Sixty Black Leaders Condemn Sheriff Arpaio

January 14, 2010 by Eric Ward
Filed under: American Identity, Politics 
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Blacks in the United States have long been a guiding conscience in our nation. Unlike many social movements which focus on narrow policy goals, the social gains that Blacks struggle for tend to be broad-minded and expansive. The 1960s Civil Rights Movement for instance lifted many Americans of various races, ethnicities and nationalities up out of poverty and stifling segregation. It was this very Civil Rights Movement that strengthened, at least for a time, the social safety net that provided publicly funded pre-school and breakfast programs for our most vulnerable youth.

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It is with this in mind that I’ve always found insightful the writings of the Baha’i Faith that compare Black folk to the black pupil of the eye “. . . the revealer of the contingent world” and “. . . reflects that which is before it and from it the light of the spirit shines forth.” While only my opinion and not official interpretation, it mirrors the recent activities of sixty Black leaders from around the United States.

An advertisement appears in today’s edition of The Arizona Republic newspaper comparing Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio to the infamous 1960s Birmingham public safety commissioner Theophilus Eugene “Bull” Connor. The strongly worded statement was sponsored by the Center for New Community and signed by sixty prominent Black leaders from twenty-three states. Sheriff Joe Arpaio is a renegade country Sheriff who has turned Maricopa County, Arizona into his own personal fiefdom steeped in anti-immigrant bigotry, intimidation, and harassment.

“Regardless of our diverse views on immigration,” said Center for New Community staff James Johnson, “we stand on the side of justice in the treatment of people and we are putting the country on notice that we will not be silent when confronted by the abuse of the law to terrorize people.” For over a year people from throughout Arizona bravely stood up to Arpaio’s terror. The same can’t be said of the Director of Homeland Security, Janet Napolitano, who has sat on her hands and allowed Arpaio free reign to intimidate political opponents and dehumanize suspects based on their national origin. Napolitano could stop Arpaio with the stroke of a pen at any time.

Luckily for us Napolitano’s continued inaction has not stopped people from fighting a political cancer in Arizona. This weekend thousands will march in the streets of Maricopa County in defiance of Arpaio, and Black leaders have chosen this time to send a very clear message to federal officials – it’s time to show the country that this is not Arpaio’s America. K.L. Shannon, the Police Accountability Chair with the NAACP in Seattle, Washington, said that “Sheriff Arpaio is beginning to resemble arch-segregationist Bull Connor and that should send a chill through each of our hearts”

Like Johnson and Shannon, I too find the willingness of federal officials to coddle Sheriff Joe Arpaio disturbing. It’s good to know that I’m not alone. The fact that African American and Black leaders nationwide are stepping into this matter—related primarily to the denial of rights to Latinos and immigrants—is a very powerful message that should not go unheard.

Black America is telling the nation to pay attention to Arizona. Will you listen before it’s too late?

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