Jesse Jackson Calls Shirley Sherrod a 'True Freedom Fighter' Who Fought Back Against 'Attempted Character Assassination'

Two days after Shirley Sherrod was fired from her job at the Agriculture Department over allegedly racist comments she made in a selectively excerpted internet video posted by Tea Party activist Andrew Breitbart, Sherrod has received an apology from both the White House and Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack. Sherrod used to oversee rural development in Georgia and Vilsack offered her another unspecified position within the department. Sherrod said she would consider it. We speak with the Rev. Jesse Jackson who suggests Sherrod accept the new position: "She would be a great face of redemption on our quest for racial and gender justice and quality."

Join Us: News for people demanding a better world


Common Dreams is powered by optimists who believe in the power of informed and engaged citizens to ignite and enact change to make the world a better place.

We're hundreds of thousands strong, but every single supporter makes the difference.

Your contribution supports this bold media model—free, independent, and dedicated to reporting the facts every day. Stand with us in the fight for economic equality, social justice, human rights, and a more sustainable future. As a people-powered nonprofit news outlet, we cover the issues the corporate media never will. Join with us today!

Our work is licensed under Creative Commons (CC BY-NC-ND 3.0). Feel free to republish and share widely.