Black Caucus: Whites Not Allowed

Now, white people are upset because the Black Caucus is exclusive. Damn, give it a rest. Like a comedian said, everybody wants to be black until the cops show up.

I don't think it is just white people truthseeka. I am amazed how people who fought so hard for so long to be included would be so quick to exclude.

This came out of the Denver Post not too long ago. It seems that the Representative from Tennessee Stephen Cohen never sought admission to the Congressional Black Caucus:

A spokesman for [Stephen] Cohen said "He never formally sought membership in the Congressional Black Caucus, nor has the Congressional Black Caucus denied membership to him," said Cohen's spokeswoman, Marilyn Dillihan.

Cohen, Dillihan said "really regrets that this is being used the way it's being used."

FYI

www.hillnews.com...


Tancredo calls for prohibition of race-based caucuses
Colorado Rep. Tom Tancredo (R) on Thursday criticized the existence of race-based caucuses and called for their prohibition.

The Hill reported Jan. 4 that Rep. Steve Cohen (D-Tenn.), who is white and represents a district with a black majority, had abandoned his bid to join the CBC.



WTG Rep. Tancredo!!!!



www.ashlandcitytimes.com.../20070125/NEWS0201/70125051
The caucus has never allowed non-black members since its creation in the 1970s, Bositis said, and not all members represent majority black districts. The caucus does have an associate membership that permits non-blacks to join.

Less of a membership for less of a person?

The caucus would not have permitted Cohen to join, its new chairwoman told The Associated Press. Rep. Carolyn Cheeks Kilpatrick, D-Mich., said the caucus decided early on that official membership would be restricted to blacks.


[edit on 14/2/2007 by shooterbrody]

shooterbrody, From your second source...

The caucus has never allowed non-black members since its creation in the 1970s, Bositis said, and not all members represent majority black districts. The caucus does have an associate membership that permits non-blacks to join.

"Maybe it was admirable for (Cohen) to want to join because he has similar legislative interests as the Congressional Black Caucus," Bositis said. "But he could have just applied to be an associate member."

Sounds suspiciously like "separate but equal" to me. Funny how it's ok to do that to certain citizens these days based on race... But not others...

Originally posted by ceci2006
The CBC Story Was Not A Story After All...

It seems that the Representative from Tennessee Stephen Cohen never sought admission to the Congressional Black Caucus:

He never FORMALLY sought admission, no. But he did ask about it. Cohen pledged that if elected that he would try to become the first white member. He asked but did not make a formal bid as he was told not to bother.

Actually, this has been known since the first post in this thread.

Original Source

He said he has dropped his bid after several current and former caucus members made it clear to him that whites need not apply.
...
"Mr. Cohen asked for admission, and he got his answer. ... It's time to move on," the younger Clay said. "It's an unwritten rule. It's understood. It's clear."

So, it was a story, perhaps just not the one you thought it was. What's not a story is the Denver Post (link?) piece.

Originally posted by Benevolent Heretic
I love this line...

"Mr. Cohen asked for admission, and he got his answer. ... It's time to move on," the younger Clay said. "It's an unwritten rule. It's understood. It's clear."

It's an unwritten rule, understood. Kind of like the rule that black people have to sit at the back of the bus. It's just understood. No biggie...

I think the guy wanting to join handled the rejection quite well. He still admired them and wanted to work with them. I know this thread is a bit old now but would like to comment. I think he should have been allowed to join. It's my understanding that the point of the black cacus is to do legislation that will help their fellow black people out. Since the Congressman serves a majority of people in his district who are black wouldn't that qualify him to join? I would say the same thing if there was a woman's only cacus and a guy Congressman surved mostly women. He would be helping to look out for those women. I think that's kinda sad what happened and thought they could be a bove that. *shrug*

Originally posted by SouthernBelle82
I think the guy wanting to join handled the rejection quite well.

I totally agree. He didn't put for a formal request. He just accepted their unwritten rules with grace.

I can't help but think about putting the shoe on the other foot in situations like these, though. A black person denied entrance into a "white whatever" would (rightly) be highly upset. And I would support him totally!

It's too bad we even have to have a black caucus at all. Someday, I hope the government will act in the interest of ALL people, instead of being reminded that there are other people besides the rich, white, male Christians.

Originally posted by Benevolent Heretic

Originally posted by SouthernBelle82
I think the guy wanting to join handled the rejection quite well.

I totally agree. He didn't put for a formal request. He just accepted their unwritten rules with grace.

I can't help but think about putting the shoe on the other foot in situations like these, though. A black person denied entrance into a "white whatever" would (rightly) be highly upset. And I would support him totally!

It's too bad we even have to have a black caucus at all. Someday, I hope the government will act in the interest of ALL people, instead of being reminded that there are other people besides the rich, white, male Christians.

I agree with you. I wonder why though he didn't make a formal request. The only thing I can think of is he knew he probably wouldn't join or something. The thing that gets me though is if the situation happened like you talked about everyone would put enough pressure on the group to let that person join but with this situation nothing happens. *shrug* I just wish everybody could stop seeing color, race, gender and religion too.

Just wanted to chime in with a clarification regarding The Bell Curve. It was asserted by an earlier poster that the book had been debunked- which is inaccurate.

en.wikipedia.org...

The book has been highly criticised for years, and numerous alternate PoV have been suggested on the claims it makes, but debunked in the sense of having been proven fallacious? No.

Here's a suggestion we become a classless society. Then we don't have to worry about any of this crap. Nope can't do that well have Jessie Jackson all over our a**. I'm so sick of hearing about the NAACP and the UNCF. If black people want equal rights than they shouldn't have this crap. Hence if we became a classless society we wouldn't have to worry about all of that.