Jesse Jackson, Obama & “Hymies”

Wednesday a South Carolina newspaper reported:

Jackson sharply criticized presidential hopeful and Illinois Sen. Barack Obama for “acting like he’s white” in what Jackson said has been a tepid response to six black juveniles’ arrest on attempted-murder charges in Jena, La. Jackson, who also lives in Illinois, endorsed Obama in March, according to The Associated Press.

The entire story’s here.

Today we read that Jackson new denies saying Obama was “acting like he’s white,” but the newspaper that carried the original report is standing by its report. You can read that story here.

The above reminded me of 1984 and Jackson’s reference to Jews as “hymies” and his reference to New York as “Hymietown.”

When called out for making the anit-Semitic slurs Jackson at first vigourously denied doing that. Then when he learned there was a tape of his remarks, he decidiced to “have pray” with Jewish bretheren.

Here’s the Washington Posts summerary of what happened:

Jesse Jackson's 'Hymietown' Remark – 1984

Rev. Jesse Jackson referred to Jews as "Hymies" and to New York City as "Hymietown" in January 1984 during a conversation with a black Washington Post reporter, Milton Coleman.

Jackson had assumed the references would not be printed because of his racial bond with Coleman, but several weeks later Coleman permitted the slurs to be included far down in an article by another Post reporter on Jackson's rocky relations with American Jews.

A storm of protest erupted, and Jackson at first denied the remarks, then accused Jews of conspiring to defeat him. The Nation of Islam's radical leader Louis Farrakhan, an aggressive anti-Semite and old Jackson ally, made a difficult situation worse by threatening Coleman in a radio broadcast and issuing a public warning to Jews, made in Jackson's presence: "If you harm this brother [Jackson], it will be the last one you harm."

Finally, Jackson doused the fires in late February with an emotional speech admitting guilt and seeking atonement before national Jewish leaders in a Manchester, New Hampshire synagogue.

Yet Jackson refused to denounce Farrakhan, and lingering, deeply rooted suspicions have led to an enduring split between Jackson and many Jews. The frenzy also heightened tensions between Jackson and the mostly white establishment press.

I've got travel connections now, but I'll say more about this post tomorrow.