Say this for Shirley Sherrod: She’s no pushover. And she’s not going away quietly.

On Thursday, while President Barack Obama was in Washington, D.C. speaking to the National Urban League and praising Sherrod as “an exemplary woman,” Sherrod was in San Diego telling hundreds of black journalists that Obama needs more black advisors counseling him because the administration is allowing too many racial situations to be “pushed under the rug.”

That took some guts.

Sherrod is a fighter - and a survivor – who believes race is not an issue that should be whispered in the privacy of a home or simply ignored; it’s a weighty subject that calls for public debate – even if that debate causes some discomfort inside the White House.

A black manager who was forced out of her job at the Agriculture Department two weeks ago, Sherrod is speaking out about race and saying publicly what many Democrats have grumbled about behind closed doors: Obama’s White House is not black enough.

It’s a critical and not-so-popular observation from Sherrod, who is an unlikely source – a loyal government worker who supports America’s first black president but who cannot remain silent any longer. She’s delivering a blunt wake-up call to the Obama administration whether White House aides like it or not. And they don't.

Two weeks ago, who could have imagined that a low-key USDA administrator from Georgia would be making major headlines for criticizing the Obama administration for the way it responds to issues of race?

"If we try to get a job in these companies and larger media organizations and think we just have to be like them" in avoiding racial discussions, we're contributing to the problems that led to "situations like this," Sherrod told a large audience during an annual convention of the National Association of Black Journalists.

Sherrod, in fact, is leading her own version of a national discussion on race: She’s talking about racism on CNN, CBS News, NBC News, Fox News – and Thursday, she spoke to a group of black journalists who will write about Sherrod’s story in newspapers, blogs and online publications all across the country.

But Sherrod wasn’t the only person talking about race on Thursday. Obama weighed in as well.

Speaking to members of The National Urban League Thursday, Obama acknowledged the Sherrod debacle before a group of African-American professionals.

"She deserves better than what happened last week," Obama said. "When a bogus controversy based on selective and deceiving excerpts led to her forced resignation, now, many are to blame for the reaction and overreaction that followed these comments, including my own administration."

Obama took a step in the right direction to quiet a story that has hammered and humiliated the White House the last two weeks.

Sherrod was forced out of her job at the Agriculture Department after edited video captured her, in a March speech at an NAACP event, allegedly describing how she didn’t lend as much help to a white farmer as she should have 24 years ago. The two-minute video clip was proven later to have been taken wildly out of context.

Obama apologized to Sherrod last week for the USDA jumping the gun and seeking her resignation prematurely because they thought she was a racist, and administration officials have offered Sherrod a new job with the Agriculture Department. 

“And what I said to Shirley was that the full story she was trying to tell - a story about overcoming our own biases and recognizing ourselves in folks who, on the surface, seem different – is exactly the kind of story we need to hear in America,” Obama said. “We should all look inward and try to .....

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Instant everything anymore...no one black or white gets the facts first..just put it up on the net and let it roll....we all have the attention spans of gnats anymore..so sad
so sad...oops Lindsey Lowhan jsut got out of jail gotta run

by   
Player
August 3, 2010, 11:23 am
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We Blacks can't breed ourselves with whites in order to gain acceptance.Brazil,Cuba has done this for years with predictable results: Blacks on the bottom, Brown Mulattoes in between with more opportunities than us pure Blacks. The answer for us Blacks is education, Business acumen, self reliance like our Jewish Brothers and Sisters ,they should serve as our examples.

by   
Valdjoe
August 2, 2010, 9:39 am
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Jeandarc I fully agree with you Sweetashley is out of line we are discussing a serious issue.
Sweetashley you oviously have heard the Southern White Male expression "Splitting The Black Oak?" That is an expression used when White Male crossed the tracks to relieve themselves sexually by raping deffence less Black women without condoms thus producing bi-racials kids. Blacks that are part white are products of such unions.This is not a source of pride for us Blacks

by   
Valdjoe
August 2, 2010, 9:32 am
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I would hope we wouldn't need to plunge into interracial sexual relationships just to "fix" this problem in the U.S. To address one of Oyanga Ali's point about the why of Mrs. Sherrod's firing, it happened most certainly because she's dangerous to the status quo. Anyone who addresses poor people's oppression by the RULING CLASS in America will find him/herself out of work, effectively white-washed if you will . . .

by   
Jeandarc
August 2, 2010, 1:28 am
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Wanna find AN INTERR-ACIAL RELATION-SHIP???

Here is a very nice community

···???_____ bla ck whi te loving— C_o_m ____

It’s where black white sing-les looking for someone to enjoy their lifestyle with.

Come in and stay a while. Complete your profile. Post a message, a picture of yourself and check out the photo galleries.

Give it a try, you will find someone you like here (*^__^*)

by   
Sweetashley
August 1, 2010, 9:09 am
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(Part 2)They fired her not because she said something racist, they fired he because she is educating the blacks and willing to educate the poor whites as well. They used ‘Yellow Journalism’ to get the word out that it was a racist speech, meaning they lied about the story. It just back fired because the video was made public.
We as poor people need to listen to what she said and stop the debate about race and realize the poor people are all races and we all need to focus on the wealthy and the way they oppress us. That way we will see the truth about…

by   
OYANGA ALI
August 1, 2010, 8:55 am
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Is this injurious blogger forcing us Americans to address race relation?

by   
Descants
July 31, 2010, 6:02 pm
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Is this injurious blogger forcing us Americans to address race?

by   
Descants
July 31, 2010, 6:01 pm
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Are we (black and white) to scared to discuss race relation, because we do not fully trust each other?

by   
Descants
July 31, 2010, 5:48 pm
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Pollypocket is the perfect example why Mrs Sherrod should sue the original racist for all his chump change and more.He has convinced folks like Pollypocket that this lady is a true racist which every African Americans know is a bald face lie.
Our perdicament in America precludes us from being real true racists, like the ones with hoods over their heads and burning crosses.Ain't too many black folks lynched white people.It's against the law.We know better.

by   
Jimmyg
July 31, 2010, 2:53 pm
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A conversation on race?????
Pretending a problem doesn't exist is NEVER a good way to solve it................................................

by   
BigBlackW
July 31, 2010, 2:05 pm
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her husband is a racist too. heard a speech he gave from Jan 2010 talking crap about whites. apple does not fall far from the tree.

by   
Pollypocket
July 31, 2010, 10:23 am
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The amswer for properity is within us as Black People ,we need to educate ourselves, conduct ourselves respectfully, respect our elders and our fellow blacks. Singers, Athletes and Politicians are failing us they are in the game for themselves , and in order to make more money they have to please and obey white people. Ophra Winfrey ,for example, caters to her middle class and rich disgruntled white women , that is where her money comes from.When Ophra supprted Obama instead of Hillary her ratings dropped significantlyaK?Er

by   
Valdjoe
July 30, 2010, 7:48 pm
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We African Americans have often been suckered by flamboyant leaders with sweet tongues and no action Examples: Obama; Coleman Young; Kwame Kilpatrick .Father Divine,; Creflo Dollar etc....
We have pinned our hopes and aspiration on athletes that were supposed to lead us to the"Promissed Land" examples; Doug Williams(frist Black QB to win Super Bowl) ; Joe Louis, Muhamad Ali. Colin Powell; Obama ;Elija Muhamad etc... And still today we are experiencing racism, under employment and we are disrespected why?

by   
Valdjoe
July 30, 2010, 7:40 pm
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I applaud our sister Sherrod's guts in pointing out that Obama is scared to have an open discussion about race. Obama is bi-racial raised by Euro-Americans(whites) he has difficulties understanding how we African Americans (who are not bi-racial) live and feel. On the other hand we need to take care of ouselves, governments surely won't .

by   
Valdjoe
July 30, 2010, 7:31 pm
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Soulofaman5.0
I agree with you Reagan's "trickle Down " Economic model conceived by Friedman destroyed the American Middle Class and had to be re-designed by Bill Clinton, who Presidency created unprecedented economic growth benefitting the middle class. Bush ill conceived tax cuts created the economic dilema Obama is now faced with

by   
Valdjoe
July 30, 2010, 7:25 pm
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That's your problem everything that you post is just your opinion. Why don't you take the time to look up some facts? Rather I substantiate most post or not they are still factual, not my opinion. Use your fingers for something more than signing your welfare check (my bad they don’t issue y’all checks any more), I meant pushing in your PIN number for your card.

by   
Soulofaman5.0
July 30, 2010, 1:29 pm
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Soulofaman5.0 when you steal other peoples ideas you should give them credit. (Sexton) otherwise it is plagerism. When you steal ideas from others, try to make it a "primary source" not some wacko giving his wacko OPINION. Like I said, Social programs have ONLY increased since the beginning.

by   
Fj1200
July 30, 2010, 1:21 pm
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“Reagan's****ault on these programs took as its starting point the conservative ideological foundation that if people rely upon government welfare strategies to provide them with such things as food, housing and help taking care of their children it will serve as a disincentive for them to work; therefore the less the government helps the poor, ultimately the more they will help themselves and the better off they will be.”

by   
Soulofaman5.0
July 30, 2010, 1:15 pm
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The budget deficit explosion that occurred during the 1980s were a direct result of President Reagan's tax cuts, and the resulting lack of available funds that could have been earmarked toward social programs contributed to the continuing deconstruction of American social programs.

by   
Soulofaman5.0
July 30, 2010, 1:15 pm
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No they didn't loser. Social programs have ONLY increased since the beginning. Stop guessing douchebag. Have some respect. When you learn something, just say thank-you and move on, don't act like a fool. You'll always remain ignorant.

by   
Fj1200
July 30, 2010, 1:07 pm
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fj 1200 They then declined under Ronald Raygun and Daddy Bush with G'Dubya bring up the rear. Don't you have to take your Hovaround in for repairs?

by   
Soulofaman5.0
July 30, 2010, 1:03 pm
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You don't know history Soulofaman5.0. Social programs expanded more under Richard Nixon than ANY other president, by far.

by   
Fj1200
July 30, 2010, 12:57 pm
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fj1200 You poor delusional craker! you will never benefit from any of the laws placed on the books by repugnant-cans. Republicans are primarily responsible for the reduction in your welfare check. But you are too obtuse to realize that. Just like any good lackey you worry more about your masters than you do about yourself.

by   
Soulofaman5.0
July 30, 2010, 12:53 pm
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"Republicans are never going to get more than 10 to 20 percent of the Negro vote"

Whoa, for a second there I actually thought that you had a thought Soulofaman5.0...but.....no, it was someone else's. Anyway, I think he is wrong. Over time Blacks will move away from the communist party. The reason is as we become more and more affluent, we will have more to protect. Just like the affluent of today, we won't want the commies takin our stuff.

by   
Fj1200
July 30, 2010, 12:41 pm
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Poor CRG246. Have a reading comprehension problem? Or is it just a problem with acting as if you’re not racist while hating Whites? Anyway, neither Drakes of Anderson’s dislike of Obama has EVER focused on his race, only his policies. Shirley SPECIFICALLY cited race as a reason for refusing to fully help the White farmer. Can’t you see the difference? Now I’m sure you racists enjoy imputing the hate of Blacks into ANY White peoples actions but MOST of that is just childish victimhood. Again, try some honesty, you might benefit.

by   
Fj1200
July 30, 2010, 12:30 pm
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One part of the "conversation" about race that I'm glad Shirley spurred is that Americans don't wanna hear racist trash. It is not acceptable speech in America and if you're a racist better to air it a NOI, NBPP or Rev Wright's church. Just shut up about your sick insecurites when in public.

by   
Fj1200
July 30, 2010, 12:28 pm
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(cont’d) but in the world. Your dumb azz OBVIOUSLY has NO life,
NO friends, NO job, NO family (at least none who wants to be bothered with you) because if you had either of those, you would not be able to wake up at 6:00am & be posting to this site, & several other sites, ALL DAY LONG, under numerous usernames. IF ANYONE wanted to spend time with you or if you had ANY responsibility, you wouldn’t be so lonely & miserable & have to spend your life on the inter-net WISHING you were Black & hating ALL Black people because you KNOW you never will be!

by   
Sevennotrump
July 30, 2010, 12:23 pm
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:”… Republicans are never going to get more than 10 to 20 percent of the Negro vote and they don't need any more than that... but Republicans would be shortsighted if they weakened enforcement of the Voting Rights Act. The more Negroes who register as Democrats in the South, the sooner the Negrophobe whites will quit the Democrats and become Republicans. That's where the votes are. Without that prodding from the blacks, the whites will backslide into their old comfortable arrangement with the local Democrats.

by   
Soulofaman5.0
July 30, 2010, 12:23 pm
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(cont’d) Kane isn’t THAT BIG of an uncle tom, because there is NO uncle tom who criticizes EVERYTHING good for Black people & tries to praise EVERYTHING that hurts Black people. Today the pink hussy is on here charging ONE OF the strongest & clearest thing Sisters who posts to this site as one of the worst people on here. That translates to = one of the worst people for racists to try to use, manipulate & pull into their “good negro, credit to your race” categories. Peckerwood pink-‘ho, YOU are not one of, you are THE worst & DUMBEST racists not only on this site…

by   
Sevennotrump
July 30, 2010, 12:22 pm
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