Chattanooga Times Free Press

Trump hails heroes of civil rights; protesters stay away

- BY DARLENE SUPERVILLE

JACKSON, Miss. — President Donald Trump paid tribute Saturday to the leaders and foot soldiers of the civil rights movement whose sacrifices help make the United States a fairer and more just country, though protests surroundin­g his visit to Mississipp­i laid bare the stark divisions among Americans about his commitment to that legacy.

As Trump gazed at an exhibit on Freedom Riders at the new Museum of Mississipp­i History and the Mississipp­i Civil Rights Museum, demonstrat­ors near the site held up signs that said “Make America Civil Again” and “Lock Him Up.” Some shouted “No Trump, no hate, no KKK in the USA.”

Trump spent about 30 minutes at the museums, gave a 10-minute speech to select guests inside and then flew back to his Florida estate, skipping the public schedule of the dedication ceremony held outside on a chilly day. He spent more time getting to Jackson than he did on the ground.

Trump’s remarks steered clear of addressing the anger that his participat­ion had sparked leading up to the dedication. In a deliberate voice and rarely diverting from his prepared words, the president sought to honor the famous and the anonymous for their efforts on behalf of freedom for all.

“The civil rights museum records the oppression, cruelty and injustice inflicted on the African-American community, the fight to bring down Jim Crow and end segregatio­n, to gain the right to vote and to achieve the sacred birthright of equality. And it’s big stuff. That’s big stuff,” he said.

The national president of the NAACP and the mayor of Mississipp­i’s capital city said they kept their distance from Trump because of his “pompous disregard” for the values embodied by the civil rights movement.

Derrick Johnson, head of the nation’s oldest civil rights organizati­on, and Mayor Chokwe Lumumba said at a news conference they looked forward to a “grander opening” of the museum they can attend.

Johnson, a Mississipp­ian, charged that Trump opposes labor rights, education, health care and voting rights for all Americans.

“We will never cede the stage to an individual who will fight against us,” Johnson said. “We will not allow the history of those who sacrificed to be tarnished for political expediency.”

Johnson and Lumumba spoke to about 100 supporters, including some who participat­ed in the civil rights demonstrat­ions of the 1960s, at the Smith Robertson Museum and Cultural Center.

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