04 Aug 2006 Black Activists Condemn Racist Condoleezza Rice Cartoons in Palestinian Press

Members of the black leadership network Project 21 condemn the racist depictions of Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice that recently appeared in cartoons and statements featured in Palestinian Authority newspapers.  While sparing no criticism of these depictions, Project 21 members point out that such despicable criticism of Secretary Rice on the part of the Arab press might not have come so easy had she not already been the target of similar racial attacks by American cartoonists and pundits.

“What we are seeing in the Palestinian press simply follows the lead of cartoonists Ted Rall and Gary Trudeau and talking heads such as Harry Belafonte and the NAACP leadership,” said Project 21 member Geoffrey Moore.  “While it is insulting, we need to share our anger at those who do similar at home.  These people produce nothing but hate, so why should anyone be surprised?”

Secretary Rice was recently depicted in the Palestinian newspaper Al Qud as pregnant with an armed monkey.  The caption to the cartoon read “Rice speaks about the birth of a new Middle East,” a reference to her comments about recent events in the region being the “birth pangs” of major change.  Additionally, the Israeli group Palestinian Media Watch reports that the Al Hayat Al Jadida newspaper called Secretary Rice “the Black Lady,” “raven” and the “black spinster.”

Former secretary of state Madeleine K. Albright called the depictions of Secretary Rice “truly ugly.”  State Department spokesman Sean McCormack called them “ugly attacks,” but said, “Secretary Rice is focused on doing her job.”

Project 21 members often criticized treatment of Secretary Rice by American cartoonists and political pundits in the past, and point out that these previous attacks may have encouraged the recent attacks in the Palestinian media.  Some of these past racial attacks on Secretary Rice included Garry Trudeau’s “Doonesbury” comic strip having President Bush refer to her as “Brown Sugar,” Ted Rall’s cartoon suggesting she was a “house nigga” needing “racial re-education” and Jeff Danziger depicting her a the slave “Prissy” from the movie “Gone With the Wind.”  Additionally, former entertainer Harry Belafonte referred to Secretary Rice as a “house slave” and “sell-out,” while NAACP chairman Julian Bond called her a “shield” used by the Bush Administration to deflect racial criticism.

“It was bad enough that American leftist knuckleheads showed their true racist colors by depicting the first black woman secretary of state as an ‘Aunt Jemima’ and ‘Brown Sugar,’ among other things.  Now, the Palestinians have sunk into the same cesspool,” said Project 21 member Darryn “Dutch” Martin.

“These depictions of Secretary Rice are outrageous and disgusting but also completely expected. The Islamic media is simply taking its cues from the liberal media in the West in general and the United States in particular,” added Project 21 member Mark Jordan.  “The Jihadists have found willing collaborators in the battle for the hearts and minds of the American public in the likes of American cartoonists such as Garry Trudeau, Jeff Danzinger and Ted Rall.”

Moore added, “As we saw with the communists, the far left once again proves themselves to be the “Useful Idiots” for people who hate America.
For more information, contact David Almasi at (202) 507-6398 x11 or [email protected], or visit Project 21’s website at http://www.project21.org/P21Index.html. New Visions Commentaries can be found at https://nationalcenter.org/P21NewVisions.html.