The Rev. Jesse Jackson said he will help celebrity chef Paula Deen work past the public relations disaster from her admitted past use of a racial slur.
The civil rights leader said Miss Deen shouldn’t be the “sacrificial lamb” in the racial discrimination battle, The Associated Press reported. She contacted Mr. Jackson earlier this week, he said, and they talked about how she might rally — despite the lawsuit over racial discrimination at two of her restaurants, the loss of her cooking show on the Food Network and the cancellation of several key contracts with the likes of Smithfield Foods and Wal-Mart.
If Miss Deen admits her faults and vows to change, “she should be reclaimed rather than destroyed,” Mr. Jackson said, AP reported.
• Cheryl K. Chumley can be reached at cchumley@washingtontimes.com.
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