Climate Talks Get Racial: Black Chamber of Commerce President Calls Senator Racist!

Last week during the Senate Committee hearings on the Waxman-Markey American Clean Energy and Security Act things almost came to a full out battle between California Senator Barbara Boxer and the President and CEO of the National Black Chamber of Commerce, Harry Alford. Alford accused Boxer of being racist for bringing up the NAACP's supposed support of the climate bill. Alford, screamed out,

"I don't like it," he yelled across the witness table. "It's racial. I take offense to it. As an African American, and a veteran to this country, I take offense to that. You're quoting some other black man. Why don't you quote some other Asian or something? You are being racial here. And I think you're getting to a path here that's going to explode."

Check out a video clip from the breakdown.


However, in a recent article published in today's The Root and the Griot, journalist Brentin Mock states that both the NAACP and the Black Chamber of Commerce don't have the right to talk for Black America on Climate Change. The article calls out the NBCC for being heavily funded by Exxon Mobile. Exxon Mobile is one of the world's largest polluters and funds research trying to prove Climate Change is not real.

Brentin also states that Environmental Justice groups like The Environmental Justice and Climate Change Initiative and WEACT for Environmental Justice deserve a seat at the decision making table.

Check out the article by Brentin Mock in Today's The Root by Clicking here

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