NEWS RELEASE
Phoenix, AZ — Arizona Civil Rights Leader the Reverend Jarrett Maupin is condemning the behavior of the San Carlos Apache Tribe’s Chairman, Terry Rambler, after images of the Chairman dressed in black-face emerged today. Rambler – well known for his vocal opposition to the Washington Redskins’ team theme and mascot – dressed himself in baggy clothes, dawned a dread-lock wig, and painted his face black in what Rev. Maupin describes as, “A walking mockery of the Black race.”
The Reverend is now demanding an immediate apology from Chairman Rambler, who is scheduled to meet with President Obama at a White House Tribal Leaders Summit tomorrow. “The Chairman should be ashamed of himself. How can someone so, allegedly, conscious of his Native American culture and the plight of other racial minorities dress up in such a ridiculous and racist way? I was shocked to see Chairman Rambler of the San Carlos
Apache Tribe choose to mock my Black culture and ancestors, dressed in black-face for Halloween. This from a man who is, right now, in our nation’s Capitol asking for Congress and President Obama to protect what he claims to be a sacred site of his ancestor,” says Maupin.
Maupin says Chairman Rambler’s decision to mock the Black race was foolish because, “The Chairman is in Washington, D.C. trying to get help from a Black President and Black members of Congress.” The Reverend believes that Rambler is out to kill jobs and Arizona’s copper mining industry, “I have always thought Chairman Rambler’s professed outrage and tribal legend claims were a bit suspicious. I have yet to encounter any area residents or tribal members that can recall the area that Resolution Copper hopes to develop as being legendary or sacred. The Chairman is risking thousands of Arizona jobs. I wish he’d put the same effort into economic-development, housing, and educational opportunities for his tribe’s members as he did in dressing-up in black-face,” says Maupin.
“I see Chairman Rambler posing today with Bernie Sanders, Congresswomen Sinema and Heinrich, and others. I understand that on Thursday he will be meeting with President Obama. How can a grown man, a leader of a nation, someone who is in D.C. right now touting cultural sensitivity in an attempt to kill jobs in my state be respected when he chooses to insult the heritage and mock the skin color of the entire Black Diaspora? Where is his integrity? I think Chairman Rambler pulled his racist costume idea and his not so well known legend about an area perfect for mining from the same place, his ass. He owes Black America an immediate apology.”
Response from Rev. Maupin
“Terry Rambler’s so-called apology for dressing in a racist black-face costume and parading around the community has added insult to injury. Any apology that includes “if I offended anyone” is not an apology.
“Chairman Rambler’s statement does not mention Black people directly or indirectly. His statement does not address the racial mockery he so enjoyed. In fact, it says very little at all.
“In light of Terry Rambler’s equally insulting public response, I am calling for his resignation as Chairman of the San Carlos Apache Tribe and the Arizona Indian Gaming Association. It is clear that Black lives do not matter to Chairman Rambler.
“Sadly, his rambling statement’s intentional exclusion of a direct apology to Black Americans further diminishes the argument that his black-face insult was made in innocent ignorance. Chairman Rambler, a vocal opponent of racial imagery and mockery in professional sports, did not paint his face black on accident or for lack of cultural sensitivity. He did it for laughs and lampooning – at the expense of Black people everywhere.
“Chairman Rambler is in no moral position to ask a Black president or Black congress people for help. Especially for assistance in blocking Resolution Copper’s plans for responsible mining in the state, which will create jobs for thousands of Arizonans – including many of underemployed and mistreated Black people that Terry Rambler spent Halloween further dehumanizing.”
