Black Georgia Lawmaker Upset by Appointment of White Woman, Cites Lack of Diversity in Party Leadership

Georgia Democrats’ appointment of a white executive director is drawing ire from a black state senator because of a lack of diversity within the party’s leadership. Even though the appointee is a woman, senate minority whip Vincent Fort blamed the “good ol’ boy approach” for Rebecca DeHart’s selection.

Fort argued that the addition of DeHart is the latest failure by the party to represent the racial diversity of Democrats in the state, particularly in its highest positions. “When you have a chairman who is white and an executive director who is white, that rich diversity is not reflected,” he told the Atlanta Journal-Constitution.

Criticism of the party’s lack of diversity is appropriate, according to Fort, pointing to Georgia’s congressional delegation’s opposition to the Obama administration’s judicial nominations: Beginning last month, representatives Sanford Bishop, Hank Johnson, John Lewis, and David Scott, all of whom are black, spoke out against nominees to fill vacancies in the state’s courts, noting that only one of the six is black.

“We’re all supportive of the president,” Fort said. “But if we can challenge his federal judicial nominees, the Georgia Democratic party shouldn’t be above the same scrutiny.”

Via Weasel Zippers.