SEJANAM Rallies with Local Groups to Voice Concern over Racist Remarks

Lake Junaluska, N.C.:
On April 21, the Southeastern Jurisdictional Agency for Native American Ministries (SEJANAM) joined forces with local groups to voice concern over racist remarks aired by G105 against American Indians. The Purpose of the rally, led by Beth Jacobs of Brown Babies, Inc., was to provide a powerful and symbolic display of our resistance to the hate and degradation lashed out at American Indians in America.

“They are using our corporate dollars to launch air attacks not only against American Indians, but people of color and they should be held accountable for their actions,” said Beth Jacobs.

The on-air attacks were against American Indians, Asians, Latinos, and African Americans. Most specifically, the show insulted, degraded, derided, demeaned, disrespected, and humiliated the Lumbee Indian Tribe, the Eastern Band of Cherokee, the work ethic of all non-white people, the historic appreciation and valor of American Indian women, namely Pocahontas and Sacagawea, and every past and present Native American culture.

Controversial statements included remarks that “Indians are lazy” and “Lumbees are in-bred.” Sexual implications were also made about Pocahontas and Sacajawea that were insensitive and slanderous to all American Indians, and especially to the families of these two great historic American Indian women.

SEJANAM Executive Director Darlene Jacobs states in her letter to Dick Harlow, radio station manager, that “I am continuously amazed, appalled, shocked and taken aback at people like Bob Dumas who have been impacted and influenced by the ‘Hollywood Syndrome’ and believe that making such racist comments, slandering and disrespecting honorable Indian women, and demeaning our rich Indian culture and heritage is in any way acceptable, much less humorous.”

Protesters came from as far away as Greensboro and Lake Junaluska. “It is a human rights issue, a moral issue,” exclaimed one protester who went on to say that the racially charged remarks affected not only Lumbee people, but all tribes across the United States, Hispanics, women, and African Americans.

Rally leaders call upon not only American Indians, but The United Methodist Church, the larger community of faith and every decent American citizen to strongly censure the kind of racist and sexist attacks that were offered as entertainment on this program and to demand that G105 dismantle the show.

For additional information, call Darlene Jacobs at 1.888.825.6316 or e-mail djacobs@lakejunaluska.com

SEJANAM is the advocate for twenty-three Native American congregations and three other ministries in the Southeast Jurisdiction.