Dec 22, 2002 By Angie Santello 4 min read

With Friday’s resignation of Mississippi Republican Trent Lott as Senate GOP leader, two area black leaders say the action was a move in the right direction. Lott stepped down amid rising pressure from the black community, fellow senators and President Bush after drawing criticism for remarks he made at Sen. Strom Thurmond’s 100th birthday party Dec. 5. In those comments, Lott said the country would have been better off if Thurmond had been elected president in 1948 on a segregationist ticket.

“We do not need this type of bigotry. We should be a country on equal times, joined together in unity. Anytime you do not have diversity, you weaken yourself,” said the Rev. Robert Spence, a former president of the Fayette County chapter of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People. “Trent Lott is in the minority. Many more good people are out there rather than people who think like Trent Lott.”

U.S. Sen. Bill Frist (R-Tenn.) is the front-runner to be named Senate GOP leader Monday, a position that would make him majority leader when the GOP retakes Senate control in the new Congress that convenes in early January.

Rev. Spence, who ran an unsuccessful campaign for the state Legislature earlier this year, said Frist “is the right person” for the job.

“Frist has the life experience,” said Spence, who serves as a hospital chaplain. “His past as a doctor … he went out on the mission fields, helping sick people in Africa. Because of this, he has the right mix. He has the compassion, the intelligence. Everything he needs he has.”

Even though he had favored Pennsylvania Sen. Rick Santorum for the leadership position, Spence believes Santorum lacks the experience that leads to the development of a well-rounded person, which Frist exemplifies.

Spence said that if Frist becomes the next Senate majority leader, it would be “a big turnaround” from Lott, who, Spence said “did not have the compassion for all people that is required in the political arena and in life.

“Frist will be a different type of person and a different type of leader,” said Spence. “I believe that it’s going to be a better situation overall. Everything I’ve heard about Frist has been pretty positive.”

Current Fayette NAACP President Clinton Anderson agrees with Spence, saying that Lott’s resignation “was the right thing to do.”

Lott’s resignation came after President Bush said his remarks were offensive and wrong, and many Republicans saw that as a sign that Lott’s days as leader were numbered. Anderson said the Bush administration could not simply sit idly by.

“The situation has ramifications for the Republican Party,” said Anderson. “I believe they were forced to pressure Lott into resignation. Bush was elected president of the entire country, and in order for him to achieve his goals, he would have to look at what he can do to smooth over his position.”

The Lott controversy forced the country’s aims and objectives to be placed on hold at a time when people are trying to unite in the face of tragedy, Anderson said, referring to the terrorist attacks on America and the ongoing war against terrorism.

“It takes tragedy for us to unite, and for a few months we are just that,” said Anderson. “But, it never fails that the division occurs again.

“We need to wake up, come together and start looking at how we are put on this world equally. We need to teach our children that no matter the color of one’s skin, we need to look in our hearts,” Anderson added. “We need to start realizing those things.”

Spence and Anderson both see an intrinsic value of the controversy. Spence remarked that it brought about a new leader for the Senate and new opportunities for black Americans.

“With Frist, he will be ready to accept everyone. He’ll make sure all people will be included. Blacks will have their seat at the table,” said Spence. “The situation was a good eye opener for the country and a good door opener for African-Americans. Overall, it worked out for the best. As they say, all’s well that ends well.”