Radio host says she was booed, shouted down at CPAC 'race' event
theGRIO REPORT - An Internet radio host says she was booed and shouted down when she tried to ask a question during a race-related event at the Conservative Video Action Conference last week, and she says video of the event, taken by a documentary filmmaker shows it...
Brown is critical of Smith’s message, which she says is feeding white conservatives a false narrative that glosses over real racial issues, including Frederick Douglass’ championing of equal rights and opportunities for black Americans. “Race remains a very touchy subject in our country I mean that’s no secret. that doesn’t matter your political affiliation of your race it remains a tough topic to be honest about in America,” she says.
Still, she insists she did not go to the panel with the intention of disrupting it.
“Absolutely not,” she says. “This is my second CPAC. I attended the convention in Tampa, I followed the Santorum campaign during the Republican primary last year. I’m interested in what conservatives have to say.”
Brown says that she believes Republicans have had good ideas, and done good things historically, citing the Little Rock Central High School desegregation effort that included her aunt, Minnijean Brown-Trickey. But she says the party hasn’t done much good “lately.” And she calls CPAC and its view of conservatism “”myopic” — saying that “when it comes to issues of minority inclusion … they have to be honest. It’s one thing to want people of color to come into your tent, but you can’t make them leave their issues at the door.”
Smith says it was Brown who should have left her issues at the door.
“She actually interrupted me in my presentation before the Q and A on three separate occasions,” Smith said. “She did not not wait to be recognized; she interrupted three times. Then when we got to the Q and A, she didn’t ask a question, she began to make a statement and offended me. That’s when I shut her down, and said you’re not going to degrade me.”
By contrast, Smith said that after the event, he and the Terry had a meeting of the minds.
“After the presentation, Terry comes to my table while I was selling my book,” Smith said. “I explained to him how Booker T. Washington was influenced by Frederick Douglass and that he even wrote a book about Douglass, and he was very impressed by that. His comment was, ‘I didn’t know that. I can go along with that.'”
Smith said he’s not sure whether Terry changed his mind about wanting the races to be segregated.
“I don’t know about that,” he said. “I know he bought my book.”
Follow Joy Reid on Twitter at @TheReidReport.
