Comedian Baratunde Thurston started #negrospotting on Twitter to keep tabs on the conference's modest Black numbers.
Even before the release of controversial poll numbers which showed that Black support for Republican presidential nominee Mitt Romney is virtually non-existent, Black support for the GOP as a whole has long had much to desire in the way of numbers.
At this year’s Republican National Convention, however, comedian Baratunde Thurston is having fun with the party’s paltry Black numbers by keeping a record of all the Black people he sees at the RNC via the Twitter hashtag #negrospotting.
“#negrospotting at #GOP2012 update. of the 89 negroes spotted so far, only 20 are confirmed GOP (non-media, security, vendors). #staytuned,” Thurston tweeted.
In an interview with Democracy Now, Thurston said the count is an attempt to infuse some satire into the phenomenon of the convention's low number of Black attendees and to shed light on what he says is the GOP's subtle way of hiding the truth of the low numbers.
"I always have a good time watching the video coverage Republican-leaning or Republican-heavy events, because they seem to focus on the browner people in the room, but then when you pan out, that's a very isolated section," he said.
Thurston even included BET staffers in the official count:
“#GOP2012 #negrospotting update: the @BET tent and street vendors inflated my numbers. We are at 67.”
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(Photo: Courtesy of Democracy Now!)
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