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BET Network co-founder Sheila Johnson urges women to defend Obama from smear campaign

By Alan Gathright, Rocky Mountain News (Contact)

Published August 26, 2008 at 12:11 p.m.
Updated August 26, 2008 at 12:11 p.m.

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Sheila Johnson, co-founder of the BET network, brought the Women’s Caucus roaring to their feet by urging them to defend Barack Obama against racial politics and Republican smear campaigns.

She said too much of the campaign cover has focused on whether the first African-American presidential nominee is “electable,” whether he wears an American flag pin, his foreign sounding name and bogus rumors questioning his Christian faith.

As a light-skinned black, Johnson spoke of the burden of growing up with fellow African Americans calling her “high yella.”

“It was another way of saying that by looking so white” that she was too ambitious and disloyal to her own race, Johnson said.

“My friends ‘high yella’ is racism turned inside out,” she said to cheers.

Likewise, she said Democrats can’t let Obama’s opponents use his race and name to isolate him – “Too white for one world and too black for another.”

While critics attack him with “smoke screen issues,” she said: “Barack Obama is out there…urging us to taking responsibility for our lives…and daring us to dream of the day when we’ll come together as a nation.”

“O-bama! O-bama! O-bama! O-bama! O-bama!” the women stood chanted, shaking tambourines.

“We must talk to our friends about what a great man he is, what a great leader he is and how great men like Barack Obama come around once in a generation,” Johnson said.

“Let’s show the whole world what a woman can do when she puts her mind to it. And let’s elect Barack Obama the next president of the United States,” she added.

Comments

  • August 26, 2008

    12:57 p.m.

    Suggest removal

    Hooligan writes:

    Who cares if he is Black or White- Man or Woman- we should only focus on his ability to do the job. i.e.- save this country from downfall, and facilitate a happy peaceful country, where the citizes can ALL thrive. Right now we are ranked at the bottom in most negative catagories, and at the top of those we do not want to be in.

    But that is not reality, special interest goups run this country, and the "majority" is not being represented. It is no wonder there are so many "anarchist protesters" at the DNC.

    Something is obviously very wrong with our country.