Juan Williams, a frequent Fox News contributor who just served as a fill-in host on “The O’Reilly Factor,” asked his guest Hilary Shelton, an NAACP official, to explain his group’s seeming avoidance of all things Ferguson.
“The NAACP has really not been a player in Ferguson in terms of trying to tamp down the violence,” Mr. Williams said, Mediaite reported. “And I’m wondering — where was the NAACP?”
Mr. Shelton, who is director of the NAACP’s Washington bureau and senior vice president for advocacy and policy, defended his organization and said members have “been on the ground since day one,” the Fox News video showed. But Mr. Williams didn’t back down.
He then asked why the NAACP hasn’t presented a stronger and more public face in Ferguson, especially when times turned violent. Mr. Williams also demanded to know why the group opposed the declared state of emergency and the activation of the National Guard to control the streets of Ferguson — and then pointed out when the troops weren’t present, as on Monday, “Ferguson burned,” he said.
“That’s not helpful to black folks,” Mr. Williams said.
Mr. Shelton’s response?
“We have been working with people on the ground to stop any type of violence,” he said, adding that the NAACP’s biggest concerns were upholding civil rights, Mediaite reported.
• Cheryl K. Chumley can be reached at cchumley@washingtontimes.com.
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