Shirley Sherrod Reflects, Vows Not to 'Yield' in NAACP Letter

A month after losing her federal job over a selectively edited video that showed her making racial remarks that were misinterpreted, Shirley Sherrod says she'll continue to work with the NAACP even though the group initially condemned her.

In a letter posted Tuesday on the website of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, Sherrod said the organization's president, Benjamin Jealous, has personally apologized for supporting her dismissal from the Agriculture Department.

Sherrod writes that Jealous was "hoodwinked" by the footage in which she appeared to say she refused to provide full assistance to a white farmer because of his race. What the video didn't show was Sherrod going on to say that those race-based feelings were wrong.

The NAACP initially called for her ouster after conservative activist Andrew Breitbart posted the misleading video on the Web. The group made a public apology the following day and Sherrod says Jealous recently traveled to her home to apologize again in person. She writes:

"That's behind us, and the last thing I want to see happen is for my situation to weaken support for the NAACP. Too many people confronted by racism and poverty count on the NAACP to be there for them, especially those in rural areas who often have nowhere else to turn.

"People ask me, 'Shirley, how are you getting through all of this?' I tell them that, if they knew what I have lived through, they'd understand that these current challenges aren't about to throw me off course."

The farmer referred to in the video later praised Sherrod for the help she ultimately provided him, but not before she was fired by Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack. She was vindicated and offered her job back, but hasn't said whether she'll accept it.

Read Sherrod's letter here.