Black Leaders: Eric Holder Had Our Back When No One Else Did

[DonViejo]

By SAHIL KAPUR Published OCTOBER 2, 2014, 6:00 AM EDT

"Wow." "Why?" "That is so bad." "That is terrible." "Why?" "That is so sad."

Those were the distraught reactions in the room full of African-American leaders one week ago, when House Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi announced that Eric Holder was stepping down as U.S. attorney general after six years in the job.

The palpable sense of sorrow is rooted in their belief that the country's first black attorney general, despite his imperfections, was looking out for African-Americans when other institutions had shunned their community.

"We have lost faith in the Supreme Court. We have lost faith in local law enforcement. We have lost faith in the fact that our leaders — political leaders in particular, Congress and others — have our best interests at heart. But the one person that we knew did was the attorney general," Rep. Marcia Fudge, the chair of the Congressional Black Caucus, told TPM in an interview.

more
http://talkingpointsmemo.com/dc/eric-holder-african-american-community

[malaise]

1. Shhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!

He was supposed to solve everything that's been wrong with the system for decades.

[frazzled]

2. They certainly couldn't have been that surprised, though

So I'm not sure why the "wow" and "why." As has been stated many times here, everyone knew that he had requested to leave after the first term but was asked to stay on, and that his six-year tenure has been unusually long for an attorney general (most have served only 2-3 years, and his was the fourth longest stay in US history).

I do understand the Caucus's regret at his leaving, though.

[JustAnotherGen]

3. Glad you posted this

I had not seen it.

Maybe this will explain why black DU'ers are sad about his eventually leaving the office - if/when his successor gets approved.

We are sad. He's one of the only people in America's Fed Gov that had our backs consistently - his whole life and time in the public sphere.

ETA - great cartoon posted at the Miami Herald and in the AA Group
http://www.miamiherald.com/opinion/editorial-cartoons/jim-morin/article2432139.html

[DonViejo]

4. Here you go....

[JustAnotherGen]

5. Beautiful!

[Behind the Aegis]

7. He has also done some wonderful things for the GLBT community while others did nothing.

It is sad when an advocate for civil rights leaves, and even worse when self-professed progressives celebrate it, as only their concerns matter, not the CIVIL and HUMAN rights of others.

[JustAnotherGen]

9. Bang on BTA!

[Number23]

8. Oh, girl. If we're sad it's only because we don't know any better and need to be "educated"

It's surely not because he did good, important work that was actually relevant to our communities.

You should know that's how it works. In some corners.

[freshwest]

6. So glad to see this thread, DV. Much appreciated.