The Rev. Jesse Jackson was all apologies in Denver on Saturday evening, telling leaders of the black community his comments about Barack Obama earlier in the week amounted to inappropriate “trash talk.”
Jackson spoke to several dozen black community leaders at the Blair Caldwell African American Research Library at a gathering organized by the Colorado Black Chamber of Commerce and the East Ministerial Alliance.
Earlier in the week, Jackson — apparently unaware his remarks were being caught on a microphone — said Obama was “talking down to black people.” Jackson added that he wanted to “cut his (Obama’s) nuts off.”
Though Jackson had already apologized to Obama and to the broader black community for the remarks, the episode lured some African- American Obama supporters in Denver to Saturday’s event.
Paul Wilson, a 50-year-old construction contractor from Denver, wore an Obama T-shirt to Jackson’s speech.
“I’m an Obama supporter. Hard core,” Wilson said. “I want to hear out of Jesse’s mouth why he would say something like that toward this brother.”
It didn’t take Jackson long to address the matter.
Right after he stepped out of a black sport utility vehicle, he spoke to reporters on a sidewalk.
“There’s been a lot of controversy the last few days,” Jackson said just after praising Obama for running a “magnificent” campaign.
“The barbershop, locker-room trash talk is never acceptable in public policy,” Jackson said. “I felt embarrassed by it, frankly.”
Speaking to black leaders later, he again called it “barbershop talk” that shouldn’t have occurred.
He appeared be to getting forgiveness. Former Mayor Wellington Webb said, “We don’t judge a lifetime of community service on one comment.”
Ralph Beechum, president of the Greater Metro Denver Ministerial Alliance, said Jackson’s remarks, though crude, didn’t hurt his standing in the black community. Jackson’s long civil rights resume will always speak for itself, Beechum said.
Jackson also spoke generally about the state of black America today, saying that progress had been made, but adding, “We are free, but not equal.”
He defended affirmative action, saying, “What’s good for blacks is good for everybody.”
Jackson is scheduled to give a sermon at 11 a.m. today at the Friendship Baptist Church of Christ Jesus, 880 Fairfax St. in Denver.
Tim Hoover: 303-954-1626 or thoover@denverpost.com
