Rally to Reinstate Shirley Sherrod to her USDA Position

Activists call on USDA Secretary Vilsack to immediately give Sherrod her job back
When: Today, Wednesday, July 21 noon
Where: Dept of Agriculture, 1400 Independence Ave SW, Washington DC
What: Call for the immediate reinstatement of Shirley Sherrod

Activists outraged at the treatment of Shirley Sherrod, a black woman unjustly forced out of her job as director of rural development in Georgia, will appear at the Department of Agriculture calling for her immediate reinstatement.

When right-wing bloggers put out an edited version of Sherrod’s talk at the NAACP that appeared to show her reluctantly helping a white farmer (an incident that happened 24 years ago), Sherrod was accused of being a racist and was forced by the USDA to resign.

Put into the context of the entire speech, Sherrod, whose own father had been killed in a racially-motivated murder, was actually preaching love for all races.

“It is outrageous that this wonderful woman who has devoted her entire life to helping the poor—regardless of race—was forced to resign for a clip of a speech taken entirely out of context,” said Medea Benjamin, cofounder of CODEPINK: Women for Peace. “We demand justice for Sherrod, which means her job back with an apology.”

Contact: Joan Stallard, CODEPINK, 202-422-6275