Sen. Harry Reid (D-NV) Apologizes for Characterizing Then Presidential Candidate Barack Obama As "Light-Skinned" with "No Negro Dialect"

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid apologizes for describing then-presidential candidate Barack Obama as a black candidate who could be successful thanks to his "light-skinned" appearance and no Negro dialect."

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid is apologizing for putting his foot in his mouth. He offered an apology following reports he privately described then presidential candidate Barack Obama as a black candidate who could be successful, thanks in part to his "light-skinned" appearance and speaking patterns "with no Negro dialect unless he wanted to have one." Wow. I had a flashback to "Gone with the Wind" and Hattie McDaniel, who won an Oscar Award for "best supporting actress. The comments were reported by journalists Mark Halperin and John Heilemann in their new book "Game Change," according to CNN. The book is scheduled for official release next Tuesday. Reid's comments were inappropriate and he needs to step down. We know if a Republican made those comments, Democrats, including Rev. Al Sharpton, would be screaming for his or her resignation.

As much as I disagree with Harry Reid on many of his positions, including this racist statement, I will concede that I have a problem with the diction emanating from the mouths of some young blacks in this country. The reality is that someone who talks like that could never be elected into public office anywhere. Let's say it like it really is. I recall in 1996, the Oakland school district proposed introducing "Ebonics" or "African American diction" to its curriculum as a way of reaching black students. There are some who feel that any African American who has oratorical skills similar to Barack Obama, is educated and professional, he or she is considered a "wannabe," meaning want to be like whites. Still, the reality is that some blacks aren't the only ones who have a dialect. What about some of the white people who reside in the Ozarks, Appalachian mountains, as well as those in the rural areas of the South, who speak with a weird dialect? How would Harry Reid feel about them? I am also disappointed that Harry Reid had to make his support of Barack Obama based on the fact that he is "light-skinned." That plays into the age-old stereotype that lighter skin blacks are treated better in this country. This is a teachable moment and President Obama shouldn't just dismiss the issue of race by saying he accepts Harry Reid's apology. He needs to stop running from race and stand up and help America understand these issues.

“He (Reid) was wowed by Obama's oratorical gifts and believed that the country was ready to embrace a black presidential candidate, especially one such as Obama - a ‘light-skinned’ African American ‘with no Negro dialect, unless he wanted to have one,’ as he said privately. Reid was convinced, in fact, that Obama's race would help him more than hurt him in a bid for the Democratic nomination," they write.

Harry Reid told CNN in a statement Saturday that “I deeply regret using such a poor choice of words.”“I sincerely apologize for offending any and all Americans, especially African Americans for my improper comments. “I was a proud and enthusiastic supporter of Barack Obama during the campaign and have worked as hard as I can to advance President Obama’s legislative agenda.” Source: CNN

I hope the African Americans voters remember his comments when he comes campaigning for re-election in Nevada. Once again, Harry Reid has proven that he only cares about blacks in this country when it suits him. According to a recent poll by the Las Vegas Review-Journal, 52 percent of voters had an unfavorable opinion of Reid, 33 percent had a favorable view and another 15 percent said they're neutral. In early December, a Mason-Dixon poll put his unfavorable-favorable rating at 49-38. The lowest Reid's popularity had slipped before in the surveys was 50 percent -- in October, August and May of 2009, when Mason-Dixon started tracking the senate race for the Review-Journal. He's in more trouble than he cares to admit and serves him right.

So, while Harry Reid is facing an uphill battle for his Senate seat, we have our own battles to fight. Let us take back our communities for the thugs wreaking havoc on many neighborhoods across this country. Let's fight to bring our schools up to par with the suburban schools. We can overcome the societal odds against us if we work as a cohesive unit, instead of a fragmented one. We need to arm ourselves with the same determination and tenacity that our black brothers and sisters did when they fought for basic rights in this country during the Civil Rights movement.