Organizers of the April 21 rally to “condemn the appalling bigotry and racism of the Trump administration,” say Al Sharpton, Colin Kaepernick and black members of Congress will take part. But many African-American leaders, especially those on Congress, have come under fire for not condemning Farrakhan, known for his bigoted vitriol against Jews, whites and the LGBT community.
“Condemn President Donald Trump and leave Louis Farrakhan alone,” said organizer Malik Zulu Shabazz, president of Black Lawyers for Justice. “Please do not try to stop us because we will not turn back. We will represent professionally and politically vigorously.”
Rally organizers say it is “a follow-up effort by some of the activists who helped organize…the 1995 Million Man March,” which was organized by Farrakhan and the Nation of Islam.
Shabazz said the black community must “focus on removing Donald Trump from office and establishing a government of our own.”
It is unclear which Congressional Black Caucus members will be speaking at the rally, which will be part of a multi-day National Black Men’s Convention.
Other speakers listed on the press release for the anti-Trump rally and march are: former NFL quarterback Kaepernick, New Black Panther Party Chairman Hashim Nzinga, Black Lives Matter leaders and Sharpton.
Eight caucus members, all Democrats, have been assailed by a range of critics, including liberals and conservatives, for having ties to Farrakhan, mainly in the form of meetings with him on several occasions. The lawmakers are Gregory Meeks, of New York, Danny Davis, of Illinois, Barbara Lee, from California, Andre Carson of Indiana, Maxine Waters of California, Al Green of Texas, Keith Ellison of Minnesota and James Clyborn of South Carolina.
Fox News reached out to the press secretaries of all the caucus members about whether they were going to speak at the rally or participate in any other way, but none responded.
Jewish groups, including the Anti-Defamation League and the Jewish Republican Coalition, have demanded that the Black Caucus members state where they stood on Farrakhan and his views. Ellison is deputy director of the Democratic National Committee and Clyborn is the third-highest ranking House Democrat. The coalition called on CBC members who have ties to Farrakhan to resign.
Only four of the caucus members – Meeks, Lee, Davis and Ellison – have disavowed Farrakhan's anti-Semitic and racist rhetoric. Green and Waters have been silent, ignoring repeated requests for comments by news outlets. Others have expressed intolerance for bigotry and hateful rhetoric in general, but have refused to directly speak about Farrakhan.
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