Jul 28, 2006 7:30 pm US/Central
Meeks Has Harsh Words For Daley, Supporters
Language From the Pulpit Talks About "Slave Masters"
by Mike Flannery
CHICAGO (CBS) ―
State Senator Rev. James Meeks used some tough language on the pulpit, attacking the mayor and others, including African-Americans who are Daley allies.
Meeks is trying to generate some new pressure on the issue of funding for public schools. On Friday, he led a march through downtown Chicago to call attention to his charges of inequality in education .
CBS 2's Political Editor Mike Flannery reports on Rev. Meeks and his rough words.
Per pulpit video from July 5 Rev. James Meeks states, "We don't have slave masters. We got mayors. But they still the same white people who are presiding over systems where black people are not able, or to be educated."
That was only one part of the tough talk State Sen. James Meeks delivered earlier this month in a Sunday sermon at the South Side church where he is pastor. It was broadcast twice on WJYS, Channel 62.
On Friday, he stood by every word of it.
"Is it fair to compare Mayor Daley, him and the governor, to slave masters?" CBS 2's Mike Flannery asked.
"They do the same thing. They preside over systems where they have the control of the lives of African-American and Hispanic people," Meeks replied.
While Meeks is a potential challenger to Daley in this winter's city election, he's hoping others will run against African-American members of the City Council who've been close to Daley, attacking them with the "N-word," a racial slur that CBS 2 News chose not to cover with a beep on air.
"You got some preachers that are House N-word. You got some elected officials that are House N-word. And rather than them trying to break this up, they gonna fight you to protect this white man," Meeks said in the sermon tape.
In his interview with Flannery on Friday, Meeks said, "The "N" word is not in the African-American community a bad word. It's a term of endearment. And I don't see it as derogatory or defensive, offensive."
"That is an insult. You weren't using that term as a term of endearment," Flannery said.
"And no one will be offended, except an individual that it applies to," Meeks said.
He would not say which black leaders it does apply to.
"Why would I sit here and name names of individuals?" Meeks said.
CBS 2 spoke with Mayor Daley's spokeswoman, Jackie Heard, who said: "It's unfortunate given all that the mayor has done to close the racial divide, how hard he has worked to bring people together and to level the playing field the last 10 years for all his workers and the Chicago Public Schools."
Gov. Rod Blagojevich declined to comment.
(© MMVI, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)
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