USDA Official Pressured to Resign?: Join the Live Chat
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Tonight on 360°, the truth about Shirley Sherrod - the USDA official who resigned after a video surfaced of her speech in March leading to accusations she's racist. She denies those claims and speaks out on the program. Plus, our attempts to get answers from BP about the oil spill flow rate and more.
Want more details on what we're covering? Read EVENING BUZZ
Scroll down to join the live chat during the program. It's your chance to share your thoughts on tonight's headlines. Keep in mind, you have a better chance of having your comment get past our moderators if you follow our rules.
Here are some of them:
1) Keep it short (we don't have time to read a "book")
2) Don't write in ALL CAPS (there's no need to yell)
3) Use your real name (first name only is fine)
4) No links
5) Watch your language (keep it G-rated; PG at worst - and that includes $#&*)
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That the wrong way of doing anything, NAACP!
Ben Jealous needs to apologize to this Lady of Honor! She is the type of leader we need in the NAACP and the Tea Party!!! Wait next time Ben!!!
I watched all 43 minutes of the video. She's not the greatest speech deliverer, but the message definitely is not racist; it's about getting beyond racism. One of our society's problems is that we want everything to be distilled down to a 15-second sound bite. I've started to notice (and this may not be an original observation) that conservatives respond well to simple stories and slogans, while liberals look for the details.
We need the likes of Shirley Sherrod in public service. I hope she lands somewhere useful to us all.
The NAACP hasn't condemned the New Black Panthers for voter intimidation. Why so fast here?
i truely believe that the tea party is behind the release of this tape to take the heat off of their alleged racism. this is an attempt to distract us from the truth that the tea party is indeed racist.
Ms. Sherrod is a wonderful American and true patriot. It is a shame that such a good person has been used and misrepresented by the political machinery of this country. Thank you CNN for your coverage of these events. I am certain that Ms. Sherrod will again transform injustice into something that benefits our country.
NAACP "saw a statement"...they should've watched the full tape!
Do any of you who signed in by saying negative things about Ms. Sharrod want to take them back?Governor George Wallace found redemption later in life, Senator Robert Byrd was once involved with the KKK, as the conservative commentators like to keep reminding us, but this lady has to be villified for telling a story of her transformation from 24 years ago? For shame. Turn Roland Martin loose on these evil people. Breitbart has no shame, but he should.
As an African-American Methodist minister and former Army journalist, SHAME! Journalism 101...consider the source! Due diligence! It is clear that she was detailing a journey...one that created NOT a racist, but a person who was able to recognize that suffering has no color... and neither does compassion. All parties (except Ms. Sherrod) are complicit in this smear. SHAME!
Really love it that this 88 year old farmer is able and wants to give the facts ! Thankful for that.
Now please do the right thing! context and facts are now out in the open.
A senator that was a former KKK member is now regarded as a hero because he saw the light and fox is still dogging Mrs. Sherrod who was never racist but rightly had apprehensions about whites (i.e. her fathers murder) in her past.
A "Zero" fact checking policy too, I see..
Can we as a nation grow up? We behave like children, judging and repudiating each other based upon edited clips. Adults are supposed to investigate facts about a person before making a conclusion. Some right wing tea party activist gave the bait and the NAACP bit.
I agree. A real hatchet job was done on this lady. I think president Obama should personally give her back her job.
Hello Anderson, I am a regular viewer of your show, even listen to it in my car. I, however have never been moved to blog until the coverage of the firing of Shirley Sherrod. I am steamed! I am a 57 year-old Black woman from Chicago's Hyde Park community. I voted for President Obama in the primary and general elections. But, if President Obama does not step in and restore Ms Sherrod's job I will not only never vote for him again, I will support the campaign against him!
If after hearing the full story you still think she is racist you just don't get it!
@Kevin, "...how do we know she didn't help the white farmer to the best of her abilities????? "
She said it on the tape:
"So I didn’t give him the full force of what I could do. I did enough."
so not only was that taken out of context, but it was 24 year ago. interesting. makes one question what one sees and hears – even more.
Thank you Anderson for bringing out the truth....
Being a Hispanic male who is very easy to talk with, I was amazed by the amount of racial problems still so alive by both races. When I worked in the public school system. Whites talking badly about the blacks they worked with and blacks talking badly about whites they were working with???? I am totally baffled about this in 2010??? I get the feeling until we can not tell a race buy their color because of the blending of race's this will for some crazy reason continue. So sad that this happens from the supposedly intellegent human race.
I watch FoxNews (O'Reilly and Hanity) tonight ... None of them retracted the story of throwing Shiley Sherrod under the bus ..... I think the Administration, USDA, NAACP and Media got punk by the Andrew Breitbart ..... they got punk ...
You would think people would know clips can be edited!
Breitbart is deceitful, at best......scum.
I cannot understand why this is such an issue regarding the action taken against representative Sherrod across the nation people of color are consistently being misrepresented this is a throw back to the 60's and slavery. Its active in the job market, education etc. Right now as an African -American in my area we are struggling with stimulus contracts, getting funding etc., and our words get twisted to make us look like the violators or perpetrator instead of the heroes that we have struggled as Ms. Sherrod to overcome the hate consistently acted toward us....Even in our own race as the NAACP did in their earlier action......We as a people have so mich to conquer!!
@Nicole,
Hi Nicole! "This is journalism, -the facts- !"
I agree with you...this is why so many from all over the world tune into AC360! 🙂 For just "the facts"...no fluff...
What a dirty trick of the Tea Party. To divert attention from their own actions, they victimize this poor woman by distorting the truth.
It is truly shameful.
Is everyone glossing over the fact that Sherrod feels that there it is okay to take away from the "haves" and give to the "poor"? Wouldn't that affect her ability to do her job at the USDA? I think that is why she was fired as her speech showed her bias; according to her it used to be black versus white and now it is the "haves" against the "poor". Case closed.
and what of the naacp for not looking to see if they had a copy of the speech after it was them who invited her to speak
I have always thought the NAACP was a joke now i know they are they will never get another dime of my hard earned money for what, can somebody tell me what they do other then keep records and they cant do that right
Too many knee-jerk reactions; everyone should take a step back, swallow their pride and reset. I praise Mrs. Sherrod for being willing to use that event many years ago as an object lesson which is now reaching a greater audience. She shares the Christian message of our ability to change and be forgiven. My father was born the same year as Sen. Byrd, and I was proud of the way his attitudes evolved in his later years; its never too late.
More proof that journalism is dead !
Racism is alive and well and we all know it. And they will do or say anything to get what they want.
CNN has done a fantastic job of getting the whole story.
I pray that President Obama does his job and reinstate Ms. Sherrod.
As Obama said when he ran for President, This is not about him, it's about us.
Well Mr. President WE want you to reinstate Ms. Sherrod.
The Whitehouse should man up and reinstate her. This should be followed immediately with a formal position regarding FOX Media; The Whitehouse will no longer respond to any story reported by this media outlet until such time as the story is picked up by a legitimate
news organization.
I hope Ms. Sherrod does not go back to the Agriculture Dept., she can and will serve in another capacity to help our country engage in a well needed discussion of race relations. I am a Republican and watch alot of Fox News, however, I am deeply disturbed with how they put a spin on this story.
I always say you really do not know anyone until you have walked a mile in their shoes. Ms. Sherrod has displayed an incredible amount of courage, sharing her story and showing others, who want to make this a full-blown racial attack, life is about lessons and learning.
Now that you look back at that tape from 24yrs ago, that was just a small bit that was taken from a speech, it was not the full speech, so it is possible for that speech to be taken into that context when you do not hear the full thing. Anything like that can be taken into the wrong context when the full thing is not heard
You have got to be kidding, a statute on racial slurs. Let her ride of into the sunset.
It wasn't from the right, she should have never made these pathetic comments.
She and only herself are responsible for her words. Everything is always blamed on the right. Can't Voters in the Democrat party see where they have put us.
I'm so glad you just said that Chris!! I can't wait until CNN interviews that Bart guy again today. John King really had him sweating earlier!
People will use every excuse in the book to keep from admitting they were wrong when the decision was made: whether that be the person that let her go or the White House themselves. Mrs. Sherrod knows who she is and she can at least stand on that truth during this extremely difficult time. It is amazing she is able to show that level of strength and grace during this interview.
Has it been said how this tape got out? Did someone get paid for releasing this tape? If so, who paid them?
To Shirley Sherrod , You are a lesson to all of us not to always believe the video tape as it can be manipulated. So sorry for your pain. I am so sorry for looking at that tape and taking it at face value. You are owed a massive apology and let me give mine now. So very sorry, I hope you can forgive.
Wow, I think she has a case against Ag Dept Vlsack. Obviously they gave her no due process by not even getting her side of the story. Ever here of progressive discipline rather than moving straight to firing? I don't know what the NAACP was thinking. Why were they so quick to judge? As one viewer said previously we live in a soundbite world. The White House needs to step in (whether they were involved previously or not )and get involved now!!! Straight en this up and don't get suckered into this kind of knee jerk reaction to the right wing BS.
Anderson, your buddy Roland Martin needs to man-up and own his mistake in getting on the bandwagon, outsourcing his research to conservative bloggers, condemning this poor woman, and deflecting blame to others. Be a leader, not a lemming, Roland.
I think we've got the story straight now. Thank you cnn. I would hope that Roland Martin and Ms. Sherrod would have another conversation on air if possible. They had an interesting exchange earlier today.
she still called him on white farmer.
Ms. Sherrod should be heralded as a HEROINE! She told the very brave story of over coming the temptation of racism even though her own father was murdered by a klansman. This is the third Black perso thrown under the bus by the Obama Administration. Show some courage Mr. President for a non-Harvard Professor. Invite Ms. Sherrod for a beer (and a job).
how can the govenment fire someone withut investigating the case....what is going on....and why would the media show a tape that they didn't investigate....shame on the tea partyy ....another form of their racism....now i am convinced ...
Ms. Sherrod was underemployed in her position in Georgia. The Obama Administration should bring this class act to Washington and give her a senior position. I'm thinking Agriculture Secretary because the guy in the job is too knee-jerk to be in a Cabinet secretary's seat. She's got the vision, the intelligence, and patience to get the job done. I hope we see more of her
why would you report on something as news without even checking out the story. This is shameful and the White House should correct this injustice asap....
I think that Ms. Sherrod has been proven guilty before looking deeper into the tapes and its content. I think we have become a society that is out for blood at the first sign of anything we don't agree with. We seem to have selective hearing...we only hear what we want. Let's look at her track record and what she has done in her position. We are a nation of mixed races therefore we must be considerate of life styles, religion, morals and values...instead of pointing fingers and becoming vigilantes or sue happy. Somehow I think there is more to this, like someone wants her out, or there is someone who wants her position. I think they fired her to quickly.