Dru Lechert-Kelly, 11, Banned from Wearing Barack Obama Mask in Skit, Principal Steve Powell Says Mask "Inappropriate, Potentially Offensive"

Michael Lloyd/The Oregonian

President Barack Obama has been caricatured on “Saturday Night Live” in a skit and that prompted the Llewellyn Elementary School principal, Steve Powell, to ban Dru Lechert-Kelly, a fifth grader, from performing while wearing it at his elementary school talent show. The principal decided that the rubber likeness of the 44th president was “inappropriate and potentially offensive.” Ouch.

The fifth-grader decided to dress up like his role model and dance to a popular YouTube song that features an Obama look-alike dancing to a parody called “I Can Do Whatever I Like.” Dru performed the skit in front of teachers and students during a rehearsal for Llewellyn’s annual talent show Thursday. He wore a navy blue suit, white shirt, red tie, black shoes and an Obama mask purchased at a costume shop. The choreographed routine ended with Dru on the floor in the splits.

The principal, without seeing the skit firsthand, made the decision to ban the mask. Personally, I don’t have a problem with the boy wearing the mask, but I do understand the principal’s decision. There was nothing racist about the skit, in my opinion, but I think we have become so sensitive to race issues in this country because of the actions of a few racist people. The principal did overreact and should have at least watched the skit first before taking such drastic action, but in the final analysis, there will always be Barack Obama masks, much like President George W. Bush, President Bill Clinton and Hillary Clinton masks.

Watch the clip and judge for yourself….

Local school says no to Obama act

Filed under: Blackface, Dru Lechert-Kelly, Llewellyn Elementary School, Overt Racism, President Barack H. Obama, Rubber Mask Inappropriate, Skit Banned, Steve Powell

Former GM Elgin Baylor Sues Los Angeles Clippers for Racial, Age Discrimination

Photo: Elgin Baylor (Ric Francis)

I don’t dabble much in writing about the sports world, but I found the fact that the Los Angeles Clippers’ organization is being sued for racism rather interesting. Well, former Clippers general manager Elgin Baylor is suing the team for age and race discrimination. The allegations are scathing against team owner Donald Sterling, in that he had “a pervasive and on-going racist attitude as expressed to then NBA player Danny Manning during contract negotiations.”

According to the lawsuit, Sterling once said of Manning: “I’m offering a lot of money for a poor Black kid.” The lawsuit also claims NBA commissioner David Stern was present when Sterling made the remark about Manning.

Also in the lawsuit, the Times reports Baylor said Sterling once told him that he “wanted the Clippers team to be composed of ‘Poor Black boys from the South’ and a White head coach.”

The Clippers responded to the reports of the lawsuit, which is expected to be revealed by Baylor at a news conference Thursday. “Not having seen the complaint, I cannot comment on Elgin’s specific allegations,” said Clippers attorney Robert Platt. “However, I can categorically state that the Clippers always treated Elgin fairly throughout his long tenure with the team. Prior to his decision to leave the team last October, Elgin never raised any claims of unfair treatment.

“It’s hard to believe that he would now make these ridiculous claims after the organization stood by him during 22 years and only three playoff appearances. It would be hard to find any sports team that has demonstrated greater loyalty to its general manager.” Source: LA Times

It is funny how this lawsuit came about when Mr. Baylor was no longer associated with the organization. Funny how you can spend 22 years with an organization and then turn around and sue for racism. He didn’t seem to have an issue until he was relieved of his duties just before the 2008-09 season began.

The 74-year-old Baylor orchestrated some big moves for the Clippers in the offseason. Baron Davis was signed to a five-year, $65 million deal, and while the team lost the services of power forward Elton Brand, they did acquire veteran center Marcus Camby from Denver.

An 11-time All-Star, Baylor joined the Clippers in 1986 as VP of basketball operations after a stellar 14-year playing career with the Lakers and a brief coaching stint with the New Orleans Jazz. He was inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame in 1976. Source: LA Times

For the most part, it seems that Mr. Baylor had a good record with the organization, but it is a shame to watch it go up in smoke with such a lawsuit. Don’t know if this is all true, but it comes at a questionable point in this man’s career. He waited until he was terminated to blow the whistle. Seems to me he should have screamed racism and ageism before now. Sounds like sour grapes to me and a Hall of Famer shouldn’t sink to this level if allegations are unfounded.

Filed under: Ageism, Basketball Hall of Fame, Donald Sterling, Elgin Baylor, Lawsuit, Los Angeles Clippers, NBA, Overt Racism

Mississippi Paper, Meridian Star, Offers Apology for Its ‘Gross Neglect’ During Civil Rights Struggle

Funny, it seems that since Barack Obama will be inaugurated as our our first African American president, everyone is suddenly getting a conscience and apologizing for past racist behavior. Well, in a remarkable turn of events, one day before the birthday holiday for Martin Luther King Jr. is celebrated, — Mississippi-based Meridian Star has, in an editorial, offered an apology for its past coverage of civil rights issues. Really, why did it take them so long to get a conscience and admit to their racist behavior? It took them to do so after 43 presidents have been inaugurated. Well, at least they have admitted the error of their ways and have set the record straight.

The full editorial written by Editor Fredie Carmichael

Tomorrow, as the nation celebrates the life of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., we also pause to remember those in East Mississippi who were integral in the American civil rights movement. We pause to honor them through vowing to never forget their struggle, their passion, their persistence, their courage — and what these human qualities have meant to our community.

We pause to remember James Chaney, Obie Clark, Polly Heidelberg and others so important to the struggle for equality who are no longer with us. And to honor those who are still with us like Rev. Charles Johnson and State Rep. Charles Young.

We pause to remember so that we never go back; so that we always move forward for social justice and human rights. We vow to be their voice. We vow to embody their passion. It is also important, and historically significant, that today marks the start of official inauguration events for Barack Obama, the country’s 44th president and the first black person elected to that highest of political offices. His swearing in Tuesday will, in a special way, fulfill the dream of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., James Chaney, Obie Clark, Polly Heidelberg and the countless other front-line soldiers in the fight for civil rights across America.

The same as Americans put aside political ideology in the aftermath of the terrorist attacks on our soil on Sept. 11, 2001, to support President George W. Bush, we should now respect and rally to the historical significance and symmetry of the civil rights movement and Barack Obama’s inauguration as president.

The civil rights pioneers of East Mississippi helped build the foundation of human values that made this milestone inauguration possible. So it is especially important that our communities come together at this moment. It is also important that we not forget our past failings to live up to those values. There was a time when this newspaper – and many others across the south — acted with gross neglect by largely ignoring the unfairness of segregated schools, buses, restaurants, washrooms, theaters and other public places. We did it through omission, by not recording for our readers many of the most important civil rights activities that happened in our midst, including protests and sit-ins. That was wrong. We should have loudly protested segregation and the efforts to block voter registration of black East Mississippians.

Current management understands while we can’t go back and undo some past wrongs, we can offer our sincere apology — and promise never again to neglect our responsibility to inform you, our readers, about the human rights and dignity every individual is entitled to in America — no matter their religion, their ethnic background or the color of their skin.

It seems to me that they should not have waited until we have our first African American president to apologize for their racism. If anything, Barack Obama has shown that the American people can transcend race and vote for a candidate on the basis of their platform. Not on the color of their skin. The Meridian Star and all those newspapers that promoted racism should be ashamed of themselves. The news media should see no color, but sadly, that pattern of racism still continues today, albeit subtly.

Filed under: Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., Meridian Star, Mississippi, Overt Racism, President-elect Barack Obama, Segregation