Jeff Dickerson Analyzes the Demise of the McKinneys

A great deal has been written about the McKinneys and their political demise about Cynthia McKinney and her bitterness with the Democratic Party, and her threat to switch to the Green party. About Billy and his charge that Cynthia was beat by J-E-W-S. But one of the most thoughtful pieces I have seen was written by Jeff Dickerson, a columnist for the Atlanta Business Chronicle. Jeff is an excellent journalist, and because he is black he can possibly say some things the rest of us might not say.

He wrote a column, and in it he says "The McKinneys just didn't get it." They didn't understand what was happening in their own community, among their own people. Let's quote from his column: "There are growing numbers of affluent and wannabe affluent African-Americans who look toward entrepreneurship and economic development. They want a hand up, not a handout, not even from a Saudi prince. Cynthia didn't get it. She didn't understand the budding entrepreneurial spirit among her very own African-American constituents." He goes on to say "there's a new mentality among DeKalb's black elite that believes the best way to overcome poverty is through prosperity.'

Jeff Dickerson closes his column this way: "The politics of name calling, of divide-and-conquer, are over. There is a more sophisticated, more discerning AfricanAmerican voter. Those voters are grateful for the civil rights movement and its heroes, many of whom still grace this town. But they know that after civil rights there ought to come some economic self-sufficiency. Cynthia didn't get it. Billy didn't get it. It's time for a new dynasty."

That was Jeff Dickerson in the Atlanta Business Chronicle, and this is Gordon Sawyer...and may the wind always be at your back

http://accesswdun.com/article/2002/9/189739