During a collegiate football game at James Madison University, an incident involving a racial slur directed at Virginia Republican gubernatorial candidate Winsome Earle-Sears received significant attention. The altercation took place over the weekend, drawing widespread scrutiny as video footage emerged showing a man identified as Scott Pogorelc, verbally assaulting Sears with a racial epithet.
The video, capturing Pogorelc shouting "Go back to Haiti" at Sears, was disseminated across various social media platforms shortly after the event. Investigations into Pogorelc's background revealed that he has been an active donor to the Democratic Party, with a history of contributions to figures such as Democratic Senator Tim Kaine, Representative Jennifer Wexton, and President Joe Biden. Notably, Pogorelc has also made donations to ActBlue, the primary online fundraising platform for the Democratic Party, and has contributed to Abigail Spanberger, who is currently competing against Sears in the gubernatorial race.
Pogorelc is associated with Zeta Associates, a Lockheed Martin company, which provides communications signals collection and processing systems to the Intelligence and Defense communities. His connection to significant government contracts and Democratic Party fundraising has added layers to the controversy following the racial slur incident.
Sears, in response to the attack, took to social media to express her sentiments. "I thought Democrats were supposed to love everyone... and just to be clear, I’m Jamaican. But I have nowhere to go back to — because America is my home," she tweeted, highlighting the irony of the situation and asserting her American identity. In a subsequent post, Sears reflected on the broader pattern of abuse she has faced in her political career, emphasizing her resilience and determination to continue her campaign despite the challenges.
The incident at James Madison University is not isolated. Earlier, the Powhatan Democrats were criticized for posting a political cartoon that many perceived as depicting Sears as an "angry black woman," leading to its removal following public backlash. Additionally, another incident reported by Resist the Mainstream involved a protester at a rally carrying a sign with explicitly racist language against Sears. These events have sparked discussions on the treatment of minority political figures and the intersection of race and politics.
In a notable act of bipartisan solidarity, Robert Johnson, the founder of BET and a prominent Democratic donor, donated $500,000 in support of Sears, crossing party lines to condemn the racist attack. This gesture underscores the gravity of the situation and the broader implications it has for political discourse and racial dynamics within the United States.
