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Article: The Politics Of Skin Color
- Article from:
- The Washington Post
- Article date:
- October 15, 1994
- Author:
CopyrightThis material is published under license from the Washington Post. All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Washington Post. (Hide copyright information)
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Weeks later, the incident still is fixed in my mind: Osie
Thorpe, then a candidate for mayor of the District of Columbia,
wheeled on his feet at a forum at Shiloh Baptist Church during the
primary campaign and hurled these words at Mayor Sharon Pratt Kelly:
"Just because you're light-skinned, you think you can ... "
One of Kelly's supporters, the Rev. Imagene Stewart, rose from
the audience and interrupted the speaker as a seemingly stunned
Mayor Kelly dropped her head. "Shame on you," Stewart shouted.
"Shame on you."
The incident made me realize that long after next month's
election, one of the ugly residues - indeed sicknesses - of life
will live on for too many here in Washington. ...