White North Dakota lawmaker is branded racist for claiming black Americans are 'glad their ancestors were brought here as slaves' - but is backed by black Republican who says slavery was good for Africans who became Christians
Jones is a rancher and farmer with a wife and six children who was first elected to the State House of Representatives in 2016
Michael Coachman, a former Republican gubernatorial candidate, who is black, has rushed to Jones' defense
Michael Coachman, a Black former Republican gubernatorial candidate, backed up Jones' controversial statement, though he presented his own reasoning. The ultra-conservative Grand Forks resident said slavery was a terrible time in American history, but he noted that it was good for Africans who became Christians in the New World.
As far as Jones' bill, Coachman said he supports removing questions about race from official forms because they only serve to divide the country. Coachman said he often doesn't check any boxes on the race question because he wants to be judged solely on his abilities.
Coachman is a retired Air Force veteran with a wife and three children who has run several statewide campaigns, most recently in 2018 when he made a failed bid for North Dakota secretary of state.
During his campaign for governor last year, Coachman criticized the state's response to the coronavirus pandemic and railed against restrictions, saying: 'we’re not free. We’re under bondage and being told to wear a mask when we don’t need to,' reported The Dickinson Press last October.
He also weighed in on race relations, which he described as one of the biggest problems facing the US.
'We the People of the United States ... Our Constitution says it best. We the People,' he said. 'It’s not We the Blacks, not We the Native Americans, We the Whites, We the Catholics, Lutherans, Baptists, Democrats or Republicans ... No, it’s We the People.'
- State Rep Terry Jones, a Republican, made the statement while discussing his bill that would allow residents to put down 'American' as their race on forms
- He argued that people of all races are proud to be Americans, and that his bill is aimed at healing racial divide
- Jones said his comment about slavery was rooted in a Reader's Digest article from the 1980s about a black doctor who visited a war-torn African country
- Fargo Black Lives Matter activist labeled Jones' comments 'racist' and his bill a 'piece of nonsense'
- Michael Coachman, a former Republican gubernatorial candidate, who is black, has rushed to Jones' defense
Lawmaker says black people 'glad their ancestors were brought here'
North Dakota State Rep Terry Jones, a Republican, made the controversial statement while discussing his bill that would allow residents to put down 'American' as their race on official forms.
www.dailymail.co.uk
North Dakota rep wants 'American' as race option on forms, says Black Americans 'glad their ancestors were brought here'
New Town Republican Rep. Terry Jones said Black Americans are "glad their ancestors were brought here as slaves" — a comment one Black social activist called extremely racist.
www.inforum.com
Gubernatorial write-in candidate gaining support in western North Dakota
One of the largest political gatherings in Dickinson this election year attracted large crowds to listen to Michael Coachman as he addressed the state of the state and his plans to return government to the people if elected.
www.thedickinsonpress.com
Jones is a rancher and farmer with a wife and six children who was first elected to the State House of Representatives in 2016
Michael Coachman, a former Republican gubernatorial candidate, who is black, has rushed to Jones' defense
Michael Coachman, a Black former Republican gubernatorial candidate, backed up Jones' controversial statement, though he presented his own reasoning. The ultra-conservative Grand Forks resident said slavery was a terrible time in American history, but he noted that it was good for Africans who became Christians in the New World.
As far as Jones' bill, Coachman said he supports removing questions about race from official forms because they only serve to divide the country. Coachman said he often doesn't check any boxes on the race question because he wants to be judged solely on his abilities.
Coachman is a retired Air Force veteran with a wife and three children who has run several statewide campaigns, most recently in 2018 when he made a failed bid for North Dakota secretary of state.
During his campaign for governor last year, Coachman criticized the state's response to the coronavirus pandemic and railed against restrictions, saying: 'we’re not free. We’re under bondage and being told to wear a mask when we don’t need to,' reported The Dickinson Press last October.
He also weighed in on race relations, which he described as one of the biggest problems facing the US.
'We the People of the United States ... Our Constitution says it best. We the People,' he said. 'It’s not We the Blacks, not We the Native Americans, We the Whites, We the Catholics, Lutherans, Baptists, Democrats or Republicans ... No, it’s We the People.'