Mayor Chokwe Antar Lumumba said Friday he is among the lawmakers who will skip the opening of a civil rights museum because of President Trump’s attendance.
“I think that if President Trump is sincere about recognition of civil rights — though one could imagine that being at a museum could demonstrate that — the policies you implement each and every day, your continuing commitment to advancing civil rights, is a greater salute to a sincere effort to support a civil rights movement,” Mr. Lumumba, a Democrat, said on CNN.
Mr. Lumumba is mayor of Jackson, Mississippi, but said he cannot stand on the same stage as Mr. Trump, despite the fact that the museum opening is being held in his state.
“I think his actions, his decisions, are consistent in that he does not uplift or push forward any effort for a civil rights advancement or a human advancement,” Mr. Lumumba said of Mr. Trump.
Several Democratic lawmakers said late Thursday that they do not plan to attend the opening because of Mr. Trump’s attendance, citing his reluctance to denounce neo-Nazi groups that demonstrated in Charlottesville, Virginia, earlier this year and his support from white nationalist groups.
• Sally Persons can be reached at spersons@washingtontimes.com.
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