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Governor Pete Ricketts is apologizing for comments he made Monday during a meeting with African-American leaders following the County Attorney’s decision to not charge a white Omaha bar owner with the shooting death of a black protester.
Governor Ricketts had called the meeting to listen to concerns from Omaha’s black community after the Douglas County Attorney declined to charge bar owner Jake Gardner in the death of 22-year old James Scurlock. Pastor Jarrod Parker of St. Mark Baptist Church in North Omaha says about an hour and a half into the meeting, Ricketts became angry and said, “The problem I have with you people…”
In a video posted online after the meeting, Parker was visibly upset and said city and state leaders don’t get it.
“You’re not listening and you can’t listen, because at the top of the state is a racist governor,” Parker said in the video. “He called us “you people” and I walked out on him.”
Parker says he doesn’t regret the video, but also understands people make mistakes.
“We all have things that we’ve done and said that need to be corrected. So, I hope there’s room for reconciliation, I honestly do, and I think that’s the teachable moment because if this country does not embrace reconciliation, where are we? Democrats, Republicans? My goodness. Blacks, whites” he said. “If we don’t embrace, in a broader sense, reconciliation, then we’re doomed.”
Through a spokesman, Governor Ricketts apologized, saying he chose his words poorly. In an interview later on Omaha community radio station 95.7 The Boss, Ricketts again apologized.“I’m engaging the African-American community, I’m learning the culture and I’m learning” Ricketts said. “I made a mistake and so I apologize. I’m sorry and we’re just going to keep working to see what we can do to improve the lives of folks in north and south Omaha.”
Pastor Parker says he hasn’t heard from the Governor directly, but says he wants to move on and continue to work with Ricketts on finding solutions for minority communities in Nebraska.