The New York Times, in its last Thursday editions, reported how, at a recent Howard University forum on the future of blacks in the Democratic Party, embattled conservative commentator Armstrong Williams “had to take a few licks at the start. The Rev. Al Sharpton cracked the first Armstrong Williams joke, reminding Mr. Williams to disclose that ‘you get paid for being here.’
“'I get paid for being here,’ Mr. Williams replied ruefully. ‘Thank you very much.’"
Such barbs are now characteristic and unsurprising, considering the uproar sparked by the Jan. 7 revelation by USA Today that Williams, a one-time nationally syndicated columnist and staple on political affairs shows, had accepted $241,000 from the U.S. Department of Education to promote the No Child Left Behind Act and solicit interviews with former Secretary of Education Rod Paige among black punditry.
His appearance on the Howard University panel, alongside a slew of other events on his calendar, indicates that Williams has no plans to let the controversy or its fallout keep him either hemmed in or silent.
In fact, Williams told BlackAmericaWeb.com, at the panel’s conclusion, he was bombarded by a group of zealous students. The students, Williams said, approached not to vilify him, but rather to praise him for being an independent thinker who doesn’t mind being unpopular or criticized for his right-wing views.
“At the end of the presentation, there was a full rush towards the podium,” said Williams. “Those kids rushed to get my autograph, hug me and tell me how much they admire me.”
However, with hindsight being 20/20, Williams claims he would have done things differently, but doesn’t regret taking a stand on an issue he believes in.
“I certainly would have disclosed with my syndicate that we were hired to advertise No Child Left Behind. There’s definitely an ethical issue there,” Williams said. “But, I never intended to deceive or mislead anyone.”
Regardless of his intentions, Williams, 46, has felt the wrath of his error in journalistic judgment. The public relations firm he says hired him to do the NCLB “commentary” – Ketchum Communications – has repeatedly declined to comment on the matter. Tribune Media Services, which ran his column in several newspapers throughout the country, has dropped him. Black Entertainment Television has yet to invite him back to appear on air and “America’s Black Forum,” a nationally-syndicated television show, on which Williams regularly appeared, has cut off all ties.
Jaci Clark, senior producer of “America’s Black Forum,” which airs on TV One, a cable network owned by Radio One founder Cathy Hughes (parent company of Reach Media, owners of BlackAmericaWeb.com), said the decision to drop Williams was based simply on ethics, even though the only time former Education Secretary Rod Paige appeared on the show, Juan Williams, not Armstrong Williams, conducted the interview.
“’America’s Black Forum’ had no idea that Armstrong Williams had an arrangement with the Education Department and, in light of that, it kind of put the program’s credibility in question,” Clark said.
Without the media outlets, Williams admitted that approximately 50 percent of revenue has been lost for his company, The Graham Williams Group, a public relations firm he started with entrepreneur Stedman Graham in 1990, who has since left the company.
“It’s not a bad thing,” Williams said optimistically, adding that some affiliates owned by ABC and UPN have expressed an interest in picking up his show. “I can never get upset for someone deciding to sever ties with me. Nothing lasts forever.”
Yet, what has seemed to be unwavering since Williams jumped onto the national scene more than a decade ago as one of the most conservative Black pundits has been his love-hate relationship with black Americans. A son of the South and third-generation Republican, Williams is unapologetic when it comes to his conservative political beliefs and actions.
“I think this is a legitimate story worthy of criticism,” Williams said of the NCLB debacle. “But when people attack me personally, that shows they’re jealous, envious and hate me.
“You can never find anything I’ve written or broadcast where I’ve attacked a person’s character,” Williams said, adding that he can be objective enough to separate a person from his or her ideology. “I can’t do anything about [changing people’s attitudes]. They have a right to challenge me on this story, but as for me personally, it doesn’t bother me because my attitude is that these people don’t know me.
“They may not agree with me politically, but they should respect what I’ve accomplished,” Williams said. “The same with [U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza] Rice. The sister speaks five different languages. How can you deny [her accomplishments]?”
In fact, Williams believes he’s got a lot more in common with some of the black community’s most outspoken and active leaders who are often put on pedestals by black Americans at large.
“I admire people like Tom Joyner, Oprah, and Tavis Smiley because I know what they have come from,” said Williams, who like many successful black professionals, is a member of a black fraternity – Phi Beta Sigma – and graduated from an HBCU – South Carolina State University. “They didn’t inherit their wealth; they had to build it. And that’s the thing that bonds me with black folks in the struggle.”
And, observers note, when blacks become movers and shakers, they should be applauded, even when their opinions lean to the right side of the political aisle. That praise should be even greater, Williams said, when black leaders use their influence to promote social change, a la Joyner and his health awareness campaign or his appeal for the financial support of HBCUs.
“I admire what Tom did with ‘Take a Loved One to The Doctor Day.’ It was one of the reasons for me pursuing the No Child Left Behind matter,” Williams said. “Why is it now that all of sudden Mr. Right Side gets paid for trying to make people aware, and it’s a controversy? It seems as if whites can be anything they want to be, but blacks want each other to subscribe to the same box.”
So as he continues to work and rebuild his credibility, Williams says he has gained some valuable lessons from this controversy. The first, he said, is that he will never do business with a federal agency again, saying the $240,000 he was paid is nothing compared to the shame brought to his family’s name. He’s also learned who his real friends are.
“Many people who I thought would betray me have actually stood up for me,” Williams said refusing to name names. “This city is a cesspool, and it’s based on whether they see you as wealth.
“It’s good to find out where people are,” continued Williams, who has heard of supportive words from President George W. Bush only through the press and has not spoken to Paige since last year.
“This is a growth period for me, and it also shows you what you’re made of,” Williams said. “As long as I’m not breaking any laws, people better get used to me because I’m coming back stronger than ever.”
