By By JONATHAN CLAYBORNE
Staff Writer
In public statements, a Beaufort County commissioner candidate indicated that black history is practically the only history taught in Beaufort County’s public schools.
“About the only thing we teach in Beaufort County is black history,” said Buddy Harrell, an Edward resident. “That’s all I hear about.”
Harrell, a Republican, spoke Thursday night during the Beaufort County Republican Party’s county convention.
The local school system doesn’t teach that American colonists were communists and did not prosper until they took an every-man-for-himself approach, Harrell said in a brief speech at the Beaufort County Courthouse.
After his remarks, Harrell was applauded by conventioneers.
In an interview, Harrell further criticized the way history is taught in Beaufort County.
“If you don’t teach history, you’re doomed to repeat it,” he commented. “Every colony was a communist compound.”
One of the largest such compounds was in Jamestown, Va., he said.
“And they like to starved to death until they threw up their hands and said, ‘Enough,’ and that’s when we became a republic,” Harrell said.
Asked to clarify his statements about black history, he replied, “No problem, if that’s not the only thing they’re going to teach.”
He added, “This country wasn’t settled by the blacks. People came here from Europe for freedom of religion, not freedom from religion.”
Asked for further clarification, he said, “I don’t have anything against teaching black history, if that’s what blacks want to learn about. They also need to learn about Native American history.”
Called for his reaction to Harrell’s claims, Bill Booth, president of the Beaufort County NAACP, said, “Buddy Harrell, he’s getting up in age. I won’t even waste our time even responding to that. I won’t.”
Booth said he’s known Harrell “for quite a while.”
“I’ll call him and I’ll talk with him about it,” Booth said. “Maybe I’ll help him to better understand the history of this country.”
Booth was asked whether he believes Harrell’s sentiments are needed in county government.
“Not that mentality, no,” he said. “Not that mentality, not someone speaking, talking like that. I’ll call him. I planned to call him anyway.”
Harrell is one of five Republicans seeking his party’s nomination to run for three available seats on the Beaufort County Board of Commissioners.
“I don’t think racism plays a part in the political discourse that’s gone on in this county,” said Larry Britt, chairman of the Beaufort County Republican Party. “It does not (play a part) from us, it particularly does not from me.”
Britt said he didn’t hear exactly what Harrell said during the convention because he was busy with his duties as chairman.
“I know Buddy can get ahead of himself sometimes and not realize the impact of what he’s saying,” Britt said. “Buddy is not a racist, he’s not someone who’s against anybody.”
Britt said “it’s not true” that black history is taught to the near exclusion of other topics.
“It goes back to what I said before,” he continued. “It’s just an unfortunate situation and one that I don’t think that Mr. Harrell really understood the impact of what he was saying. That, of course, is not the position of the party. It never has been and it will not be.”
Through a spokeswoman, Don Phipps, superintendent of Beaufort County Schools, declined to comment.
Asked for his response, Jerry Langley, the commissioners’ chairman, said he was “running a gamut of emotions here.”
Langley, a Democrat, said that Harrell was accurate in pointing out that American settlers came from Europe early on.
“But, if history serves me correctly, the African-American community didn’t come here of their own free will,” he said. “I don’t care what part of the United States history, the African-American is deeply entwined to it.”
He said it’s important that blacks and their counterparts know their shared history.
“As far as Indians — sure, they were native Americans, and I think that says all you need to say about that, really,” Langley said. “They were here first.”
Langley was asked whether he would feel comfortable serving next to Harrell on the board.
“Truthfully, yes,” he said, “because, basically, it’s easier to work with someone when you know who they are than someone who smiles in your face and the minute they’re away from you they’re something different. Regardless of how we feel about each other, we have to co-exist in everything we do.”