Jackson: 'Acting white' remark misinterpreted
Watch Rev. Jesse Jackson's interview from Thursday's American Morning.
WASHINGTON (CNN) - The Rev. Jesse Jackson told CNN Thursday that a South Carolina newspaper misinterpreted his comments when it reported he said Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama is "acting like he's white."
"There's an unfortunate misinterpretation," Jackson told CNN's Kiran Chetry on American Morning. "The fact is, I endorse Barack without hesitation and support him today unequivocally."
Jackson, who ran for president in 1984 and 1988, endorsed Obama’s White House bid earlier this year.
The State, a South Carolina newspaper, reported Wednesday that Jackson was highly critical of Obama and the other presidential candidates for not paying more attention to the recent racially-charged incident in Jena, Louisiana. Jackson reportedly made the comment after a speech at Benedict College, a historically black college in Columbia.
When informed the newspaper intends to stand by its reporting of the quote, Jackson said, "I have not in any way engaged into the degrees of blackness debate. He's black, authentic and brilliant. I support him and I stand by that position."
- CNN Ticker Producer Alexander Mooney
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Of course Jesse supports Obama- just like Oprah and Al Sharpton. It always is a race thing with these people. I wouldn't expect anything less.
Posted By Linda SAT : September 20, 2007 2:02 pm
Miss Linda, I am wondering who exactly are "these people" you don't expect anything less of? Something I learned in the 5th grade (many moons ago) is to "never throw mud...some of it always sticks to your fingers"!
You know, I really tried to give Jesse Jackson the benefit of the doubt over the years because he appeared to be trying to do some good for people who were struggling to get a leg up in this country. But he's sort of become a rubber stamp anymore. It seems like he doesn't care about facts anymore... just the color of your skin. I really suspect if someone asked him hard questions about Obama's platform vs any of the other candidates, that he couldn't give you a straight answer for beans.
Jesse, you & Oprah & Al have sort of become poster boys for "reverse" discrimination.
It's such a shame that the public and or media expects the candidates to jump in and pander to every social event. They can't win really, they're criticized for not commenting fast enough, or commenting to fast, too strong or not strong enough or coming down too far left or too far right on Imus, Moveon and Jena 6 and who knows what else I can't keep track. Just let them tell you where they stand and you'll know what they think of any issue, they shouldn't have to be ambulance chasers.
"LINDA SAT" Oprah has been criticized for pandering to white women and now you're accusing her of only caring about black people. It's sad that you can't see her genuine nature is to embrace all people. I think if you don't have an inclusive nature yourself you're not capable of seeing it in others.
I give up on CNN, I read it now for entertainment not as an unbiased news source. But they probably don't care as long as they get read. Their one sided negative coverage of Obama is disgraceful. Visit barackobama.com if you want to know the facts about his campaign, if you want to make a truly informed decision.
Just out of curiosity, is Barack Obama really "black" or really "white". I mean, his Dad IS black... his Mom IS white... so which is he? Why would he choose to be designated one race over another?
I'm just surprised Jesse Jackson jumped on the Obama band wagon so quickly considering that Obama is, after all, half "white". I figured that alone would turn ol' Jesse off.
Ahh, yeah, Barak? He's black right? Sure, I ah, support him.
this whole Jesse Jackson thing just make me sick, he is a hipocrit, racism exist in all communities, Jesse Jackson just prove it. If someone kill another human being just because of a comment, then, the problem is bigger than just a words, it seems that these young men killed because they are violent, that simple and they deserved to be punished.
Jesse just needs to come out of the closet and admit he is a racist
Martha, the Jena six didn't kill anyone. You might want to check your facts before commenting.
People, People of the Earth
Take your face from out of the Dirt
We (Americans are becoming/if we are not already) seen as the Idiots of the Earth!
We can't read and summarize a 1000 word paragraph correctly. We accept a 30-second news bite as enough to explain a given issue.
Our children (both black and white)can't find our own country on a world map.
Whew.....AMERICA...GET A GRIP!
It's always fun to watch these people try to back peddle from their remarks.
Jessie Jackson needs to take a serious step back and look at what he is saying. Instead of focusing on the major issue, which is the fact that there are some serious issues occurring in Jena, albeit America, he has to attack a "black" presidential candidate. Then, on top of that, go back on what he said and says he supports Obama 100% due to the fact that "he is black, authentic and brilliant.” So instead of supporting Obama for the fact that he might or might not actually be brilliant of his own merit, according to this statement Mr. Obama can only be brilliant and “black” at the same time.
Mr. Jackson, please throw in the towel now. All you do is cause unnecessary drama to an issue that needs a serious response.
Obviously somebody is lying...
Either the newspaper columnist or Jackson.
I tend to believe the newspaper columnist more than Jackson. This is the same man who made anti-semetic comments in the past.
Jackson is a jerk. Quit picking on Obama and saying he's not black enough or acting white!
Obama is a great man and does not deserve this type of mud-slinging or slander.
Jackson owes him an apology.
Coming from the man who also said
he was 'sick and tired of hearing
about the Holocaust', I'm not surprised.
The same man who called Jewish people
"Hymies" and referred to New York as "Hymietown".
Now it's Obama. He's not black
enough? He's acting white? Huh?
Having issues with color, Jessie?
Through out all of this I feel most for one Obama and then his entire family. To be the first black president you see what you will go through. We as a country hasnt changed in fact I think it's worse. To have my people black people refuse to see the bigger picture and work together for once is sad. To see our media as a can of gasoline that is now used to slash and burn anyone just to gain viewers is just as bad. And to see white Americans say some of the stuff they say within this page just shows that as gods people that we have so much to learn. There is only one planet earth and if we learn to work with one another we all will be happy. That more then ever looks like a dream just as MLK said "I have a dream" well sir I say that dream of yours is just that a dream. I pray that we can come together and you know what maybe this is what Obama will do. Not to put any more added pressure on this brotha however, if he is the uniter that he say he is then maybe he will unite this country. And then the world, now is a perfect time to organize this country at a time of racial,social,economic divide. Whites dont like whites, blacks dont like blacks republicans dont like democrats is there an end? Maybe I just pray that it does in my life time or my kids! What example are we setting for them if any? I support you Obama and commend you for who you are. Good luck brotha Good luck
Obama 08
Obama's not just getting people to sit down and sing Kum bah ya. He's actually creating a seriously lethal movement. He's organizing and he's bringing people off their butts for a change, no small feat when it comes to us jaded Americans.
The dude has more legislative experience than Hillary Clinton and John Edwards combined, coming from Chicago, the toughest political waters in the nation.
I went to Nevada with about 60 L.A. volunteers last weekend. None of them had ever done canvassing for a campaign before. I personally talked to 200 undecided voters and NOT ONE said they didn't like him. My wife and I got three signed pledge cards for people to caucus for him, and we heard ONLY ONE hardcore Clinton supporter. I heard the same stories from the other 60 L.A. volunteers and I'm sure the other 150 or so Nevada volunteers doing the same thing that day would say the same, and I know they got waaay more pledge cards than we did.
Over and over again I heard that people are fed up with politics as usual and feel that Obama may be the only candidate that can actually pull off real change.
How can you argue with a dude that could have had any six figure job he wanted out of Harvard but went and organized on the Southside for 14 Grand instead.
How can you argue with the first Senator both in Chicago and on Capitol Hill to pass meaningful ethics reform in a generation?
How can you argue with the fact that only Obama has found a really loyal following that continues to grow and grow based on, not fear and loathing, but hope and real ideas for our future?
How can you argue with a candidate that goes to Detriot to talk about the environment and to Wall Street to talk about tax cuts for the middle class and finally making the richest .1 percent of this country pay their fair share?
Myself and four other Obama supporters showed up at Bill Clinton's book signing in Pasadena day before yesterday. Not one Hillary supporter was there with a sign and several people in line confessed they were Obama supporters.
This guy WILL NOT lie down. He is a fighter in the truest sense of the word. He rises above the tag of politician and is A LEADER.
Not only can he get elected, but he can foster the movement he's started into a political machine unmatched since the days of FDR. He's slowly but surely creating political will, despite constant and baseless attacks by the corporately owned media that for sure knows that once he's in office, their days of vertical integration and monopoly of our airwaves and newspapers are limited.
I am sick and tired of seeing a handful of rich old pigs feeding at the trough that is the Washington beltway establishment. It's time that we had someone in office for a change that is motivated by action and people rather than money.
Y'know, that's just the thing with pigs… Today's pig is tomorrow's bacon.
Can you smell what Barack is cookin'?
Obama 08!!!!
The crimes committed in Jena, Louisiana are a local matter. There is no reason for any national candidate to get involved. If having common sense is “acting white” then I wish Mr. Jackson would act “more white” and butt out. Of course, if the cameras weren’t rolling, we all know Mr. Jackson would not be interested either.
Obama Statements on Jena 6
CHICAGO, IL – U.S. Senator Barack Obama released the following three statements on the Jena 6.
September 19, 2007 | Obama Statement on the Jena 6
"Outrage over an injustice like the Jena 6 isn't a matter of black and white. It's a matter of right and wrong. We should stand as one nation in opposition to this and any injustice. That’s why I’ve previously spoken out and demanded fairness in the Jena 6 case. That's why I've fought against injustice as a civil rights attorney and public official, and why I'll continue to fight to heal the wounds of division in our nation as president. My statements on Jena 6 were carefully thought out with input and support from one of my National Campaign Chairmen, U.S. Congressman Jesse Jackson Jr."
September 14, 2007 | Obama Statement on the Jena 6
"I am pleased that the Louisiana state appeals court recognized that the aggravated battery charge brought in this case was inappropriate. I hope that today's decision will lead the prosecutor to reconsider the excessive charges brought against all the teenagers in this case. And I hope that the judicial process will move deliberately to ensure that all of the defendants will receive a fair trial and equal justice under the law."
September 10, 2007 | Obama Demands Fairness in Jena 6 Case
"When nooses are being hung in high schools in the 21st century, it's a tragedy. It shows that we still have a lot of work to do as a nation to heal our racial tensions. This isn't just Jena's problem; it's America's problem."
"There are a number of signs that the system is not working in this case. It's a problem when criminal charges are brought against some students for fighting, but not others. It's a problem when a public defender doesn't call any witnesses. And it's a problem when a prosecutor decides to try teenagers as adults for a school fight, a charge that could leave them in jail for the majority of their lives. That is why I join my colleagues in the Congressional Black Caucus in calling on the judge to consider all the relevant factors and calling on the District Attorney to drop the excessive charges brought in this case. And I, along with other members of the CBC, will continue to monitor this case closely."
"Going forward, we have to fix our criminal justice system. Whether it's Jena 6 or Genarlow Wilson, it's long past time for us to admit that we have more work to do to ensure that our criminal justice system is fair. We must ensure that both victims and defendants can receive equal justice under the law, regardless of race, wealth, or other circumstances."
Acting White??? What does that mean?
I should be insulted, Jackson makes being white sound like a bad thing. Color isn't the problem, the way people of all colors act is. I have am not insulted because I consider the source and the company he keeps and that is the problem. Stop keeping the hate alive Mr Jackson and Mr Sharpton.
you said it.you cant take it back.its official, you are a racist. but dont worry at least your not a fraud like al sharpton. you do remember tawanna brawley dont you al? well the american people do,and as soon as the black community gets rid of you as a representative the better off they'll be!
Wallace, Chicago,,
I understand your flinching at "those people" comment.
However, racial division is enhanced by the likes of Sharpton and Jackson. Every opportunity to showcase the differences between black and white is met with the Al and Jesse show. Perhaps if those two didn't pour salt on a festering wound, it would heal of its own accord.
If this was a bunch of rich white kids accused of raping a black woman, Jesse would be screaming for their heads.
Oops, never mind, he already did that.
Jesse Jackson is and always has been more a hundred times racist than any stupid white kid who ever thought it would be funny to hang a noose from a tree (but didn't commit any physical violence unlike some other degenerates we could name).
What is going down there in the US. This is 4 days in a row where race is a big story. Donovan McNabb says life harder as a black quarterback. Rev. Jackson says Obama is "acting white". African Americans in Louisiana protesting, crime is crime, doesn't matter what color the accused is. I just read that certain cities are banning wearing baggy pants so low you can see underwear or worse, and African Americans are complaining it's targeting them. And yesterday the commentary about OJ Simpson stated most blacks think OJ is innocent of the murder of his ex-wife and Ron Goldman, yet most whites think he is guilty. As a person from a country without an obvious, deep racial divide, can someone explain how so many issues in the states come down to, or arise from the race issue. I'm not judging, purely curious.
I don't listen to anything Jackson or Sharpton have to say!!!
Jesse Jackson is a fullblown idiot. He is nothing but a racist himself. What if the the role was reversed? RACIST RACIST RACIST!!!