And some African Americans wonder why racism still exists, durrrr
Jesse Jackson: Obama's 'acting like he's white'
Jackson was sharply critical of Obama's reaction to the case in Jena, Louisiana Tuesday.
WASHINGTON (CNN) — The Rev. Jesse Jackson sharply criticized Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama Tuesday over his reaction to the arrest of six black juveniles in Jena, Louisiana on murder charges, accusing the Illinois senator of "acting like he's white," according to a South Carolina newspaper.
The comments reportedly came during a speech at Columbia’s historically black Benedict College.
The State newspaper reports Jackson later said he did not recall saying Obama is "acting like he's white," but continued to condemn the Illinois Democrat as well as the other presidential candidates for not bringing more attention to this issue.
He also said Obama needs to be "bolder" in his stances if he wants to make inroads in South Carolina. Obama currently trails rival Hillary Clinton, a senator from New York, in the Palmetto State by 18 points, according to a recent LA Times/Bloomberg poll.
Jackson, who ran for president twice in the 1980's, endorsed Obama's White House bid earlier in the year. Jackson won the South Carolina Democratic primary, where African American voters play an influential role, in both presidential bids.
"If I were a candidate, I'd be all over Jena," the prominent civil rights activist said Tuesday in Columbia, South Carolina, the paper reports. "Jena is a defining moment, just like Selma was a defining moment."
Jackson is slated to be on hand for a march in Jena this Thursday. The Rev. Al Sharpton, Martin Luther King III, and hip-hop artist Mos Def are also expected to be on hand.
Obama formally released a statement on the case Friday evening after one of the teen's charges was thrown out, saying, “I am pleased that the Louisiana state appeals court recognized that the aggravated battery charge brought in this case was inappropriate."
