Many Blacks Split with Civil Rights Leaders on Immigration

[Danno 1,228]

Many Blacks Split with Civil Rights Leaders on Immigration

New America Media, Commentary, Earl Ofari Hutchinson, Posted: May 13, 2010

The cameras homed in on the Reverend Al Sharpton as he led thousands to the Arizona state capitol building in Phoenix in an old fashioned, energetic, shouting, chanting, sign-carrying civil rights style march. The marchers demanded the repeal of Arizona’s hotly contested immigration law. Meanwhile, on the periphery of the march, a small band of counter protesters shouted, hooted, and hectored Sharpton and the other marchers. Their action drew almost no news mention. However, their counter-protest was different. They were mostly African American. The temptation is to laugh off their pro-SB 1070 countermarch as a comic sideshow. After all, Sharpton, President Obama, all major civil rights groups, the Congressional Black Caucus and nearly all local black Democratic state and local officials unequivocally champion immigration reform and oppose the Arizona law.

But many blacks don’t agree with them.

In fact, there is a quiet but glaring disconnect between civil rights leaders’ outspoken support for liberal immigration reform measures and the unease, wariness and outright antipathy that many blacks feel toward illegal immigration. That disconnect is evident in blog posts, chat rooms, Web sites, letters to newspaper editors, and radio talk shows. Many blacks blame illegal immigrants for the poverty and job dislocation in black communities.

A 2006 Pew Hispanic Center poll found that more blacks than whites say that illegal immigrants should not be denied education and services. But the tolerance ends when it comes to jobs. Far more blacks than whites agree that illegal immigrants take jobs away from blacks and claim to know someone who has lost a job because of illegal immigration.

The first big warning sign of black frustration with illegal immigration came during the battle over Proposition 187 in California in 1994. White voters voted by big margins for the proposition that denied public services to undocumented immigrants. More than half of blacks voted against the measure. But nearly fifty percent of black voters supported it.

Then Republican Gov. Pete Wilson shamelessly pandered to anti-immigrant hysteria and rode it to a reelection victory. Wilson got nearly 20 percent of the black vote in that election -- double what Republicans in California typically get from blacks. Wilson almost certainly bumped up his black vote total with his freewheeling assault on illegal immigration. Blacks also gave substantial support to anti-bilingual ballot measures in California.

Though there is furious dispute over the economic impact that the estimated 10 to 15 million undocumented immigrants in the United States have on the job market, there is no concrete evidence that the majority of employers hire Latinos at low-end jobs and exclude blacks from them solely because of their race. The sea of state and federal anti-discrimination laws explicitly ban employment discrimination. Despite a handful of lawsuits and settlements by blacks with major employers for alleged racial favoritism toward Hispanic workers, employers vehemently deny that they shun blacks, and maintain that blacks simply don't apply for these jobs.

These aren't just flimsy covers for discrimination. Many blacks will no longer work the low-skilled, menial factory, restaurant, and custodial jobs that they filled in decades past. The pay is too low, the work too hard, and the indignities too great. On the other hand, blacks that seek these jobs are often given a quick brush-off by employers. The subtle message is that blacks won't be hired, even if they do apply. An entire category of jobs at the bottom rung of American industry has been clearly marked as "Latino-only." That further deepens suspicion and resentment among blacks that illegal immigration is to blame for the economic misery of poor blacks.

A Pew Hispanic Center survey in 2008 found that tens of thousands of blacks were employed in the top occupational categories for undocumented workers (farming, maintenance, construction, food service, production and moving). The survey also found that a significant percent of meat-processing workers and janitors were black. Even more surprising, more than 10 percent of blacks were still involved in agriculture -- an area that is largely seen as the province of undocumented immigrants.

Illegal immigration then and now is not the prime reason so many poor young blacks are on the streets, and why some turn to gangs, guns and drug dealing to get ahead. A shrinking economy, savage state and federal government cuts, the elimination of job training programs, failing public schools, a soaring black prison population, and employment discrimination are still the major reasons for the grim employment prospects and poverty in inner-city black neighborhoods.

The group that shouted their pro-Arizona immigration law slogans at Sharpton was not much of a sideshow to the immigration march. But their message -- that civil rights leaders say one thing about immigration while many blacks feel another way about it -- is a sign that immigration draws a line in the sand even among blacks.

Earl Ofari Hutchinson is an author and political analyst. His new book is "How Obama Governed: The Year of Crisis and Challenge" (Middle Passage Press). Follow Earl Ofari Hutchinson on Twitter: twitter.com/earlhutchinson

http://news.newamericamedia.org/news/view_article.html?article_id=82a4a784447acd1c7beb56310fba3dab

[ready4ONE 5,400]

Yin to your Yang, from the same source:

African Americans Raise Voices Against Arizona Law

Phxsoul.com, News Report , DaVaun Sanders, Posted: May 10, 2010

The groundswell against the unpopular Senate Bill 1070 increased to a fever pitch last week with community meetings and demonstrations to denounce the controversial Arizona law. Response to the state legislation, including a march on the state Capitol on Wednesday, has made one thing evident for Valley Hispanics opposing the law—they do not stand alone.

A prayer meeting and rally took place before the May 5 march at Pilgrim Rest Baptist Church. Faith leaders from houses of worship all across the Valley came out in force to show disapproval for the law, including the Arizona Ecumenical Council.

“Whenever there are laws that allow people to be discriminated against, I believe God stands in opposition to that law,” declared Bishop Alexis Thomas of Pilgrim Rest. “To our Latino brothers and sisters, this is not your fight—this is our fight.”

The rally also provided a forum for an impressive array of community organizations on hand to denounce SB 1070. Union leaders, a nonprofit coalition which included Chicanos Por La Causa, and several city officials shared disapproval and calls for action, while volunteers collected signed petitions and letters to the Oval Office.

The Reverend Al Sharpton delivered a stirring call to rally supporters, and marched on the capital with thousands of demonstrators.

"It is racial profiling, no matter how you cut it," Reverend Sharpton stated. He also said that the law "robs the rights of legal citizens of Latino descent" despite that many have "fought wars and built schools" for their country.

"Now you want to pull them over on the side of the road and treat them like second class citizens?" he asked. Sharpton also reemphasized that he did not support the protest solely because racial profiling might occur amongst African Americans in Arizona as a result. "If you open the door to a double standard for anybody, you open the door to a double standard for everybody."

Councilman Michael Johnson captured the sentiment of the many local groups concerned about how SB 1070 may be put into practice and potentially abused. "This isn't just about immigration, it's about freedom, it's about justice, it's about hope."

Johnson is a veteran of the Phoenix Police Department who was subjected to excessive force by Phoenix police outside of his home in March.

"This isn't just about immigrants being taken off the street—it's about 'who's next?' I tell you...if it can happen to me, it can happen to anyone."

The march itself stretched for blocks through downtown Phoenix with a heavy police presence, halting

periodically to allow the light rail to pass safely. The peaceful demonstration mirrored the preceding rally, not only with its high energy, but through refreshing instances of Valley residents dismissing racial boundaries in support of a common cause.

Families made up a significant portion of the march, whether infants in strollers, wide-eyed toddlers or cell-phone toting teenagers. Mexican colors assuredly peeked from the crowd at regular intervals, but the majority of flags proudly waving from brown hands were red, white and blue.

The peculiar and rich stew that is American culture was on full display for the entire route, nearly three miles through the heart of Phoenix. Marchers belted out, "Obama, escucha estamos en la lucha!", among other chants, and welcomed the added voices of whites, Asians, Native and African Americans in visible but no less energized pockets of supporters. Bells ringing from ice cream street carts mingled with whistles and drums—the overpass near the Arizona Science Center on Fifth Street offered a particularly deafening stretch of marching.

Messages on shirts and signs read "Am I Illegal?" and "Being Hispanic is Not A Crime." Young men walked tall, some draped in American flags over anti Joe Arpaio t-shirts, or carrying spray painted banners of Aztec sun stones and wearing Phoenix Suns gear.

The Phoenix Suns sported controversial "Los Suns" jerseys during their victory Wednesday night at US Airways Center, (see Steve Nash's comments on the bill here.) Cries of "Lets Go Suns!" swelled among the rally chants as city workers and Fed-Ex employees watched from the sidewalk with camera phones, cheering marchers on.

President Obama added his voice to national displeasure over the law from a Cinco de Mayo reception at the Rose Garden. "Make no mistake, our immigration system is broken ... but we can't start singling out people because of who they look like, or how they talk, or how they dress. We can't turn law-abiding American citizens—and law-abiding immigrants—into subjects of suspicion and abuse. We can't divide the American people that way. That's not the answer. That's not who we are as the United States of America."

Joy Clayton is the owner of Bobby C's Lounge and Grille, a longtime favorite haunt in the Valley among African Americans. Patrons and workers at the establishment gathered outside to cheer while the protest streamed right past the downtown Phoenix restaurant's front door.

"Many of us were thinking this is just a Hispanic issue, Mexicans coming across the border, and it's not," she says.

Clayton herself attended the rally and march, which she feels gave her a much better understanding of the issues at stake.

"This is about everybody. Indiscriminate stopping will lend itself to various, serious problems that will affect all of us," Clayton stated.

As Senate Bill 1070 continues to invoke sustained local protests and growing national outrage, a pivotal question arises: How long will Arizona legislators—such as Senator Russell Pearce—insist upon pushing such divisive measures?

Several national organizations have already chosen to move annual conferences—and revenue—out of state. With calls to boycott the 2011 MLB All Star game in Phoenix, and Luke's Air Force Base still lobbying for the F-35 Joint Strike Program, time will tell how deep SB 1070's claws are allowed to dig.

Page 1 of 1

http://news.newameri...b9d75ed984db3f1

Edited May 14, 2010 by ready4ONE

[Gary and Alla 3,694]

More immigration stupidity. Obviously many blacks are stupid also, why should they be different.

Sharpton wants illegals here to increase the dependent class. In creasing the dependent class will increase benefits for the dependent class...ALL members of the dependent class.

While it may seem counter-productive for a black leader to be defending illegals that "take jobs" from black people, you are not follwoing the money as it applies to Sharpton. Sharpton does not care about working, independent blacks. They are the enemy. They disagree with him and they can pound sand up their @ss for all Sharpton cares. They don't need him and he doesn't need them. There is no competition in the welfare market. Welfare is equal opportunity. More people on welfare means more welfare benefits and the welfare benefits benefit the dependent blacks that need Al Sharpton to do whatever it is al Sharpton does.

so Al Sharpton is one of the politicians (if we can call him that) that benefits from illegals by using them to increase the dependent class as opposed to the politicians that benefit by providing cheap labor to provide profits for business.

They ALL exploit illegals and ALL because we will not enforce the labor laws in this country.

[Danno 1,228]

Yin to your Yang, from the same source:

African Americans Raise Voices Against Arizona Law

Phxsoul.com, News Report , DaVaun Sanders, Posted: May 10, 2010

The groundswell against the unpopular Senate Bill 1070 increased to a fever pitch last week with community meetings and demonstrations to denounce the controversial Arizona law. Response to the state legislation, including a march on the state Capitol on Wednesday, has made one thing evident for Valley Hispanics opposing the law—they do not stand alone.

A prayer meeting and rally took place before the May 5 march at Pilgrim Rest Baptist Church. Faith leaders from houses of worship all across the Valley came out in force to show disapproval for the law, including the Arizona Ecumenical Council.

“Whenever there are laws that allow people to be discriminated against, I believe God stands in opposition to that law,” declared Bishop Alexis Thomas of Pilgrim Rest. “To our Latino brothers and sisters, this is not your fight—this is our fight.”

The rally also provided a forum for an impressive array of community organizations on hand to denounce SB 1070. Union leaders, a nonprofit coalition which included Chicanos Por La Causa, and several city officials shared disapproval and calls for action, while volunteers collected signed petitions and letters to the Oval Office.

The Reverend Al Sharpton delivered a stirring call to rally supporters, and marched on the capital with thousands of demonstrators.

"It is racial profiling, no matter how you cut it," Reverend Sharpton stated. He also said that the law "robs the rights of legal citizens of Latino descent" despite that many have "fought wars and built schools" for their country.

"Now you want to pull them over on the side of the road and treat them like second class citizens?" he asked. Sharpton also reemphasized that he did not support the protest solely because racial profiling might occur amongst African Americans in Arizona as a result. "If you open the door to a double standard for anybody, you open the door to a double standard for everybody."

Councilman Michael Johnson captured the sentiment of the many local groups concerned about how SB 1070 may be put into practice and potentially abused. "This isn't just about immigration, it's about freedom, it's about justice, it's about hope."

Johnson is a veteran of the Phoenix Police Department who was subjected to excessive force by Phoenix police outside of his home in March.

"This isn't just about immigrants being taken off the street—it's about 'who's next?' I tell you...if it can happen to me, it can happen to anyone."

The march itself stretched for blocks through downtown Phoenix with a heavy police presence, halting

periodically to allow the light rail to pass safely. The peaceful demonstration mirrored the preceding rally, not only with its high energy, but through refreshing instances of Valley residents dismissing racial boundaries in support of a common cause.

Families made up a significant portion of the march, whether infants in strollers, wide-eyed toddlers or cell-phone toting teenagers. Mexican colors assuredly peeked from the crowd at regular intervals, but the majority of flags proudly waving from brown hands were red, white and blue.

The peculiar and rich stew that is American culture was on full display for the entire route, nearly three miles through the heart of Phoenix. Marchers belted out, "Obama, escucha estamos en la lucha!", among other chants, and welcomed the added voices of whites, Asians, Native and African Americans in visible but no less energized pockets of supporters. Bells ringing from ice cream street carts mingled with whistles and drums—the overpass near the Arizona Science Center on Fifth Street offered a particularly deafening stretch of marching.

Messages on shirts and signs read "Am I Illegal?" and "Being Hispanic is Not A Crime." Young men walked tall, some draped in American flags over anti Joe Arpaio t-shirts, or carrying spray painted banners of Aztec sun stones and wearing Phoenix Suns gear.

The Phoenix Suns sported controversial "Los Suns" jerseys during their victory Wednesday night at US Airways Center, (see Steve Nash's comments on the bill here.) Cries of "Lets Go Suns!" swelled among the rally chants as city workers and Fed-Ex employees watched from the sidewalk with camera phones, cheering marchers on.

President Obama added his voice to national displeasure over the law from a Cinco de Mayo reception at the Rose Garden. "Make no mistake, our immigration system is broken ... but we can't start singling out people because of who they look like, or how they talk, or how they dress. We can't turn law-abiding American citizens—and law-abiding immigrants—into subjects of suspicion and abuse. We can't divide the American people that way. That's not the answer. That's not who we are as the United States of America."

Joy Clayton is the owner of Bobby C's Lounge and Grille, a longtime favorite haunt in the Valley among African Americans. Patrons and workers at the establishment gathered outside to cheer while the protest streamed right past the downtown Phoenix restaurant's front door.

"Many of us were thinking this is just a Hispanic issue, Mexicans coming across the border, and it's not," she says.

Clayton herself attended the rally and march, which she feels gave her a much better understanding of the issues at stake.

"This is about everybody. Indiscriminate stopping will lend itself to various, serious problems that will affect all of us," Clayton stated.

As Senate Bill 1070 continues to invoke sustained local protests and growing national outrage, a pivotal question arises: How long will Arizona legislators—such as Senator Russell Pearce—insist upon pushing such divisive measures?

Several national organizations have already chosen to move annual conferences—and revenue—out of state. With calls to boycott the 2011 MLB All Star game in Phoenix, and Luke's Air Force Base still lobbying for the F-35 Joint Strike Program, time will tell how deep SB 1070's claws are allowed to dig.

Page 1 of 1

http://news.newameri...b9d75ed984db3f1

Bravo for posting more than a cute Photo.

My post gave data about the opinions of Blacks in general.... you posted "one" mans view point.

[alienlovechild 75]

Sharpton wants illegals here to increase the dependent class. In creasing the dependent class will increase benefits for the dependent class...ALL members of the dependent class.

I'm sure Sharpton would be anti-illegal immigration if the those entering the country didn't for the types of politicians Sharpton would voter for.

[Gary and Alla 3,694]

I'm sure Sharpton would be anti-illegal immigration if the those entering the country didn't for the types of politicians Sharpton would voter for.

Of course, but such cannot possibly be the case. Dependent class people will always vote for poiticians that support dependent class programs.

Illegals, even the ones now working, who become legal will become unemployed immediately thereafter, which, of course, is the plan of the politicians. They will not "take jobs from blacks" and Sharpton doesn't care about working blacks anyway he cares about dependent blacks. Sharpton has no use for any person of any race that is not dependent. He has plenty of use for any person of any race that IS dependent on government and he will do all he can to increase the number of dependent people.

Illegals that become legal immediately become unemployed for one of two reasons...

1. They are uneducated and unskilled in English and cannot compete for minimum wage jobs with benefits and payroll taxes against US citizens for the same position. Bascially, for 1/3 the price of a US citizen or legal resident they are a good deal, but when the themselves become eligible for the same pay and benefits they have lost their niche in the market. Kind of like trying to sell a Yugo for a BMW price... AND/OR

2. They can be replaced by one of the millions of illegals that flood across the border to fill the gap.

Then they go on welfare and contribute to the stigma of the race when in fact, being on welfare is what the politicians planned for all along and hoped for.

Is Al Sharpton any better (or worse) than the flip side of the coin? The employer that exploits illegals for profit? I mean, they are BOTH exploiting illegals, they are both doing it for a profit...what's the difference?

[one...two...tree 2,762]

Danno's split on whether he prefers crunchy or creamy peanut butter.

[Ban Hammer 13,656]

Danno's split on whether he prefers crunchy or creamy peanut butter.

i am too. for sandwiches, smooth is better (easier to spread on the bread) yet when i have a spoonful of peanut butter, crunchy is yummy.

[one...two...tree 2,762]

i am too. for sandwiches, smooth is better (easier to spread on the bread) yet when i have a spoonful of peanut butter, crunchy is yummy.

You know the perfect peanut butter? It's Trader Joe's brand. I kid you not. Have you got a TJ's in your area?

[Danno 1,228]

You know the perfect peanut butter? It's Trader Joe's brand. I kid you not. Have you got a TJ's in your area?

We have one by me but... there are hardly no fatties shoppin in there...... Fatties know where the good food is.

[one...two...tree 2,762]

We have one by me but... there are hardly no fatties shoppin in there...... Fatties know where the good food is.

You're right. You just follow them around, Danno, and I'm sure they'll drop some crumbs for you to savor. Just don't look too obvious. People get weirded out by short little bald men with sweaty palms follow them around.

[Danno 1,228]

You're right. You just follow them around, Danno, and I'm sure they'll drop some crumbs for you to savor. Just don't look too obvious. People get weirded out by short little bald men with sweaty palms follow them around.

Advice noted, your testimony is not to be discarded lightly.

[Ban Hammer 13,656]

You know the perfect peanut butter? It's Trader Joe's brand. I kid you not. Have you got a TJ's in your area?

never heard of tj's.

the best we gots around here is skippy

[ready4ONE 5,400]

Bravo for posting more than a cute Photo.

My post gave data about the opinions of Blacks in general.... you posted "one" mans view point.

Your post had a single author too Einstein...

More immigration stupidity. Obviously many blacks are stupid also, why should they be different.

Sharpton wants illegals here to increase the dependent class. In creasing the dependent class will increase benefits for the dependent class...ALL members of the dependent class.

While it may seem counter-productive for a black leader to be defending illegals that "take jobs" from black people, you are not follwoing the money as it applies to Sharpton. Sharpton does not care about working, independent blacks. They are the enemy. They disagree with him and they can pound sand up their @ss for all Sharpton cares. They don't need him and he doesn't need them. There is no competition in the welfare market. Welfare is equal opportunity. More people on welfare means more welfare benefits and the welfare benefits benefit the dependent blacks that need Al Sharpton to do whatever it is al Sharpton does.

so Al Sharpton is one of the politicians (if we can call him that) that benefits from illegals by using them to increase the dependent class as opposed to the politicians that benefit by providing cheap labor to provide profits for business.

They ALL exploit illegals and ALL because we will not enforce the labor laws in this country.

Again with the exploitation diatribe? Amnesty gets illegals the very same protections you allegedly seek, but of course that would mean that they get to stay, which is not what you truly want.

[Mr. Big Dog 10,747]

never heard of tj's.

the best we gots around here is skippy

TJ's is where the hippies shop. Tofu, Granola and shite like that.