Alaska's Blacks and Palin: a Strained Relationship
by
Linn Washington, Jr.
This article previously appeared in Counterpunch.org.
"Palin
denies telling black leaders she did not intend to hire blacks in her state."
While
many across America consider GOP VP candidate Sarah Palin some kind of
phenomenon, many blacks in Alaska see the Governor of their state as a person
closing down the open-door inclusive posture of her predecessors.
Alaskan
blacks fault Palin for not hiring African-Americans, dismissing blacks from
government posts, spurning repeated requests to meet with black leaders to
discuss issues of concern and refusing to attend that state's major
African-American celebration.
"Where past
governors have attended [this celebration] Gov. Palin has refused to attend or
even send a staff member. They could have sent a gardener as their
representative but they didn't," said Bishop James Thomas, a spokesman for
Juneteenth, a state holiday in Alaska since 2001.
Juneteenth,
recognizing the freeing of slaves during Civil War, receives celebration
nationwide. It holds distinction as the oldest African-American celebration.
Twenty-nine states including Alaska recognize Juneteenth as an official holiday
or an observance.
"For Gov.
Palin to blatantly ignore Juneteenth is a tragedy," said Thomas, pastor of the
non-denominational Jesus Holy Temple in Anchorage. "We are not criticizing her
because Obama is running for president. If Obama was white, we would still criticize
Palin due to our treatment here."
Palin's
increasingly rocky relations with Alaska's black community seeped down to the
"Lower 48" weeks ago following an internet posting by the President of Alaska's
African American Historical Society Gwendolyn Alexander detailing controversies
like Juneteenth, Palin's staffing practices and Palin allegedly stating she
"doesn't have to hire any blacks" for major projects. Palin denies telling black leaders
she did not intend to hire blacks in her state where African-Americans comprise
4% of the population.
"If
Obama was white, we would still criticize Palin due to our treatment here."
Palin,
through spokespersons, defends her staffing record citing that top aides and
advisors include a Filipino, a Korean and a person of mixed African-American
ancestry.
Given
Palin's penchant for hiring friends with no apparent qualifications for their
high salaried government posts, the refrain of not being able to find
"qualified minorities" appears irrelevant. One frequently cited Palin
appointment is her elevation of a high school classmate to the $95,000 a year
post heading the State Division of Agriculture which Palin defended based on
this real estate agent's childhood love of cows.
Alaskan
blogger Amy Jones stated in a post that she "tired to get specific information
from the governor's office, but no one could verify what minority
representation there might be among Palin's appointees on boards and
commissions or how often she met with community organizations..."
The Rev. Dr.
Alonzo B. Patterson chuckles at Palin's claims of being color-blind, saying
she's "not sensitive to [having] African-Americans in her administration."
Patterson,
who's worked closely with previous governors plus mayors and other elected
officials during his 45-years in Alaska, feels Palin has "totally departed from
the past practices" of previous Alaska governors.
"Past
administrations have had black administrative assistants to the Governor, state
Commissioners and department leaders," said Patterson, who served as chair of
Alaska's Board of Paroles for 13-years.
Patterson heads the American Baptist Churches of Alaska
and that state's Martin Luther King Jr. Foundation. Earlier this year,
Patterson participated in a meeting of black leaders with Palin. This meeting
followed months of requests to Palin for a meeting.
"We gave
her a list of concerns and have received no response," said Patterson, pastor
of Shiloh Missionary Baptist Church in Anchorage.
Concerns
presented by this group included hiring minorities at all levels of state
government plus contracting and employment practices in the upcoming pipeline
construction project.
"She is basically a housewife who looses her temper when
she's not getting her way."
This group
also invited Palin to participate in a town meeting during the summer with
other racial and ethnic minorities in Alaska to discuss issues of import
including economic growth, educational deficiencies, family disintegration and
young gang problems. Palin spurned this invitation.
"She has
not met with us since that March meeting," Patterson said. "I think she was
intimidated by us not being intimidated by her. From my perspective, she is
basically a housewife who looses her temper when she's not getting her way."
A person
from the area of Wasilla where Palin served as mayor said she's very
vindictive, a behavior pattern that chills criticism of her.
While
commending Palin as an enchanting person with maverick ways, the person said
"Sarah is not ready" for the office she holds or higher office. This person did
note that Palin's employment practices may not be as discriminatory as they
appear because "she is devoted to her people and there are few blacks in
Wasilla."
Sarah Palin
burst on the national stage as Senator McCain's running mate during the GOP
Convention that had the lowest number of black delegates in forty years.
With
Palin's failing relations with blacks in Alaska, some might cynically see this
as part of her pick by McCain who's received an F on the NAACP Congressional
Report Card during 11 of the past 13 reporting periods. (During McCain's two
runs for president the NAACP provided no grade for McCain.)
McCain's
scores on supporting issues important to the NAACP ranks lower than
conservative Senators Trent Lott of Mississippi and Orin Hatch of Utah.
Palin's
rocky relations with blacks mirrors relations with Alaska's Native Peoples
according to the September 12, 2008 Counterpunch article by
Lloyd Miller.
Bishop
Thomas and many others in Alaska feel "blacks are not being treated fairly" by
Gov. Palin.
"This
governor does not deal with minorities well," Thomas said. "We have to examine
how she will act as Vice-President and if by chance she becomes President."
Linn Washington Jr. is
a columnist for The Philadelphia Tribune newspaper.
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