Keith Ellison’s past views on race praised by white nationalist

The leader of a white nationalist group is celebrating Rep. Keith Ellison’s past views on race, saying the front-runner to become the next chairman of the Democratic National Committee was spot-on more than two decades ago when he wrote about the separation of races.

Jared Taylor, president of American Renaissance, said in a podcast titled “We Love Keith Ellison!” posted on the group’s website that he agreed with parts of Mr. Ellison past writings in which he called for a black state in America.

“Who could ask for more than that?” Mr. Taylor said after reading from a column that Mr. Ellison penned as a student at the law school at the University of Minnesota under the name Keith E. Hakim in which he also called for reparations.

“The only thing I don’t care for is he would do this after they had shaken us down for probably about a million dollars a head of blacks,” Mr. Taylor said. “But in any case, once we have parted ways, that is actually the society we are asking for.”

Mr. Taylor said his favorite Ellison essay came in 1990 when he wrote about giving blacks the “option of choosing their own land base or remaining in the United States.”

“Whites would be relieved of the burdens of the black-faced but white-dominated social programs,” Mr. Ellison wrote. “Black would employ themselves, teach their own children the truth and control their own neighborhoods. Black-white interaction would be voluntary instead of compelled. No more busing, no more affirmative action and, best of all, no more white guilt. White people could righteously say they have settled their debts with blacks.

“Think of it, whites could reclaim their cities — without dispossessing anyone,” Mr. Ellison wrote.

After reading this part of the column, Mr. Taylor said the problem is that Mr. Ellison is trying to distance himself from the point he laid out.

“The trouble is of course he is backing away from all of this stuff,” Mr. Taylor said. “He says, ’I was young. This was way back in 1990. I didn’t mean it.’ “

Mr. Taylor added, “Oh, Keith, come on, please mean it.”