(ThyBlackMan.com) I hope to God that this is the last column I will ever have to write about South Carolina Congressman Jim Clyburn.
I cannot express adequately the level of reverence and respect I have for him. He is a Civil Rights legend and one of the most brilliant political strategists in the county. He and I agree on very little politically.
He is a Democrat and I am a Republican. We agree on many of the problems facing the Black community; but have different visions on how to effectuate the best solutions to these problems.
He has always been generous with his time if I wanted to talk with him. His long-time chief of staff, and a good friend, Yebbie Watkins, is one of the best political minds around.
So, yet again, I am compelled to write about Clyburn’s continued battle with overt racism he seems to constantly have to confront from the highest levels within the Democrat Party and the continued silence of the elite Blacks within the same party.
This is the third column I have had to write in defense of Clyburn. Because of space limitations, I will refer you to my two previous columns so you can get the full background of the racism Clyburn constantly faces from the party that “claims” to care about Black people.
The first column was written in November of 2010 titled, “Jim Clyburn-ed.” The second column was written in December of 2018 titled, “Hypocrisy in the Democrat Democracy.”
Clyburn publicly endorsed Joe Biden on February 26, 2020, just a few days before the South Carolina presidential primary. Biden had been grossly under-performing within the Black community. If Biden had lost the South Carolina primary his presidential campaign would have immediately ended.
Biden won the primary and the rest is history. Everyone conceded that Clyburn’s endorsement is the reason Biden is president today. Biden has publicly admitted this on several occasions.
Clyburn is the person who got Biden to commit to putting a Black female on the Supreme Court.
So, with a pending Supreme Court opening, Clyburn made it known to Biden privately and publicly that he would like to see him nominate fellow South Carolinian, U.S. District Judge J. Michelle Childs.
Last week President Biden, once again decided to diss Black folks in general, and Congressman Clyburn specifically.
Obviously, the president has a right to choose whoever he wants as his nominee. But I find it amazing that the very person you credit with you being president is constantly rejected when attempting to cash in a “political” chip.
Clyburn fought hard to place Blacks in several A list cabinet slots, but had to settle for Housing and Urban Development (HUD) with former Congressman Marcia Fudge. HUD is known as a dumping spot for Blacks in both parties.
So, you think I am being overly sensitive?
Let me give you another example from a different Democrat president who claimed to be down with Black folks.
Former president Bill Clinton. Yep the one yall called the first Black president. He was given that moniker simply by playing the saxophone on the Arsenio Hall Show back in the nineties.
Former Democrat National Committee chairman, the late Ron Brown, my Godfather, was credited with being the singular most important person who made Clinton president. Like Biden, Clinton admitted as much publicly on many occasions.
Brown wanted to be secretary of state but had to settle for secretary of commerce. Once again, a Black tries to cash in a chip only to be rejected!
Oh, and what about another Godfather of mine, the late former mayor of Atlanta, Maynard Jackson?
This is a pattern within the Democrat Party.
As I have asked in my two previous columns about Clyburn, where are the voices of support from the likes of the N.A.A.C.P., The National Urban League, The National Action Network, The Congressional Black Caucus, Vice President Kamala Harris, the homosexual community, the Hispanic community, etc.?
Yet these groups are quick to run to Clyburn when they need help. But when the ugly head of racism rears its ugly head yet again towards Clyburn, everyone seems to come down with another case of laryngitis.
Blowhard Democrat activists like Roland Martin, Joy Reid, Don Lemon, Tiffany Cross, Angela Rye have something to say about everything that is irrelevant to the Black community. But when their own people turn on one of our living legends, they have nothing to say. Really?
These Black turncoats are like the sounding brass or a tinkling cymbal, full of sound and fury signifying nothing.
Clyburn has too much class and is the ultimate team player to go public with these constant slights by Democrats.
But as someone who respects the hell out of Clyburn, I will speak for him. Once again he has been Clyburn-ed!!!
Staff Writer; Raynard Jackson
This talented brother is a Pulitzer Award nominated columnist and founder and chairman of Black Americans for a Better Future (BAFBF), a federally registered 527 Super PAC established to get more Blacks involved in the Republican Party. BAFBF focuses on the Black entrepreneur. For more information about BAFBF, visit www.bafbf.org. You can follow Raynard on Twitter; RealRaynardJ.
