It’s hard for me to overlook the shameful parade of sons of celebrated leaders who are in jail or on the way to jail for confessed crimes ranging from bribery, embezzlement and just plain thievery. Their crimes go beyond mere law-breaking.
The sons have dishonored a legacy of public service that their fathers helped to build in order to break down barriers to economic and political progress for African-Americans.
The latest inductees to the Political Hall of Shame are: Former Washington, D.C. council member Michael A. Brown (D) who this month pled guilty to accepting $55,000 in illegal funds, some of which were stuffed in a Redskins coffee mug.
Former congressman Jesse Jackson Jr., who is awaiting sentencing after a guilty plea of embezzling $750,000 from his campaign funds to purchase such things as a Rolex watch, furs and a fedora previously owned by Michael Jackson.
And then there’s former D.C. Councilman Harry Thomas, Jr. (D-Ward 5) who is serving time after admitting to stealing $355,000 in city funds that could have gone to make a difference in the lives of city youths.
Backs of famous fathers
Just as civil rights victories are celebrated collectively the spectacles of college educated sons in upper middle class families joining the felons in the prison pipeline have created collective sadness among the rank and file. These men’s very ascent to higher office was on the backs of their famous fathers, trailblazers in the political and civil rights struggle.
Civil Rights veteran Jesse Jackson Sr. credible runs for president in 1984 and 1988 were jewels in the foundation later polished and perfected by President Obama.
