Official apologizes to Gregoire

Wed., Sept. 1, 2004

Associated Press

SEATTLE – The NAACP’s state conference president has apologized to gubernatorial candidate Christine Gregoire’s campaign manager, after the president of the Seattle NAACP branch implied that Gregoire’s participation in an all-white sorority 30 years ago was evidence of racism.

“You shouldn’t charge people with being racist without some scientific evidence,” NAACP state leader Oscar Eason said.

Eason wrote a letter of apology to Tim Zenk, Gregoire’s campaign manager.

He said the NAACP does not endorse candidates or get involved in partisan politics, “and we apologize for any statements that would suggest otherwise.”

Eason didn’t mention Seattle branch NAACP president Carl Mack by name.

But he was responding to “inflammatory” comments made by Mack and others last week at a news conference organized by Mack, Eason said.

Mack and other speakers criticized Gregoire for joining Kappa Delta at the University of Washington in the late 1960s.

Gregoire has said she deplored the sorority’s exclusionary policy and worked for change from within.

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