Shirley Sherrod: I'm Not Sure I Want my Job Back

By: Stephanie Condon
Topics: In The News ,; Obama Administration

(Credit: CBS)

Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack said early Wednesday morning he may consider reversing Shirley Sherrod's dismissal, but the former USDA official, fired because of out-of-context remarks about race, says she may not want her job back.

"Because of all the publicity surrounding what happened...how would I be treated once I'm back there? I just don't know," Sherrod said this morning on ABC's "Good Morning America." "I would have to be reassured on that."

The USDA asked Sherrod to resign on Monday after a conservative blog released an edited video of remarks she gave at an NAACP conference that gave the impression she discriminated against a white farmer. Her full remarks, however, made clear she was relating a story from two decades ago -- long before she joined the USDA -- and that she ultimately learned an important lesson to disregard race. The wife of the farmer in question stated yesterday that Sherrod is a "friend for life" who helped save their family farm.

Sherrod said yesterday that the USDA, at the behest of the White House, pressed her to resign without listening to her side of the story or taking the time to review the remarks she gave to the NAACP. Before Vilsack said this morning he would reconsider his decision, he said he was holding his ground. The White House said it played no part in Vilsack's decision but that it stood by it.

"For them all day yesterday to say they were standing by their decision and now at this late hour to be saying they're now willing to look at the facts, it's hard to take at this point," Sherrod said this morning on NBC's "Today Show."

Sherrod said on ABC that no one from the USDA has attempted to contact her since she was asked to resign, nor has she communicated directly with the White House. She said she still supports President Obama.

"I'm a bit disappointed that things happened in the way that they happened. It doesn't take away my support for the administration," she said. "When I accepted the position at rural development, always in the back of my mind was doing the very best that I could to have that be a good reflection on [Obama] and what he was trying to do."

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Watch the Remarks

Stephanie Condon
Stephanie Condon is a political reporter for CBSNews.com.
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by soetoro July 23, 2010 10:46 AM EDT: Scheeple: She still said what she said!! And she is a racist black of which there are many--including the idiot in the WH!!!!!!!!!!!; Reply to this comment


by msjb1 July 22, 2010 1:24 PM EDT: I think you should sue the government, It would be good for you and good for the country, it will keep the government busy with something to do instead of destroying our country anymore. Do the country some good They need a good lawsuit to keep them real busy, I pray that maybe we can get rid of most of these crooks in november. they are the worst congress we ever had they are nothing more than street thugs from chicago, modern day al capones this government makes al look like Saint Al Capone.; Reply to this comment


by TheTruth316 July 22, 2010 12:33 PM EDT: Everyone please STOP AND WATCH THE WHOLE VIDEO. She is NOT and WAS NOT a racist. The video was edited so that you all would just believe what you saw and go along with it. The fact is that the video was edited intentionally to fool all of us. And it worked. The woman has had her name trashed. And when you get proof that it was edited and not true, you still want to hold onto the falseness rather than admit you didnt know enough to judge. Accept that you were WRONG. FOOLED. And the video was edited. Mrs. Sherrod would have helped ANY of you idiots bashing her. And you are not even upset with the man who fooled you. Wow.; Reply to this comment


by Smokey75 July 22, 2010 12:12 PM EDT: I am just curious how many white men would be offered their job after using words like "His own kind" when revering to a black man. What "kind" is that? Aren't we all just humans and Americans.

I don't care that she eventually did end up helping the man this women is a bigoted racist and if she was a white conservative that is what you hypocritical liberals would be calling her.; Reply to this comment


by YourRearViewMirror1 July 22, 2010 12:12 PM EDT: Amazing how Republicans have to Dig Deep to a story that actually took place 24 years ago to find a Madeup Dirt on a Black. They cannot find Real (smoking gun) Dirt on any Blacks and Hispanics of today. I feel sorry for them.

Republicns sure miss the Madeup 'Death Panels' and 'Kenya Birth Certificate' stories.; Reply to this comment


by GrannyCares July 22, 2010 12:12 PM EDT: Obama has allowed a climate to develop that is simply not conducive to harmonious race relations.

1) In less than a month after his appointment as Attorney General, Eric Holder pronounced on Martin Luther King Day that whites were 'cowards' when it came to race.

2) Similar to the Sherrod case, in the summer of 2009, Obama jumped the gun and blamed a white policeman for racial profiling against Professor Gates -- WHEN IT DID NOT EXIST. He (Obama) FAILED TO DO ANY DILIGENT HOMEWORK!

3) Obama seems to have a delight in mocking any of his adversaries -- many of whom are in fact white.

4) DOJ's failure to take prudent action on the voter intimidation case (Black Panther Party) in early 2010, further caused antenna to go up.

5) When word leaked out that instructions had been given within DOJ 'NOT TO PROSECUTE CASES OF VOTER INTIMIDATION IF THE DEFENDANT WAS BLACK', serious question started developing as to whether Obama was living up to the oath that he took to uphold the laws of the USA.

6) The NAACP's recent resolution certainly was not encouraging from a race relations point of view, and candidly, Mrs. Obama's appearance (though her message was on obesity) was perceived by some as tantamount to approval.

7) Then comes the Sherrod case. Again, Obama jumps the gun to protect HIMSELF -- at the expense of Sherrod.

Folks, a lot of this is just lack of leadership experience showing up.

Face it! Obama IS NOT READY FOR PRIME TIME!!; Reply to this comment


by bigreddog222 July 22, 2010 12:12 PM EDT: While her comments where questionable. They referred to decades ago. I think she should not have been railroaded out of her job.; Reply to this comment


by actornaught July 22, 2010 4:32 AM EDT: The woman was summarily fired for a video that was about to be aired on Fox. As soon as someone heard "fox" they should've known it was a lie.; Reply to this comment


by DocD--2008 July 21, 2010 5:48 PM EDT: Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack needs to go period.; Reply to this comment


by dodinyc July 21, 2010 5:16 PM EDT: It seems that Obama can at times take forever to make a decision, yet when it comes to anything race related he rushes to judgment before getting all the facts (Harvard professor anyone?; Reply to this comment