In the August-September edition of the Weekly Defender newspaper, editor Nehemiah Smith Jr. published what he referred to as “Michael Wray and the League of Un-extraordinary Sambos.”

I read his editorials and I treated them as I treat all acts of ignorance — I ignored it, because at the end of the day ignorance always runs its course.

However, at the urging of so many of the good and decent people that Nehemiah Smith Jr. took upon himself to attempt to embarrass, but ended up offending and greatly insulting, I have decided to respond to it.

Professional journalists have certain ethics that they are supposed to use in their reporting. It should be their purpose to enlighten and inform the public in an ethical manner. 

The two editorials Lee writes about.

Ethical journalists strive to ensure the free exchange of information that is accurate, fair, informative and thorough. An ethical journalist will always act with integrity. 

They treat their sources, subjects, colleagues and members of the public as human beings deserving of respect. 

Their pursuit of the news should never be a license for arrogance or undue disrespect. It is very obvious after reading Nehemiah Smith Jr.'s editorial that he is far from being an ethical journalist.

Nehemiah Smith Jr. has portrayed Representative Michael Wray as the only politician who has ever paid poll workers to work for him on election day. The fact of the matter is that from every major political race on the national, state and local level, candidates have paid poll workers campaigning for them. 

From the epic contests between Harvey Gantt and Senator Jesse Helms, to Congresswoman Eva Clayton, Governor Jim Hunt, Congressman Frank Ballance and G.K. Butterfield, Jeff Frazier, Angela Bryant and many others, political candidates have paid poll workers and yet their character has never been insulted, nor the many people that were paid to campaign for them.

Just in case you didn't know, Nehemiah Smith Jr., the reason political candidates have campaign fundraisers is to finance their political run for office, and simply because some candidates are more effective at doing so than others is no grounds for them to be portrayed as “slave masters,” and it is definitely no grounds for those of us who choose to exercise our God-given right to vote for and support the candidates of our choice to be called “Sambos.”

The most upsetting thing about the list is the many good, decent and outstanding people who are on it.

He has Reverend Robert Sessoms, pastor of Roanoke-Salem Missionary Baptist Church in Garysburg on his list. 

Reverend Sessoms is one of the most respected pastors in the Roanoke Valley. He has an outstanding ministry at Roanoke-Salem, which includes an outstanding youth ministry that has built a youth center that empowers the youth of the church in so many positive ways. His community service group — United Community Connections — has recognized numerous citizens in the Roanoke Valley for their outstanding contributions to our society. Yet, Nehemiah Smith Jr. had the audacity to call him a “Sambo.”

Halifax County Commissioner Vernon Bryant is on the list.

Commissioner Bryant and I have disagreed on different areas of concern for the Roanoke Valley, especially about the merger of the three school systems, but at the end of our disagreeing, we still respect each other and, more importantly, we remain friends. 

I respect the fact that Commissioner Bryant takes his position on certain issues that he believes in and he stands fast in his belief. He has the right to act and believe as he chooses, yet, Nehemiah Smith Jr., called Commissioner Bryant a “Sambo.”

Bennett Taylor, the president of the Northampton County Branch of the NAACP, the very organization that the Weekly Defender claims to represent, is on the list. Yet, Nehemiah Smith Jr. called Mr. Taylor a  “Sambo.”

Floyd Pitchford, a pillar in the White Oak community, is on the list. 

Mr. Pitchford has helped so many that were less fortunate, and has made many contributions, not only to the White Oak community, but all over the county, and, yet, Nehemiah Smith Jr. called Mr. Pitchford a “Sambo.”

There are people from just about every community in Halifax and Northampton counties on his list. There are outstanding people who have all contributed greatly to our society and, yet, Nehemiah Smith Jr. called all of us “Sambos.”

Another thing about this list that has greatly concerned me is that two local ministers have supported the list from their pulpits and one of them had stacks of the Weekly Defender papers available in his church so that his members would be aware of the “Sambos” that were on the list. 

Both of these pastors have political ambitions. I want them to take a good, hard look at that list and look at the people who are on it, and all of the communities that we represent and think about us when election time comes around again. Remember us when you will be asking for our support.

It is very disturbing that all of us were placed on the list of “Un-extraordinary Sambos” because we chose to support a candidate that Nehemiah Smith Jr. did not support.

Racism is racism regardless from whom it comes. 

There is a great effort between the city of Roanoke Rapids and the Halifax County Branch of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People to bring about a closer relationship between the city and the African-American community. 

To have to be subjected to editorials such as the ones that Nehemiah Smith Jr. has written is a very hard slap in the face of that effort.

My name is Paul Lee — Nehemiah Smith Jr. placed my name on his list. 

I beg to differ with him — that the list should have been a list of extraordinary people that only exercised their right to not only vote, but to vote and support the candidates of their choice — Paul Lee