Jack & Jill Politics

A few days ago, I saw this story over on African-American Political Pundit. I’ve heard from others in the black netroots some concern and frustration of possible NAACP attention-grabbing over an issue around which black bloggers worked hard online. Plus there’s the whole concept of getting in bed with Gov. Haley Barbour who, just before the holidays, scandalized the nation with his defense of known white supremacists and his attempts to re-write his own history on civil rights.

I mean, it’s good I suppose that Barbour realizes that he needs to reach out to the black community in a positive way. Certainly getting a thumbs up from the NAACP is a great way to show how much black folks love you despite your tendency to say stuff that’s kinda racist, right??? Good to have the NAACP’s backing to move the Scott Sisters’ case forward but once again, they are a day late and a dollar short given the efforts of the black bloggers on this without giving much credit where it’s due. Hmm…shades of Jena 6, anyone?

AAP’s whole post is worth reading, especially for more background on the Scott Sisters. Here’s just a hot slice…

But with all the grandstanding that is about to happen, groups like the national office of the NAACP, Al Sharpton and the rest of the slick poverty pimp hustlers need to move over, and salute one of the key people that fought the up hill battle to get these women free. A true black woman freedom fighter who deserves accolades and support from America and America’s African American community, Ms. Nancy Lockhart, who for years, through the strategic use of the Internet, and her Free the Scott Sisters Blog, along with Internet BlogTalkRadio shows began a grassroots effort to free the Scott sisters. Without Nancy Lockhart who has proven to be a modern day,  21st Century,  Harriet Tubman like, African American women working on the outside, the Scott sisters may not be looking at Freedom. Of course we have to include the recent color aroused political blunders by Mississippi Gov. Haley Barbour, as the emphasis for the his true interest in reducing the life sentences of two black American sisters jailed for an armed robbery that netted just $11.

Ms. Nancy Lockhart, who has worked closely with grass root groups and individuals like Jerry Robinson, a sharp mouthed grass root community organizer, political activist, and national President of the Chicago based Poor People’s Campaign has worked with Nancy Lockhart in her efforts to engage grass-root Internet activist, bloggers, and community groups from across the nation to support the Scott Sisters  quest for freedom. Let the truth be told, it was not the national NAACP that lead the effort to free the Scott Sisters, it was Nancy Lockhart through her use of grassroots Internet organizing, with the support of people like Jerry Robinson of the Poor People’s Campaign, Black left Internet groups like the afrospear, Black Agenda Report, and black bloggers like Electronic Village, Jack and Jill Politics, Field Negro, Eddie G. Griffin, Anderson at Large, From My Brown Eyed View, Exodus Mentality, field negro, Francis L. Holland Blog, BlackPerspective.net, along with many dozens of Internet blogtalkradio host, such as Black Achievement USA, Black Talk Radio, JWriter, Justice4Us, Duchess of Wisdom, AANation, PPC, Kala Nation, Joli Ali, BostonAnt, Pumpkin13, Madison Media, Dale Daniels, Antoinette former co-host of African American Pundit’s SlugFest Program, along with Antionette Harrell, One Black Mans View, Scotty, and so many others, who were able to create a band of national Internet activist who worked with Nancy Lockhart to get the word out to the larger blogosphere, afrosphere, black radio and national media,  that caused the Scott Sisters to be of interest to groups like the NAACP and because of recent color aroused political blunders by Mississippi Gov. Haley Barbour, caused him to look at the Scott Sisters case as a political opportunity to make himself look good, as part of his potential Presidential ambitions. As noted in The Washington Post, Barbour, who is weighing a run for president, announced the pardon a week after he ran afoul of civil rights advocates. Last week, Barbour backtracked on comments he made about the civil rights era in Mississippi. More HERE

AAP says: All that being said, America, particularly Black America should salute and thank Nancy Lockhart for a job well done! She has taught us a new lesson for the 21st Century, “grassroot Internet organizing can work for America, particularly black America,  if we put your mind, heart and soul into it.”  I remember urging the NAACP to get involved, suggesting it was really time for afrospear bloogers, the national office of the NAACP, and the Lawyers Committee on Civil Rights to take a look at, research, investigate and advocate for a new trial and immediate release of the Scott Sisters. Read more HERE
Now all of a sudden they say they have lead the effort. They are a bunch of liars!

As Francis L. Holland has noted, although the Scott sisters have been in jail for sixteen years, while the NAACP’s President Ben Jealous may have first mentioned the case to the media on September 15, 2010.  “NAACP backs pardon for Miss. sisters serving life”, USA Today, http://www.usatoday.com/news/nation/2010-09-14-scott-sisters_N.htm. “The president of the N.A.A.C.P., is seeking a pardon from the Governor of Mississippi, announced the Red Mountain Post on October 15, 2010. When the NAACP announces its support in a nationally-known case of injustice that has been advocated at blogs and community groups for years, and the NAACP’s freshly-painted involvement becomes national news, you know that organization has lost its way.  It has gone from political leader to political opportunist, just as occurred in the Jena Six case, where “NAACP Spent More on Internal Jena Six Activities Than on Youths’ Defense Funds.”

Read more: http://africanamericanpundit.blogspot.com/2010/12/scott-sisters-nancy-lockhart-and.html#ixzz1A6E1MblQ