Richards on Jesse Jackson's show today

The Chicago Sun-Times reports:

The Rev. Jesse Jackson said Saturday he will bring comedian Michael Richards on his nationally syndicated radio program this morning for dialogue with national black leaders about the entertainer's racist rantings at a Los Angeles comedy club.

But Jackson said too much focus has been put on the comedian and not enough on the societal dilemma that his tirade and actor/director Mel Gibson's anti-Semitic rant earlier this year represent.

"We've been meeting with leaders all week since the Michael Richards meltdown, and it seems to us that Michael Richards is a symbol, not just an aberration," Jackson said at a press conference at Rainbow/PUSH headquarters.

"He will be my guest, and we'll have leaders calling in from around the country and engaging in some dialogue," he said. "We must not return hate with hate. We want to assess the impact of what he said, and what Mel Gibson said."


Jackson's "Keep Hope Alive" show airs in 50 markets, including Los Angeles and New York. In Chicago, it's on from 7 to 9 a.m. on WVON-AM (1690).

'Disturbing trend'
Richards called Jackson and New York activist the Rev. Al Sharpton last week after hiring a publicist for damage control. Jackson said Richards denied he was a racist, and Jackson urged him to seek psychological treatment.

Richards, who played Kramer on the "Seinfeld" TV show, lashed out at black audience members who heckled his performance, and was videotaped spewing derogatory racist language and smirking references about lynchings.

Said Jackson: "The Richards incident is like the Katrina crisis that lifted the face off of poverty in America and opened up old wounds for new examination and debate. His meltdown is historically rooted in a disturbing trend."

Did Jesse Jackson get "psychological treatment" after his infamous "Hymietown" comments? No word yet on whether Jesse Jackson wants to help Richards cure his racism by giving up some of the proceeds from Seinfeld DVD sales.