Just think, before Donald Sterling’s recent racist remarks were made public, the bigot Clippers owner was set to receive a lifetime achievement award from the Los Angeles NAACP. Now, in the wake of this huge controversy The Daily Caller is reporting that Sterling has financially supported the LA chapter of the civil rights organization for years.
Sterling, whose racist remarks about black people were published this weekend by TMZ, personally awarded Leon Jenkins, president of the NAACP’s Los Angeles chapter, with multiple grants through his Donald T. Sterling Charitable Foundation and gained protection from Sterling in the press.
NAACP’s LA chapter was financially supported by Sterling’s foundation, records reveal. Jenkins, representing the NAACP, received a grant from Sterling’s foundation at the 2013 Donald T. Sterling Charitable Foundation Gala just four months ago, where Jenkins was photographed accepting his award from Sterling
Jenkins also accepted a grant from Sterling’s foundation in 2010 at Sterling’s foundation’s charity summit at the Sterling World Plaza. The Los Angeles NAACP was listed as one of the 25 charities supported by Sterling in promotional material for the event.
The NAACP has said that it is taking measures to make sure that they no longer give lifetime achievement awards to racists.
The non-profit isn’t the only African American organization that accepted donations from Sterling. The Black Business Association, 100 Black Men and the United Negro College fund have all been beneficiaries of grants from the Clippers owner.
Shame on the NAACP for turning a blind eye to the discriminatory practices of Sterling in order to pad their pockets. Shame on Leon Jenkins for not only accepting this bigot’s blood money, but also having the gall to give him a lifetime achievement award. At what point are we as a people going to stand up against racism without letting money buy our silence and lessen our dignity? It’s time for us to make sure that this country and the world know that people like Donald Sterling won’t be allowed to write off their wrongs with the signing of a check.
