(Washington, DC) The walkout of the United States Government was supposed to weaken the resolve of the participants in the third United Nations World Conference Against Racism (WCAR), begun August 31 and ending September 7 in Durban, South Africa.

It hasn't. In fact, "US behavior during the WCAR, has been so obnoxious and so transparent that it has served to strengthen the bonds between the world's minorities, in particular, African Americans and Africans, in a way that could never have been anticipated by the current Administration," stated McKinney.

Historically, there have been countless efforts by the US to undermine cooperation between African Americans and Africans as stated in National Security Council (NSC) Memorandum Number 46, penned in 1978 by then National Security Advisor, Zbigniew Brezezinski. This document outlines covert steps to be taken in order to thwart cooperation by black organizations in the United States and liberation movements on the African Continent.

As we look to Durban today, we see that the world's minorities have gathered in an unprecedented effort to stand together with one intent in mind: to lay their issues before an international audience. Although the immediate work of the US delegation was to try to satisfy African concerns about colonialism while sidestepping African and African American concerns about the slave trade, an apology, and reparations. The US plan to mollify the Africans at the expense of the African Americans backfired as these two groups have unified in an effort to push the issues of reparations and slavery forward even beyond WCAR.

In addition, seven Members of the US Congressional Black Caucus (CBC), led by CBC Chairwoman Eddie Bernice Johnson, dissented from the position of the US delegation by adopting the platform of African American non-governmental organizations participating in the WCAR. "We will continue to stand firm with our brothers and sisters on the Continent. Any effort to project division is not true. In fact, the only thing that divides us from our brothers on the Continent is the Trans Atlantic Slave Trade and we're together on the need for an apology and reparations for this crime against humanity," stated McKinney.

While in Durban, the members of the Congressional Black Caucus announced they are discussing the possiblity of holding their own "Conference Against Racism in the United States in 2003."

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