DATE: Saturday, April 12, 1997              TAG: 9704120306

SECTION: FRONT                   PAGE: A1   EDITION: FINAL 

SOURCE: BY WARREN FISKE, STAFF WRITER

DATELINE: RICHMOND                          LENGTH:   43 lines

ALLEN RESPONDS TO NAACP'S RACISM CLAIMS

Responding to an angry denouncement from the NAACP, Gov. George F. Allen said Friday that he didn't mean to offend anyone for proclaiming April as Confederate History and Heritage Month.

``I surely didn't want to upset anyone or create divisiveness, and I would apologize to anyone who somehow gets that feeling,'' Allen said during a news conference.

State NAACP director Linda Byrd-Harden on Thursday denounced the proclamation as ``deceptive, fascist and racist'' and called on Allen to resign.

Allen suggested that part of Byrd-Harden's motivation was to cause Republicans political embarrassment during a statewide election year. He noted that he had signed an identical proclamation in preceding years and had encountered no criticism.

``I don't know how much of the upset was political, but to those that might be sincerely upset by this, that was clearly not my intent,'' Allen said.

Byrd-Harden could not be reached Friday for comment.

Allen said he gets more than 500 requests a year to issue proclamations and signed many during his term honoring black heritage and achievements.

``What we need to do is celebrate the diversity of our heritage,'' he said. ``There is not a state in the union with a richer history.''

The governor said he realized many blacks associate the Confederacy with slavery and are offended by celebrations of the Confederacy. But Allen said he does not believe that was the motivation of the Sons of the Confederacy, the group that submitted the proclamation to his office.

Allen said he would ``condemn'' anyone ``who would use the Confederacy, or the Confederate flag, the Confederate Monument or the cause to portray bigotry, hatred and divisiveness.''

``That was clearly not the purpose of those requesting this proclamation,'' he said.

Allen, however, stopped short of saying he made a mistake in signing the proclamation. ``It was a legitimate request,'' he said. ILLUSTRATION: [Color Photo]

Gov. George Allen

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