Thursday, November 18, 2004

Radio Host Calls Rice 'Aunt Jemima'
posted by Sandi
John Sylvester (Sly), morning show host of WTDY-AM in Madison, WI used the term "Aunt Jemima" on Wednesday's show to describe Condoleezza Rice. Rice is replacing departing Defence secretary Colin Powell, who Sylvester referred to as an "Uncle Tom".

Patricia Simms files this report in the Wisconsin State Journal.

Sly, the on-air name for John Sylvester, told WTDY-AM (1670) morning show listeners that Rice, who is black, bought her way into the White House with obedience to President Bush.

"I'm not apologizing for what I said," Sylvester said Thursday in an interview. "I stand by it.

"I was aiming that directly at a black person that is letting himself (and herself) be used by an administration that has been extremely hostile to minorities," he said.

"Being subservient and being a black role model are two different things. I think (Rice) has not only been bad for the country and for national security, but I think she's been a bad black role model.

Response was negative, from Wisconsin Democratic U.S. Sen. Russ Feingold to Madison Mayor Dave Cieslewicz and the Urban League of Greater Madison. Sylvester has been intensely supportive of Feingold and Wisconsin Democrats in general.

ABC news Milwaukee via AP files this report.

Linda Hoskins of the NAACP's Madison branch said she could not comment on Sylvester's remarks until she had heard them in their entirety.

The station's corporate office received about 100 calls about his comments, Sylvester said.

He added that he has a long history of commitment to civil rights and has supported Madison's black community.

He said he was planning a giveaway on Friday's show of Aunt Jemima pancake mix and syrup. "I will apologize to Aunt Jemima," he said.

The incident came after a radio host in Milwaukee had his talk show taken off the air all of last week after he used word "wetback" to refer to undocumented Mexican immigrants, sparking protests from Hispanics.

Sylvester has been in comercial radio since 1980, and worked at sevral radio stations in the Madison area. He has a long record of getting into trouble for his on air statements as shown here in his WTDY biography.

UPDATE: Also on PolliBlog
posted @ 11:50 PM | Permalink