Hillary Clinton and Ashley Williams, a Black Lives Matter activist, had a mini-confrontation at a fundraiser in South Carolina, which led to the #WhichHillary turning into a hot topic on social media. Williams, who paid $500 to get into the event, carried a sign that read “we have to bring them to heel,” a comment made by Hillary Clinton in 1996 about young African Americans.
Hillary Clinton and Ashley Williams had an exchange that was caught on camera and pushed the #whichhillary to trend for almost 24 hours.
Wednesday night, Williams, a Black Lives Matter activist, and unnamed pal paid more than $500 to get in a private Hillary Clinton fundraising event in Charleston, South Carolina.
Williams stood in front of the audience, and as soon Mrs. Clinton started talking she pulled out a banner that read “we have to bring them to heel” – which is a statement the former senator from New York made in 1996 referring young African Americans.
Williams told Clinton to explain her record on mass incarceration and demanded that she apologize to black people. Clinton read the sign and tried to address the activist and told her that she is willing to have a discussion. The candidate also said that no one had ever asked her to apologize to all black people before.
Williams continued to confront Clinton and she was escorted from the event. Williams told the media:
“I wanted to bring her to confront her own words. We did this because we wanted to make sure that black people are paying attention to her record, and we want to know what Hillary we are getting.”
She added:
“Hillary Clinton has a pattern of throwing the Black community under the bus when it serves her politically. She called our boys ‘super-predators’ in ’96, then she race-baited when running against Obama in ‘08, now she’s a lifelong civil rights activist. I just want to know which Hillary is running for President, the one from ’96, ’08, or the new Hillary?”
Black Lives Matter activists have interrupted both Clinton and Bernie Sanders in the past. Williams has prompted the #WhichHillary to trend. Some people are bashing, and others are showing support for Clinton on social media.
What are your thoughts on the Hillary Clinton and Ashley Williams encounter?
@twobirdsstoned orig tweet#WhichHillary
The one who championed for Universal Healthcare in the 90's, or the one who says it can't be done?— Misteprogram (@MisteProgram) February 25, 2016
#WhichHillary The one Jeb Bush declared dedicates her life serving and advancing democracy. #ImWithHer #CIC pic.twitter.com/icQE2Q9ox8
— Rhys Tay (@iRhysTay) February 25, 2016
"Super predators" then. Parading moms out for show now. #WhichHillary
— Chris Owens (@rev_bones) February 25, 2016
#WhichHillary The one most admired worldover.#IStandWithObama#ImWithHer pic.twitter.com/44FDAW9qjc
— Rhys Tay (@iRhysTay) February 25, 2016
#WhichHillary – I think the worst thing about the video was the women so snobbishly saying "You're being rude." & "This is inappropriate."
— MP (@fritchee) February 25, 2016
#WhichHillary? The one who claims to have stood up to health insurance companies in the 90s or this one? pic.twitter.com/1bA5ATwTot
— Dalton (@NameIsDalton) February 25, 2016
#WhichHillary the one that fought for 9/11 first responders or the children health insurance program?
— Ashley Spry (@Ashley_spry09) February 25, 2016
to the point. Ms. Williams was being rude and inappropriate by continuing to talk over Mrs. Clinton and not allow her to respond to the allegation
If you want to be serious and show your vindicated for your actions you need to allow the other party to respond in order to show both sides of the issue, so long as you are the only one talking that makes you look more like a disgruntled bystander and not a political activist.
There are always 2 sides to a story and not everyone knows them, the proper way that this should have been done is not the way it was done. Ms. Williams could fall within the term of “super-predator” simply because she did buy her entry into the event with malicious intent to disrupt the event and not to cause awareness or create a dialog.
I am sure I will get plenty of hate mail for this but I feel that activists need to remember that if you never listen to your advisory they will not listen to you either. You cant make a change if nobody with the power to make that change is not listening and adversarial confrontation is not the best way to get that.
Blacks have been talked over for centuries. What’s your point?