A message from Charles Sherrod

I'd like to give him the last word, at least for now, on the meaning of his wife's battle with cruel right-wingers

Published August 1, 2010 11:02PM (EDT)

Shirley Sherrod answers questions during an interview at her home on Friday, July 23, 2010 in Albany, Ga. Sherrod was fired from her job at the Agriculture Department amid accusations of racism. (AP Photo/Steve Cannon) (AP)
Shirley Sherrod answers questions during an interview at her home on Friday, July 23, 2010 in Albany, Ga. Sherrod was fired from her job at the Agriculture Department amid accusations of racism. (AP Photo/Steve Cannon) (AP)

Digby as usual has a wonderful rundown of everything that's been wrong with the treatment of Shirley Sherrod. (Her contrast between the courage and grit of Sherrod and her attackers is inspired; scroll to the end.) She does a better job than I did describing the bizarro world right-wing Obama foes are trying to create, in which any black person who complains about white racism is the one who's racist.

Coincidentally, I got an e-mail from Charles Sherrod tonight; I'd sent him a note seeking comment when I wrote my piece about his civil rights heroism. He got back to me, and this is all he said:

The attack on my wife has opened up an avalanche of discussion on a tabooed subject ... RACE. It is a blessing to be an instrument of God's GRACE.

I'm going to try to let that stand as the last word on the Sherrods for a while.


By Joan Walsh



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Shirley Sherrod