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Opinion

Letters: Black stars AWOL in fighting racism & defending President Obama

I'M AFRICAN-AMERICAN, and I have some criticism of African-American star power. Unlike famous blacks of old (Muhammad Ali, Jim Brown, Harry Belafonte and others), today's stars won't speak out on political issues. For example, when President Obama is attacked on race or insinuation of race, I hear crickets. (As when Colorado Rep. Doug Lamborn used the phrase "tar baby.") Where was the black star power speaking out demanding this knucklehead get the boot?

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I'M AFRICAN-AMERICAN, and I have some criticism of African-American star power.

Unlike famous blacks of old (Muhammad Ali, Jim Brown, Harry Belafonte and others), today's stars won't speak out on political issues. For example, when President Obama is attacked on race or insinuation of race, I hear crickets. (As when Colorado Rep. Doug Lamborn used the phrase "tar baby.") Where was the black star power speaking out demanding this knucklehead get the boot?

When Mel Gibson made some anti-Semitic remarks, notice how swift the response was? Gibson is now trying to creep back into Hollywood. Yet in the Lamborn case, where was the black star power that lined up during the inauguration for a photo op with the historic incoming president?

Where was Oprah, Beyoncé and Jay-Z and others - and please don't get me started on Cornel West (who all but called Obama an Uncle Tom)?

The one I take to task the most is Oprah, who's spent so much time telling us how to live, what to read, and in 2008 told everyone Obama was her man for the Oval Office. Yet when blatant racism was leveled at Obama (no matter how much they deny it on Fox), where was the Oprah show discussing race in America?

Yet Oprah let Sarah Palin push her book on her show, and didn't ask Palin one hard question. Where's the outrage when a Michele Bachmann says the black family is worse off today than it was during slavery? How did we let this go unchecked, or her comment that the Founding Fathers fought tirelessly against slavery?

Black stars, don't turn a deaf ear, stand up help America out by exposing the subtle racism (as in Rush Limbaugh). Your silence adds to the false image that Obama is weak. Why can people say these things with no outrage from the black stars who have a voice?

William Lee Jr.

Philadelphia