Naacp Schedules Protest Against Ex-la Mayor Until
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Join Date: 2004-02-15 Member: 26572Members
Join Date: 2004-02-15 Member: 26572Members
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<div class="IPBDescription">...they see the child isn't black!</div> <a href='http://www.cnn.com/2004/ALLPOLITICS/07/08/girls.name.ap/' target='_blank'>http://www.cnn.com/2004/ALLPOLITICS/07/08/girls.name.ap/</a>
<!--QuoteBegin--></div><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td><b>QUOTE</b> </td></tr><tr><td id='QUOTE'><!--QuoteEBegin-->LOS ANGELES, California (AP) -- State Education Secretary Richard Riordan jokingly told a child her name, Isis, meant "stupid dirty girl," prompting the head of the California NAACP on Thursday to call for his resignation.
Riordan, the wealthy former Los Angeles mayor known for his support of public schools, startled even friends last week with the comments at a promotional event for summer reading at the Santa Barbara library.
Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, his longtime friend, called Riordan's statement to the girl "unacceptable in any context" but gave no hint his job was in danger.
But Alice Huffman, president of the California chapter of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, said Thursday that Riordan "is not suitable to lead education in our state" and should be removed.
The conversation, videotaped by KEYT-TV, took place July 1. The girl, 6-year-old Isis D'Luciano, asked Riordan if he knew her name meant "Egyptian goddess."
Riordan replied, "It means stupid dirty girl."
After nervous laughter in the room, the girl again told Riordan the meaning of her name.
"Hey, that's nifty," he said.
A day later, Riordan issued a statement that said he "teased" the girl. "I immediately apologized to her, and I want to do so again for the misunderstanding," Riordan said.
The governor's chief spokesman, Rob Stutzman, said Thursday Riordan had not been asked to resign and, "That's the end of the issue, as far as we are concerned."
The girl's mother, Trinity Lila of Goleta, said her daughter was fine, and she considered the issue over.
"Obviously it hurt her feelings, but she didn't take it personally. She knew he was wrong and she let it go," Lila said. "I'm not going to sue them for therapy bills."
"He's already apologized repeatedly," Lila added. Although Riordan's office has tried to contact her, "I don't see what else is to be done."
But the issue has persisted. In an editorial Thursday, The Sacramento Bee said California "shouldn't have an education secretary who makes offensive, damaging remarks to young children for no apparent reason."
"He's the governor's top person on education, which means we would expect him to have some love and respect for children," Huffman said. "I think he is the wrong man for the job. There is no way for him to explain this away."
Riordan, a venture capitalist who started a foundation supporting literacy, has a reputation for awkward -- some might say insensitive -- remarks and behavior.
As mayor, he once greeted hunger strikers outside his office eating a hamburger. In a speech to school administrators earlier this year, he told a story about a nun physically disciplining a student that startled some in the audience.
"There wasn't an uproar, but some people felt the comment was inappropriate," said Joseph Jones, assistant executive director of the Association of California School Administrators.
<b>Democratic state Assemblyman Mervyn Dymally, who had scheduled a protest by civil rights organizations, canceled the demonstration after an apparent mix-up over the girl's racial background.
Dymally was quoted in the San Jose Mercury News Thursday saying the child was "a little African-American girl. Would he (Riordan) have done that to a white girl?"
The girl is white, with blonde hair.</b>
Dymally did not return telephone calls. His office issued a statement Wednesday calling Riordan's remarks to the girl "outrageous and irresponsible," then issued another statement Thursday saying, "To err is human; to forgive is divine."
"Race is not a factor in this issue," Dymally said in Thursday's statement, adding that Riordan had apologized a second time. "It is time for us to move on.<!--QuoteEnd--></td></tr></table><div class='postcolor'><!--QuoteEEnd-->
NAACP inherently racist? Appears to be so. Discuss.
<!--QuoteBegin--></div><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td><b>QUOTE</b> </td></tr><tr><td id='QUOTE'><!--QuoteEBegin-->LOS ANGELES, California (AP) -- State Education Secretary Richard Riordan jokingly told a child her name, Isis, meant "stupid dirty girl," prompting the head of the California NAACP on Thursday to call for his resignation.
Riordan, the wealthy former Los Angeles mayor known for his support of public schools, startled even friends last week with the comments at a promotional event for summer reading at the Santa Barbara library.
Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, his longtime friend, called Riordan's statement to the girl "unacceptable in any context" but gave no hint his job was in danger.
But Alice Huffman, president of the California chapter of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, said Thursday that Riordan "is not suitable to lead education in our state" and should be removed.
The conversation, videotaped by KEYT-TV, took place July 1. The girl, 6-year-old Isis D'Luciano, asked Riordan if he knew her name meant "Egyptian goddess."
Riordan replied, "It means stupid dirty girl."
After nervous laughter in the room, the girl again told Riordan the meaning of her name.
"Hey, that's nifty," he said.
A day later, Riordan issued a statement that said he "teased" the girl. "I immediately apologized to her, and I want to do so again for the misunderstanding," Riordan said.
The governor's chief spokesman, Rob Stutzman, said Thursday Riordan had not been asked to resign and, "That's the end of the issue, as far as we are concerned."
The girl's mother, Trinity Lila of Goleta, said her daughter was fine, and she considered the issue over.
"Obviously it hurt her feelings, but she didn't take it personally. She knew he was wrong and she let it go," Lila said. "I'm not going to sue them for therapy bills."
"He's already apologized repeatedly," Lila added. Although Riordan's office has tried to contact her, "I don't see what else is to be done."
But the issue has persisted. In an editorial Thursday, The Sacramento Bee said California "shouldn't have an education secretary who makes offensive, damaging remarks to young children for no apparent reason."
"He's the governor's top person on education, which means we would expect him to have some love and respect for children," Huffman said. "I think he is the wrong man for the job. There is no way for him to explain this away."
Riordan, a venture capitalist who started a foundation supporting literacy, has a reputation for awkward -- some might say insensitive -- remarks and behavior.
As mayor, he once greeted hunger strikers outside his office eating a hamburger. In a speech to school administrators earlier this year, he told a story about a nun physically disciplining a student that startled some in the audience.
"There wasn't an uproar, but some people felt the comment was inappropriate," said Joseph Jones, assistant executive director of the Association of California School Administrators.
<b>Democratic state Assemblyman Mervyn Dymally, who had scheduled a protest by civil rights organizations, canceled the demonstration after an apparent mix-up over the girl's racial background.
Dymally was quoted in the San Jose Mercury News Thursday saying the child was "a little African-American girl. Would he (Riordan) have done that to a white girl?"
The girl is white, with blonde hair.</b>
Dymally did not return telephone calls. His office issued a statement Wednesday calling Riordan's remarks to the girl "outrageous and irresponsible," then issued another statement Thursday saying, "To err is human; to forgive is divine."
"Race is not a factor in this issue," Dymally said in Thursday's statement, adding that Riordan had apologized a second time. "It is time for us to move on.<!--QuoteEnd--></td></tr></table><div class='postcolor'><!--QuoteEEnd-->
NAACP inherently racist? Appears to be so. Discuss.
Comments
You forget blacks cannot be racists, or so say several black leaders I have seen or heard in interviews.
The NAACP served a noble purpose when it was formed. Anymore it seems to be exagerating issues to keep what power it holds. That said the notion of the NAACP any more is racist, by same same logic that a NAAWP(National Association for the Advancement of White People) would be racist. I for one would like the see the "C" dropped from the organization and have it be for the advancement of People as a whole; promoting acceptance and understanding of other ethnicities.
That said the current leader of the NAACP is a nut-job
"Race is not a factor in this issue," Dymally said in Thursday's statement, adding that Riordan had apologized a second time. "It is time for us to move on. <!--QuoteEnd--> </td></tr></table><div class='postcolor'> <!--QuoteEEnd-->
What I find outrageous is how Dymally evidently spoke very loudly out against Riordan, but finding out that the offended child wasn't black he immediately retracted and dual-apologized for himself and for Riordan. So it's OK to insult (perhaps that's a bit of a strong word here but I'm using it because it fits) a white girl but not a black girl? Tells you much about the state of race relations in this nation....
Yeah thats the feeling I got. I can't blame the NAACP for pulling out when they found out she was white, I mean after all, its the National Association for the Advancement of <b>Colored People</b>. And as far as I can tell from the article, it wasn't the civil rights groups that canceled the protests, it was Dymally.
<!--QuoteBegin--></div><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td><b>QUOTE</b> </td></tr><tr><td id='QUOTE'><!--QuoteEBegin--><b>Democratic state Assemblyman Mervyn Dymally, who had scheduled a protest by civil rights organizations, canceled the demonstration after an apparent mix-up over the girl's racial background.</b><!--QuoteEnd--></td></tr></table><div class='postcolor'><!--QuoteEEnd-->
Almost like an overprotective mother. Paranoid, and jumping at the change to be right.
Almost like an overprotective mother. Paranoid, and jumping at the change to be right. <!--QuoteEnd--> </td></tr></table><div class='postcolor'> <!--QuoteEEnd-->
nah I'm siding with racists on this one
The media and politicians have no humor. Wow, does that suck.
The media and politicians have no humor. Wow, does that suck. <!--QuoteEnd--> </td></tr></table><div class='postcolor'> <!--QuoteEEnd-->
Even i can't see the humour in insulting a little girl (or anyone really, in that circumstance). It would be like me walking up to you and saying that your name means stupid **** retard while smiling.
I'm not saying that i think anything should be done about it, i mean, the girl is OK with the whole thing and so are the parents, but i am curious as to why he would say something like that. It's not even a joke, it's just stupid, especially for a man in his position.
<!--QuoteEnd--> </td></tr></table><div class='postcolor'> <!--QuoteEEnd-->
I'd shrug that off like nothing, but if you kept at it I'd slug you in the face.
People are wrong, get over it.
People are wrong, get over it. <!--QuoteEnd--> </td></tr></table><div class='postcolor'> <!--QuoteEEnd-->
Yeah, circumstances would be different. Everyone would be raising a giant stink about it because this horrible whitey said something mean to a little black girl. What actually happened would become irrelevant; it would be constantly decried as a hate crime and presented as proof of how racist white people are. It's so awesome how "the race issue" has to be brought up in everything.
I agree with the sentiment though: everyone should just get over themselves.
However, I'm going to fall in with the "it's not that big of a deal" crowd. The dude was being a douche bag, but it wasn't racially motivated. You just shouldn't go around telling 8 year-olds that their name means "stupid, dirty girl." Especially when the kid knows what the name actually means and makes you look like a tool.