Chicago Mayoral Hopeful: Racism Exists Because Whites Don't Understand

Chicago Mayoral Candidate Says Racism Persists Because White People Lack Understanding

Racism is an undeniably present negative in today’s society and one aspiring mayoral candidate says the reason it continues to exist lies in the lack of understand on the part of the white population.

via Chicago Sun Times

Mayoral candidate Willie Wilson weighed in on the volatile issue of race in Chicago politics Thursday — suggesting white people don’t fully understand how issues affect African-Americans and accusing black aldermen of selling out by supporting the mayor.

“I want to call it like it is,” Wilson told a luncheon crowd of more than 100. “It’s unfortunate that in this kind of era, this time of the year that we have to sell ourselves out.”

But the political novice stumbled himself, appearing to address white people in the crowd at the River North restaurant as “whiteys.”

After calling out African-American aldermen for not supporting his mayoral campaign and for “voting pretty much 100 percent with Mayor Rahm Emanuel,” Wilson told the crowd at the City Club of Chicago luncheon that he’s accepting of all people.

“To the whiteys here, I’m letting you know, I ain’t prejudiced,” he said to some laughs from the crowd.

After the Sun-Times posted a report about the speech on its website, Wilson’s campaign issued a statement saying it “categorically denies the statements that were attributed to him” and demanded a retraction and apology.

“I’m not sure where this is coming from,” Wilson said in the statement. “I am proud to count people of all races as friends and supporters and would never refer to anyone as ‘Whitey.’ Maybe the reporter didn’t understand my Louisiana enunciation.”

Do you agree with this logic, Bossip fam?