black…MYstory

If you have read this site for any time, you’ll know that it’s no secret that I don’t like Ward Connerly (for historic reference, see here, here and here).

Ward Connerly represents the “sellout” to me, a word I use very sparingly. As I have stated previously, a sellout, to me, has to meet at least one of two criteria:

1. They start out on your side but, for money, power or prestige, they switch allegiances.
2. They take advantage of opportunities but, try to close the door on you when you try to do the same because it will bring them more money, power or prestige.

Ward Connerly fits the second all too well. These days, he is a staunch opponent of affirmative action in education, hiring and public contracting. However, in the early 90’s, he had no problem accepting minority contracts for his own business.

But, these days, being an anti-affirmative action crusader means that he makes hundreds of thousands of dollars a year in his capacity as president and spokeperson of the American Civil Rights Institute (ACRI) — an oxymoronic name if I’ve ever heard one. If you combine this with his anti-affirmative action speaking engagments, he easily brings in over $1 million per year. His organization has also garnered millions in donations from white conservative corporate interests.

Now, isn’t he pimping the issue the same way that white conservatives accuse Jesse Jackson and Al Sharpton of doing. But, I guess as long as you pimp black folks for them but still remain the “hoe” for their interests, it’s all good.

I say all that to say this, Ward Connerly now wants to expand his anti-affirmative action campaign to 9 more states. That’s right, he now wants to take his “fight” to Arizona, Colorado, Missouri, Nebraska, Nevada, Oregon, South Dakota, Wyoming and Utah. He has already been successful in crippling affirmative action in California, Washington and Utah.

So, it seems that he wants to kill affirmative action, nationwide.

“Three down and 20 to go,” Connerly said during a conference call. “We don’t need to do them all, but if we do a significant number, we will have demonstrated that race preferences are antithetical to the popular will of the American people.”

Connerly said he hopes for a “Super Tuesday of equality,” a win across the board, in the November 2008 elections. He led the campaign for Prop. 209, which passed with 54 percent of the vote, pushed a similar initiative in Washington state that passed in 1998 with 58 percent and helped with the Michigan law that passed Nov. 7 with 58 percent.

The California business consultant said he chose the nine states based on the interest residents have expressed in an initiative campaign and on the degree of awareness of the issue.

The issue of affirmative action is divisive. Opponents like Connerly suggest it takes jobs from qualified white people, while proponents, such as civil rights groups, say the programs are necessary to promote ethnic diversity and eliminate inequalities.

David Waymire, a spokesman for a coalition that fought Connerly’s Michigan campaign, said Connerly has been effective because he convinces people that his initiative will remove discrimination. Waymire said Connerly — who is paid an undisclosed salary by the American Civil Rights Institute, the Sacramento group he founded to lead state initiative campaigns — moves on before seeing the consequences of the measures he promotes.

“He will seek to divide each state and will generally be successful,” said Waymire, who called Connerly “a brilliant political strategist.” He added, “There is no good to come out of this, and nobody benefits except for Ward Connerly and his association.”

So, black folks, once again we are sold down the river by another black person. As the adage goes, “every one of my color ain’t my kind.” This goes double for “Uncle” Ward.

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