and will try to make the football team in the fall.

I will add

Justin Barker, the student for who’s beating they were charged; was expelled for bring a gun to school in 2007. Last I could confirm he had dropped out of school, and simply went to work. If that’s changed since I cannot find info to that effect.

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Also

Per Alan Bean at Friends of Justice, the local newspaper; which I believe is the News Star, did a piece on Bailey. Monroe is about 30 miles East of Grambling from my recollection of driving it this past January, and is also the city in which fellow Jena 6 member Mychall Bell resides with his grandmother.

The piece is not avaliable online, but here is some of the text Alan provided:

Former Jena Six student hopes to overcome past, look to future
By Stephen Largen

slargen@monroe.gannett.com

GRAMBLING — What might have sucked most people into a downward spiral only seems to have made Robert Bailey Jr. more determined to turn his life around.

Bailey, 19, is one of the Jena Six — six black Jena High School students initially charged with attempted murder in connection with a Dec. 4, 2006, assault on white student Justin Barker at the LaSalle Parish school.

The controversial case drew attention across the nation after many called the arrests and subsequent charges racially discriminatory and excessive. A massive civil rights demonstration ensued on Sept. 20, 2007, when at least 20,000 people marched through Jena to protest.

Bailey wrapped up his legal issues late last month when, along with Carwin Jones, Jesse Ray Beard, Bryant Purvis and Theo Shaw, he pleaded no contest in a Jena courtroom to misdemeanor simple battery. Bailey and the others were sentenced to seven days of unsupervised probation and a $500 fine, but were given no jail time.

They also reached a confidential settlement out of court with Barker.

The only member of the group to serve time was Mychal Bell, who pleaded guilty in December 2007 to second-degree battery and was sentenced to 18 months.

Now, after graduating in May from Shaw High School in Columbus, Ga., Bailey is taking summer classes at Grambling State University, where he plans to major in marketing. Bailey also will attempt to walk onto the football team as a wide receiver…

[According to Bean Bailey attained a 4.0 in his summer courses]

Can’t go back

Robert Bailey said he has only been back to Jena for a total of three or four days since the controversy exploded.

He said he’s made the choice to keep a low profile.

“When people ask me where I’m from, I don’t like to say Jena,” Bailey said.

“People say ‘You know that’s going to stick with you for the rest of your life, right?’ I’m like, ‘For real?’ And I think about it, like, ,you’re gonna be 40 years old and people are going to look at you like you’re that Jena Six boy. I think it is going to stay with me, but it depends how you look at it. I just choose not to suck myself back into that environment where I know I’m going to get the finger pointed at me. I just choose to stay away.”

Bailey also chose to stay out of the spotlight at Shaw, where he enrolled in January 2008 and stayed with family after being kicked out of Jena High.

For his first six months at the school, Bailey didn’t even use his own name.

Instead, he went by the pseudonym “Xavier Lee,” until a local media outlet identified him as a member of the Jena Six.

“The media found out I was in Columbus,” Bailey said.

“I had people coming to me like, ‘Dang, that’s one of them boys. You seen one of those Jena Six boys?’ I was like, ‘Nah, I ain’t seen him,’” Bailey said with a laugh. “I keep to myself, I try to stay to my own business.”