Local coffee party attendee ‘a little surprised’ by lack of diversity in tea party alternative group
by George Bennett | March 15th, 2010
Some of the West Palm Beach coffee party group, from Flickr.com
But the meeting of about 40 people in West Palm Beach was predominantly white, and a perusal of Coffee Party USA photos from around the nation on Flickr.com shows mostly white faces.
“I’m a little surprised that there aren’t more young people and more people of color. I’m glad to see these people, though,” said Phil Stelly of North Palm Beach, who is 54 and black. He left early from Saturday’s meeting at a Panera Bread restaurant, but said he remains interested in the nascent group.
Two black women took part in the West Palm Beach meeting. Local organizer George Papison said he believes several participants were Latino.
“I would have liked to have seen more participants of color, but I don’t know whether we had any control over that….I would have liked to have seen more younger people, frankly,” said Papison, who is 59.
Some tea party critics — including two white participants at the Panera Bread summit — have accused the predominantly white tea partyers of being motivated by racial unease with or outright hostility toward America’s first black president.
Filmmaker and former Obama campaign volunteer Annabel Park, whose Facebook rants against the tea party launched the coffee party movement, seems to allude to these criticisms in a video in which she describes coffee partyers as in tune with America’s changing demographics.
Says Park: “We really have a collection of people who value diversity, are diverse, and we’re completely comfortable with the changing demographics of our country. I think that it’s human for people to be nervous about changes in their neighborhoods and in demographics of this country. But it’s not something that should be encouraged and it certainly should not be an opportunity for political gain. And I think really the politicians who are exploiting that fear and anxiety for political gain, they’re really the worst.”
Tags: "coffee party", Annabel Park
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March 15th, 2010 at 9:07 am
If you want young people to show, start a Xanax party movement…
March 15th, 2010 at 9:20 am
After reading this article it seems this group puts an emphasis on diversity versus the best interests of the country. Pretty typical of the libs…
March 15th, 2010 at 9:28 am
Caffine is right. Diversity = entitlements.
March 15th, 2010 at 9:42 am
Diversity of good ideas is much more important than diversity of color. Don’t you think? I was through most of my life the only brown person around. I didn’t give a hoot - I loved my black teachers and white teachers alike, black friends and white alike.
Liberals are obsessed with the most shallow aspects of diversity. It like they have a quote to fill so they can make a Benetton ad.
March 15th, 2010 at 9:45 am
Caffeine and Moderately right would have you believe that no repugnants are on Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid or Food Stamps. What righty BS. Count the pick up trucks in front of the food stamp office someday.
March 15th, 2010 at 9:48 am
Looks to me like some tea party people are afraid of a opposing views on here.
March 15th, 2010 at 9:55 am
No problem - diversity is in the best interest of the country. We all are human beings and are entitled to be heard.
March 15th, 2010 at 9:56 am
Looks like another liberal circle jerk party.
March 15th, 2010 at 10:14 am
Diversity killed 13 people at Ft. Hood
March 15th, 2010 at 10:46 am
It seems to me that the Coffee Party and its own enthusiasts like the gentleman quoted in the first paragraph completely forget the value of judging people based on the content of their character, not the color of their skin. To say this movement lacks some value because the VOLUNTARY gatherings do not have the aesthetic qualities that Mr. Stelly would associate with “diversity” is rather hypocritical. Its the quality of the ideas proposed that count and how they affect those concerned, not what shade of skin the VOLUNTARY participants are that counts. Annabel Park herself presents ridiculously shallow motivations behind the Coffee Party and oversimplifies the Tea Party, which is also a shallow front of civic ignorance. In the end, this overemphasis on an oversimplified and cosmetic notion of diversity does no service to this organizations cause.
March 15th, 2010 at 11:02 am
Looks like a bunch of white, illiterate, inborn rednecks to me. Isn’t that the correct terminology for a bunch of people such as this JimC? It always works for a description of the Tea Party members. They both look the same to me.
And as far as your comment on Repubs being on Medicaid or Welfare, Yes there are. I also know of a Democrat that recently sold his home for 1.2 Million, bough a house for $300,000 cash and still has his kids getting free lunches at school. They also still get food stamps and free healthcare. I guess that Republicans just might not have the market cornered on being hypocrites.
March 15th, 2010 at 11:03 am
But who could possibly be dumb enough to support and embrace the principals of diversity. Webster’s Unabridged Dictionary defines diversity as”to turn in different directions.” Now this brings back old memories of the “Tower of Babel”. You can read more about this subject in Genesis chpt 11 verses 1-6. There you will find when they began to construct the tower to the heavens (this was a one language world back then) it came to pass the Lord caused them all to speak different languages and sent them about the continent in different directions.
The true perpetrators pushing diversity will never be known. When government gets involved in forming society (which they do daily) it is always headed by or under the auspices of “they.” While we don’t have the opportunity to meet with or speak with “they”, they continually control our daily lives.
Webster defines “Diversity” as: to make different, difference, variety.
Webster defines “Segregate” as: to become separated; to cause others to be separated or placed apart from others.
There is a very small difference between the definitions of these two words. We worked for years to destroy the likes of segregation. Why would now embrace the likes of diversity.
March 15th, 2010 at 11:44 am
These doucebags do not understand the definition of the word “conservative”
ie: be frugal, save money, look twice and see if its possible to do so cheaper. This don’t even come from Webster. This comes from being poor and knowing the government is not my anointed savior of all things! The Teaparty movement is a loosely orgainzed association of “conservatives” who have band together in an effort to abort the
actions of those who beleive the government is responsible for all their problems and solutions thereof.(Just look at New Orleans, where they drown like rats instead of solving their own problems! Why? Because the government had always taken care of them and they didn’t know any better, that’s why!) Now, since some young people and some minorities feel the government owes them a living and they are just here to collect it, I can understand why you do not see them at tea party events. You might recall the Washington Tea Party excursions denied by the lame stream media but well documented on FOX news! Look at the clean (No Tatoo, Body Pierced) young folks they showed! Why is it many people from the tea party movement support a Hispanic person (Marco Rubio) for US Senate? OH! I almost forgot he’s a REAL CONSERVATIVE!
Unlike his opponent who is a died in the wool Socialist, Communist, Marxist!
We don’t have to worry about the Coffeeites reading this blog, their short term memory won’t let them follow the flow!
March 15th, 2010 at 12:51 pm
fl crzr, if diversity killed 13 at Fort Hood, what about the right wing nut who was against diversity who killed 168 and injuried over 450 of his fellow innocent citizens including children in Oklahoma City in 1995. All of you rightwing nuts are stupid and sick!!!
March 15th, 2010 at 3:21 pm
Tea Party Founders come From All Walks Of Life:
http://www.latimes.com/news/nation-and-world/la-na-thomas14-2010mar14,0,6505384.story
March 15th, 2010 at 5:47 pm
From this story I can surmise that the Coffee Party is racist.
March 15th, 2010 at 10:43 pm
WoW! For something that doesn’t matter y’all sure got your shorts in a bunch. Why all the comments for such a minor event?
March 15th, 2010 at 10:58 pm
Why would conservatives be “afraid” of this movement? It is all and only about appearances. When an issues true substance rises to the surface it is promptly deflated by the liberal’s hot air that sucks the life out the marrow and meat of the bone. They live in a “feel good” ethereal “otherworld” where only the anointed truly understand the complexities of their thought processes, thereby relegating them to make decisions for the greater good.
March 16th, 2010 at 2:18 am
Perhaps people of color prefer tea to coffee? After all, coffee hypes you up then lets you down. Tea is soothing and quenches your thirst.
March 16th, 2010 at 9:50 am
LOL@ the coffee party picture, nobody is happy at all, just pissed that the conservatives found a grassroots agenda. Since the 60’s its been the liberals dominating the grassroots. The pendulum has swung. Let me say this the tea party is not republican, its conservative, George Bush was not conservative, we need a president like Andrew Jackson who can balance the books, and someone like Calvin Coolidge who can avoid conflict.
March 16th, 2010 at 9:54 am
The Tea Party was launched to bring this country to some financial sense. The Coffee Party was launched by angry facist liberals calling The Tea Party attendees racist. Hmmm, when you point that finger, three point back.
March 16th, 2010 at 7:40 pm
This Coffee Party Movement *may* haved started out well intentioned but it will inevitably be hijacked by union thugs, illegals, marxists, progressives, trotskysts, maoists, unwashed animal-rights militants, “students”, deviants, alternative life-stylers and other assorted flotsam of society who will peddle their sordid agendas while wearing their che guevara t-shirts.
Yuk, no thanks….
March 21st, 2010 at 2:13 am
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