30 Years Ago, I Called Pat Buchanan’s Supporters Ignorant — I Was Wrong
For almost 30 years, I have carried the shame of a public rebuke by my university president as the fuel that has propelled me to live a good life. Today, I apologize for my mistake. I regret my poor word choice.
I attended college in Storm Lake, Iowa, in the mid-90s. I was the only black person there and the student body president in the 1995–96 school year when Republican presidential hopefuls were crisscrossing through Iowa.
Storm Lake, IA, was ground zero for Republicans to barnstorm through since it boasted the most facilities for Republicans to meet voters as the Iowa Cacuces were in full swing. Names forgotten to the past, men like Lamar Alexandar, Pete Wilson, Dick Lugar, Steve Forbes, Bob Dole, and several also-rans tramped into town, hoping to ignite their meager campaigns and ascend to the Oval Office.
They all came to my college to court voters and would see me in the audience—the proverbial raisin in the mayonnaise-based potato salad. Each candidate and I knew they would not be earning my vote. It was unspoken between us, but due to my station in life, I was an authority figure on this campus. My presence was requested until they saw the small black frame that enclosed my indelible spirit; their advance team immediately regretted the request.
