State Representative Sheryl Williams Stapleton gave an incendiary and poetic speech at a press conference yesterday called by local African American leaders to denounce the remarks made by Bernalillo County Chair Fernando C. de Baca last week. C de Baca resigned his position later in the day.

He had attempted to retain his position despite a growing chorus of Republican leaders calling for his resignation after he was quoted by the BBC last week saying that Hispanics of his generation would not vote for Barack Obama because he was black.

As was pointed out by Stapleton, C. de Baca’s comments were widely and repeatedly reported by the media, including here at the Independent.

Both she and Reverend N.D. Smith of Macedonia Baptist Church said that the comments had a negative effect on youth and children, especially African American young people, who heard them. Reverend Smith also said they were divisive and detrimental to years of progress between cultures:

His [C. de Baca’s] insulting remarks were meant to create a division between the African American, the Hispanic, Native American, and other cultures here in Albuquerque and the state of New Mexico. … We believe his public statements have a debilitating effect on not only African American children but youth in general, who are our future. His remarks have a detrimental effect on the years of progress that have been made between the different cultures in New Mexico.

Both Stapleton and Rev. Smith’s speeches can be heard in audio recordings made by local reporter Peter St. Cyr. Here is an excerpt of Stapleton’s speech:

…today we seek the comfort of this sanctuary [Macedonia Baptist Church] when we come to ask our God to help us sort out the hateful and misguided thoughts and actions of Mister Fernando C de Baca.

It is his right to express his thoughts no matter how bizarre and painful they may be to us as African Americans. His heart and soul are not ours to judge but someone who holds those thoughts in such a public and open forum should not be allowed the platform of the chair of the Bernalillo Republican Party, period. End of story.

There should be zero tolerance in both parties for this behavior.

I have been in this state for many years and I have felt the breath of the north wind.

…The north wind creates confusion and plays to our worst fears of one another rather than celebrate the diversity of our great state as being one of our greatest assets.

I have felt the cold breath of the north wind but thank god for the gentle southern breeze. The south wind blows in the warmth of the people of New Mexico. It blows away the notion of bigotry and highlights how we as a state have sent sons and daughters to war that came from the south valley, the pueblos, and the Kirtland addition. The south wind blows and teaches all children that it’s not where you come from it’s where you’re going.

The south wind blows us all together because we seek a sense of justice and responsibility. In that spirit I today call on the leadership in this state, including the members of the New Mexico members of the United States Congress, both parties in the state legislature, churches, organizations, and citizens to call for the immediate resignation of Mister Fernando C de Baca as chair of the Bernalillo County Republican Party. I would call for no less if such comments were attributed to a Democrat. …

Our children are watching us and the north wind is blowing their way. Ladies and gentlemen, when we have our children, our teenage youth, African American children saying, “we don’t want to go to school,” this week and last week because of other children teasing them about being slaves because of the comments being heard on the television, we have to take a stand as a community.

You know, it is a disgrace, a total disgrace, that in today’s society and today’s time that Mister C. de Baca would make those bold statements when you have children sitting in a classroom in one desk and at another desk might be a Hispanic, an Anglo, an Asian, a Native American, an African American. And here you have Mister C. de Baca on television saying well we are a little bit above the African American. And here you have children going to school and telling our African American children we are a little bit above you in today’s society.

It is a total disgrace.