United States' Largest Civil Rights Coalition Condemns U.S. Exit from Racism Conference
Feature Story by Civilrights.org staff - 9/4/2001
September 4, 2001-Yesterday's walk-out on the World Conference Against Racism (WCAR) by the United States delegation was condemned by many U.S. civil and human rights groups attending the conference. The walk-out came days after the U.S. decided not to send a high-level delegation that would have included Secretary of State Colin Powell to the conference, another move that generated consternation in the American social justice community.Secretary of State Colin L. Powell said he had instructed the U.S. delegation to return home, citing "hateful language" proposed for the final conference statement. The document is still under revision. Israel's delegation also left the WCAR yesterday.
A statement issued by Wade Henderson, Executive Director of the Leadership Conference on Civil Rights (LCCR), the largest, oldest, and most diverse coalition of civil and human rights organizations in the United States, focused on the many opportunities presented by the WCAR that would now be lost.
"By withdrawing, the United States has squandered an opportunity to participate in important issues facing the country and the world. While we understand the gravity of the situation in the Middle East, focusing solely on this issue overshadows discussion of other critical challenges including contemporary slavery, caste discrimination, criminal justice, poverty, education, rights of indigenous peoples and gender discrimination. The refusal to take part in this historic discussion of important human rights issues is an abdication of U.S. leadership in the global effort against racism and bigotry."
"The Leadership Conference is also dismayed by the expressions of anti-Semitism voiced by a variety of sources. Such hate speech is not redeemed by the fact that Palestinians and other groups have also been subjected to abusive language. Religious hate has no place at a conference dedicated to the elimination of racism and other forms of intolerance. It is not acceptable for any racial, religious, or ethnic group to be made the target of discrimination."
Rev. Jesse Jackson, who traveled to Durban with a private delegation, voiced concern that the U.S. is defaulting on its duty as the sole superpower, " "The United States came late and left early. It was never really engaged here. We have missed a great opportunity to act as a global leader in the fight against racism."
Christopher Edley Jr., co-director of the Harvard Civil Rights Project and a member of the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights, said that to truly address racial and ethnic divisions, America could not give up her seat that the table. "I would prefer that we be there at the highest level condemning the Zionist resolution, while advancing an affirmative agenda," said Edley.
