CBS News/ May 14, 2011, 9:07 AM

Report: Shirley Sherrod heading back to USDA

Shirley Sherrod is reportedly heading back to work for the Department of Agriculture, a year after she was forced out, having been wrongly accused of making racially insensitive remarks.

An edited video posted online by blogger Andrew Breitbart that was widely propagated by other conservative pundits implied that Sherrod pridefully told an NAACP audience that she's discriminated against a white farmer while running a government agriculture program.

Sherrod, who formerly served as Georgia Director of Rural Development for the USDA, was pressured to resign last July after the edited video appeared.

A full-length version of the video, which surfaced after Sherrod had resigned, revealed the story was part of a larger story about Sherrod's own experience overcoming racial prejudices. Sherrod not only went back and helped the white farmer, but formed a long-lasting friendship with him.

The White House later apologized to Sherrod for the handling of the incident, and Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack asked her to return to the USDA - an offer she declined.

The website Politico now reports she'll be a contractor helping the USDA improve its civil rights record.

A report earlier this week said the department still has problems treating minorities fairly.

Shirley Sherrod Files Suit Against Andrew Breitbart
Video: Shirley Sherrod Speaks Out

Sherrod has since filed a $13 million defamation lawsuit against Breitbart and co-defendant Breitbart.tv Editor Larry O'Connor. The suit is pending in federal court in Washington.

29 Comments Add a Comment

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carolhill814 says:

There is so much hatred going on all of are going to get sick to our stomachs.

What happened to the old sayings:

TREAT PEOPLE AS YOU WOULD WANT TO BE TREATED!!!

RESPECT OF PERSON PLACE AND THING!!!

What happened to the oldest thing in the book:

MANNERS!!!


-Skirt- replies:: linkicon reporticon emailicon; ""What happened to the oldest thing in the book:"" ? ? ? ? ?
What 'book' are you talking about?

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klb6 says:

Yeh..right - It seemed that all the NCAAP members at the meeting were delighted and had a good chuckle when Sherrod made her remarks as she gleefully put down that white farmer when he tried to save his farm & family. If that was the other way around ..... Rev racists Jackson & Sharpton would be doing what they do best. Play the race card!


klb6 replies:: linkicon reporticon emailicon; Yeh....Right - Only after she was exposed for her racist attitude & comments used towards degrading this poor southern white family in front of the NCAAP, no less. Like you they were entertained and enjoying the story.

That FACT you have conveniently overlooked. Who knows how many other white family's she refused to help? Watch the video and ask yourself the question who do you suppose is behind funding her suit against Breitbart?


catmomtx replies:: linkicon reporticon emailicon; And that very same white farmer also stated she helped him quite a bit and he and his wife were forever grateful. Why do you haters leave that part out?

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cpchris says:: CBS News is trying to rewrite history in its false statement about Glenn Beck. The statement "An edited video posted online by blogger Andrew Breitbart that was widely propagated by Glenn Beck and other conservative pundits implied that Sherrod pridefully told an NAACP audience that she's discriminated against a white farmer while running a government agriculture program.

Unlike others, Glenn Beck held off on showing the video until he could understand the facts better. The first time he spoke out on this topic he DEFENDED Sherrod and stated that the White House firing was wrong.

CBS News should fire their reporter and editor responsible for such poor reporting. This is just another example of why people can't trust CBS news for accurate information.; reply

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-Skirt- says:

And Blacks are allowed to sue and win a settlement. However, just saying you tried to farm and were discriminated against, is not enough, in my humble opinion, to receive $50,000.00.

C'mon ... this is abuse.


-Skirt- replies:: linkicon reporticon emailicon; And Al Pires is a white guy. A lawyer. An extremely greedy, crooked lawyer, in my opinion. He made over 10 Million on this class action suit.

Pure abuse...


catmomtx replies:: linkicon reporticon emailicon; Are you an expert on this? Did you investigate all of the claims that were presented? What give you the authority to determine who should have received a part of the settlement and who shouldn't? Were you a part of this case? If not then you have no idea, no clue, your opinion amounts to nothing because you don't know the merits of the case or those who received a settlement. In my humble opinion.

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-Skirt- says:

by catmomtx May 14, 2011 12:00 PM EDT
So black people aren't allowed to sue, win their case and receive a settlement? Is that something only reserved for white people?
by jemison4 May 14, 2011 12:33 PM EDT
So, according to your thinking:
Everybody is free to sue anybody (except Blacks)
Everybody is free to protest (except Blacks)
Everybody is free to collect a winning verdict (except Blacks)

Yep...Sounds just like "One nation, under God with Liberty and Justice for all.
(Now go home and wash your hood and sheets).
____________________

Why do you two assume I don't want equality? I don't care about color, I care about abuse. regardless of color, billions of dollars being handed out, on a bogus settlement sucks.

If the debate continues to endure fallacious distractions like the "race card", we will have no conversation.

If white people, yellow, brown, red, green or blue people, were handed billions in some bizarre legal settlement, you two would not like it. I wouldn't like it either. But if someone points out that a charade is occurring that benefits blacks, you immediately attack the messenger.

This is not a race issue. It is a corruption issue.


catmomtx replies:: linkicon reporticon emailicon; Because of your comments, that's all that I have to go by. You are pointing out your biases in this case. Unless you are involved in the case and have more information than anyone else then you having an opinion on this case is no different than me having an opinion on what I think is your bias. People sue all the time, some have merit and some don't. It is just people like you who seem to be saying that the blacks in this case should not have been given consideration. I am saying that they deserved the same right to consideration as everyone else and they deserves the same compensation as anyone else who has won a case. Your comment suggest that YOU don't feel they deserved any consideration simply because they are black farmers who chose to sue based on discriminatory practices that YOU don't feel had any merit. See you are calling it a charade and YOU are calling people out simply because they are pointing out your bias. No one has attacked the messenger. What we have done however is point out your bias. Oh, and how did this become a corruption issue? Corrupt because they weren't given the same opportunities as white farmers? The case is clear if you bothered to look past the fact that black and Indian farmers were discriminated against. Contrary to what you believe there was and is discrimination in this country. Not all things have been equal. THAT is what this case was about. Why do you have a problem with that?

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vista8635 says:

First they threw her under the bus. Now they are trying to buy her off.

I hope that she sues those mofos!


-Skirt- replies:: linkicon reporticon emailicon; she will sue. Shirley sues. That's the way it is.

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-Skirt- says:

The Breitbart edited video is NOT the story.
the 13M dollar suit is NOT the story.

It amazes me that Sherrod's involvement in the Pigford debacle IS the story, and no one talks about it.

$1,000,000,000.00 was handed out to Black people. $50,000 each. More if they had evidence the were discriminated against. But they got $50K is they simply said they tried to farm. Sherrod received over $300,000.00. She was given a lucrative gov't job after defrauding the gov't. Too funny ... if you can't beat her, sign her up!

Recently, the gov't, (and I wont say which administration) decided 1B dollars wasn't enough and handed out 1.25B dollars more.

Please do a few google searches on these subjects...

Pigford vs Glickman
Shirley Sherrod
Kirkland & Ellis
Al Pires
Othello Cross
Tom Vilsack
Mike Espy (Alphonso Michael Espy)
John Stossel freeloaders

The bottom line is that crooked lawyers, Shirley Sherrod, and many Black people are rationalizing these Pigford settlements as justified because of Slavery! They are lying about trying to farm, receiving settlement money, and saying it's OK because it is a form of reparations for slavery. puke!

This is the real story. The main stream media won't touch it. All because racism is a third rail. They THINK this is about racism and it is NOT about racism!

It's about corruption disguised as racism. Racism is a red herring to take you attention away from corruption. The current administration is complicit, therefore guilty of corruption.

This story makes me want to lurp.


catmomtx replies:: linkicon reporticon emailicon; So black people aren't allowed to sue, win their case and receive a settlement? Is that something only reserved for white people?


jemison4 replies:: linkicon reporticon emailicon; So, according to your thinking:
Everybody is free to sue anybody (except Blacks)
Everybody is free to protest (except Blacks)
Everybody is free to collect a winning verdict (except Blacks)

Yep...Sounds just like "One nation, under God with Liberty and Justice for all.
(Now go home and wash your hood and sheets).

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MRTAKKE says:

Another politican on the government payroll. We need more Czars to tell us how we should behave. Term Limits!!!


carolhill814 replies:: linkicon reporticon emailicon; You made my day so complete I don't have the proper words.

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tsigili says:

That's too bad.......because in truth, she demonstrated she WAS racist.


catmomtx replies:: linkicon reporticon emailicon; To bad that your racism prevents you from understanding what she actually said and how what she said was taken out of context.

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ANOEL2005 says:

This is just one more example of our govt. at work. We don't have enough incompetents running things into the ground? If Sherrod worked for the private sector and was "found out" , she'd be fired and never heard from again. Let's downsize the government.


catmomtx replies:: linkicon reporticon emailicon; Well there would have to be some merit to what she said for her to be fired in the public sector or the private sector. There was NO MERIT. Her words were taken out of contest. The whole point is, people like you now have totally disregarded what she said. This woman's whole career has now been tainted because of what Breitbart did to her. Reading the comments here, you people have formed a negative opinion of her, disregarded everything she has done in her career and no matter how many times it has been said that the tape was altered and taken out of context, Mrs. Sherrod is vilified and condemned. She did nothing wrong and had her words not been taken out of context, she would be an anonymous person just doing her job. Now people like you feel free to condemn her for no reason.