Mike Huckabee
One day after being named to the COUNTRY MUSIC FOUNDATION Board of Directors (NET NEWS 2/28), former ARKANSAS Governor MIKE HUCKABEE has resigned, after facing scrutiny over his appointment.
The TENNESSEAN is reporting today (3/1) that COUNTRY MUSIC ASSOCIATION VP/Communications AMBER WILLIAMS issued a statement saying, “The CMA FOUNDATION has accepted former Gov. MIKE HUCKABEE’s resignation from its board of directors, effective immediately.”
HUCKEBEE faced criticism over his stance on the LGBT community, notably from MONUMENT RECORDS co-President, and SANDBOX ENTERTAINMENT owner JASON OWEN, who, according to the TENNESSEAN, e-mailed CMA CEO SARAH TRAHEN, saying HUCKABEE’s addition to the board was a “grossly offensive decision,” and that neither of his companies could continue to support the CMA FOUNDATION as a result. OWEN and husband SAM are parents to one child and are expecting twins. The TENNESSEAN reports in his email OWEN said HUCKABEE’s position toward the LGBT community, “Made it clear my family is not welcome in his AMERICA.”
In addition to OWEN, artist manager WHITNEY PASTOREK contacted CMA officials, according to the TENNESSEAN, writing, “What a terrible disappointment to see (the CMA FOUNDATION’s) mission clouded by the decision to align with someone who so frequently engages in the language of racism, sexism, and bigotry. While Gov. HUCKABEE’s’s tenure in ARKANSAS may have resulted in valuable education reform over a decade ago, I find his choice to spend the past ten years profiting off messages of exclusion and hatred (not to mention the gun lobby) to be disqualifying.”
A philanthropic arm of the CMA, the CMA FOUNDATION is a nonprofit 501(c)(3), and invests proceeds from the annual CMA FEST toward programs across the national public school system, after school programs, summer camps, and with community outreach organizations.
This Article Was Originally Posted at www.allaccess.com