Women plan Window Rock march against racism

By Natasha Kaye Johnson
Diné Bureau

WINDOW ROCK — A group of Navajo women have organized a march against racism, which they said was triggered by a comment made from a staff member of the Joe Shirley Jr. administration.

This past week, several woman came together to begin to organize a march, claiming that Clinton Jim, a staff assistant to Shirley, made a racist and discriminatory comment at a meeting at Whiterock Chapter on Monday.

According to a press release by the organizers, Women Against Racism (WAR), Jim was with several people from the Shirley re-election campaign, when he allegedly made a statement indicating "that they are Navajo and they want to have Navajo all the way" in an apparent reference to those of mixed ethnic backgrounds.

"There were some racial remarks made," said organizer Freida White, though she was not present at the chapter house and didn't know the specific remarks made.

Jim could not be reached for comment, as well as the two women present at the chapter who were offended by Jim's comments.

The women organizing the march believe that with an increase in interracial marriages, there is no place for racial discrimination of any type, and are demanding a public apology from Shirley.

White said the march is not politically driven, but is a women's issue. "It's not anything political as trying to vote for one or the other (candidate)," said White.

White was not sure if the women attempted to contact the staff to ask for an apology and did not know if the Shirley administration was aware of the march.

Organizers expect primarily women to participate, but said that the march is open to men as well.

The march will be on Monday beginning at 9 a.m. at the Navajo Nation Museum and will end at the Veterans Memorial Park, where a guest speaker, who has yet to be announced, will address participants.

The women will also be wearing pink shirts in recognition of breast cancer awareness month.