Shirley Sherrod has made her way back. Sherrod is the former U.S. Department of Agriculture employee fired by the Obama administration, after the release of an online video appeared to suggest racial bias. In the video, Sherrod appeared to state that she had intentionally fleeced White farmers for retribution of Black farmers. It was later determined that Sherrod's statement was taken out of context, and that she was merely speaking of her personal experience with racism. The White House in their embarrassment, attempted damage control by offering Sherrod a job with the USDA. According to Sherrod at the time, the damage had already been done and she turned them down. Sherrod's new position will be as a contract employee where she will address the USDA's poor civil rights record. Sherrod will lead a field program, which will examine and find solutions to what is described as "decades of discrimination claims brought by African Americans, Latinos, women and Native Americans.
Sherrod had filed a $13 million defamation suit against conservative activist Andrew Breitbart, who was said to be responsible for posting the video. Sherrod also called out Fox News for what she described as racism, stating that they had used her as a “pawn”. Ms. Sherrod stated "They were looking for the result they got yesterday," she said of Fox. "I am just a pawn. I was just here. They are after a bigger thing, they would love to take us back to where we were many years ago. Back to where black people were looking down, not looking white folks in the face, not being able to compete for a job out there and not be a whole person."
It is unknown exactly when Ms. Sherrod will begin her new job or whether she has been working since the firing. It is unlikely that this is the last that we will hear of Shirley Sherrod and her return to the USDA. Fox News has yet to blink.
http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0511/54970.html
http://voices.washingtonpost.com/plum-line/2010/07/shirley_sherrod_blasts_fox_new.html
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