BY KYLE STOCK
Of The Post and Courier Staff
Gov. Mark Sanford urged Lowcountry businesses to "look out for the little guy" at the Trident Urban League's annual equal opportunity dinner Thursday.
In a short and sometimes rambling speech, Sanford cited people from the Bible and characters from the movies "Braveheart," "Rudy" and "Remember the Titans" as examples of underdogs overcoming adversity. He lauded Urban League members and supporters in attendance for working against "economic enslavement" of local minorities.
"The Urban League happens to be a great vehicle through which we all can make a difference," he said.
The Trident Urban League administers programs that teach local minorities job skills, financial planning, pregnancy prevention and the importance of education.
Sanford urged Urban League staff to be self-sufficient, restrained and focused in their fight for equal rights for minorities.
"A dream without perseverance is just an idea in a ton of ideas out there," he said.
Sanford acknowledged that the Republican Party is not known for acting in the best interests of the downtrodden, but he said his own administration is an exception.
The governor cited his commitment to diversity and equal opportunity. He said his government takes "affirmative action" every day, noting plans to place Joseph James, a black business recruiter from Maryland, as second-in-command at the state Commerce Department.
"We have tried to continue to press this envelope," Sanford said. "Diversity is very, very important. ... If we are affirmative in our actions, then freedom will grow."
In last fall's gubernatorial election, state Democrats launched an expensive high-tech campaign to win over black voters and get them to the polls on Election Day. Demo-crats said Sanford won because their party failed to keep white votes.
About 400 people attended the silent auction and dinner Thursday, including Charleston Mayor Joseph P. Riley Jr.
Wachovia Bank was named Community Partner of the Year for financial contributions and volunteer work that the Urban League said helped put families in homes, improve black education and better local race relations.
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