The office of Hakeem Jeffries, the top Democrat in the US House of Representatives, has released a fiery statement condemning a fellow lawmaker who endorsed a racist comment about him. The statement came after US Representative Jen Kiggans appeared on a conservative radio talk show, where host Rich Herrera criticized Jeffries for supporting an effort to redraw Virginia’s congressional map.
Herrera told Jeffries to either relocate to Virginia or “get your cotton-picking hands off of Virginia.” Kiggans responded, “That’s right. Ditto. Yes. Yes to that.” The term “cotton picking” has racist roots in the US, referring to enslaved Black people laboring on southern cotton plantations.
Kiggans later denied approving the remark, claiming she was agreeing with the broad sentiment about Democrats’ redistricting efforts. “The radio host should not have used that language and I do not — and did not — condone it,” she said. However, Jeffries spokesperson Christie Stephenson vehemently condemned Kiggans, calling her an “extremist” who “apparently craves a return to the days of Jim Crow racial oppression.”
Top Democrats, including US Minority Whip Katherine Clark and California Governor Gavin Newsom, have called on Kiggans to resign. The Congressional Black Caucus (CBC) posted a clip of the exchange on X, writing: “Did she agree with him? Yes. Is this racist? Yes. Should she resign? Yes to that, too.”
The incident occurs amid a nationwide battle over redistricting before November’s critical midterm elections. In Virginia, voters approved a redrawn map favoring Democrats, but the state Supreme Court invalidated it. Democrats have appealed to the US Supreme Court. Partisan gerrymandering is not illegal, but racial discrimination is outlawed.
A US Supreme Court decision in late April weakened enforcement of the Voting Rights Act, making it easier to break up predominantly Black congressional districts. Civil rights groups argue the ruling could dilute the voting power of Black Americans. Republican lawmakers in several states have pursued redistricting efforts in light of the ruling.
Source: www.aljazeera.com