CNSNews.com) - Conservative African Americans Tuesday slammed liberal black activist Dick Gregory for referring to a Cybercast News Service reporter as a "white boy" during a nationally televised cable news program Monday night. Gregory later apologized for the remark.

The exchange took place during the "Hannity & Colmes" program on the Fox News Channel. Gregory and Cybercast News Service Senior Staff Writer Marc Morano discussed comments Gregory made during an Aug. 6 march in Atlanta commemorating the 40th anniversary of the signing of the Voting Rights Act.

Reading from Morano's article, co-host Sean Hannity asked Gregory to confirm whether he had made a number of controversial remarks during the event.

The activist readily acknowledged that he had referred to Republicans as "white racist thugs" and called the United States "the most dishonest, ungodly, unspiritual nation that ever existed in the history of the planet."

But, when Gregory hesitated in his responses, Hannity turned to Morano for confirmation.

"You don't have to confirm what I said," Gregory charged. "I've already said it. So I don't need no white boy to come on and say yes, he said it."

Surprised by Gregory's reply, Hannity repeated, "No white boy? No white boy?" and asked Gregory if he wanted to apologize to Morano for calling him a racially charged term.

"Yes, I apologize for it," Gregory replied.

"Well, I was already called a black tyrant by [Harry] Belafonte yesterday, so I welcome whatever Mr. Gregory wants to call me," Morano said in response.

While the rest of the interview went amicably, leaders of two black conservative organizations Tuesday were sharply critical of Gregory's remarks -- both during the interview and at the earlier event in Atlanta.

Rev. Jesse Lee Peterson, founder and president of the Brotherhood Organization for a New Destiny (BOND), said the reaction to Gregory's "white boy" comment showed that America has a double standard in this area of race relations.

"Just imagine what would have happened if Morano had called Gregory a 'black boy,'" Peterson said. "They'd be protesting Cybercast News Service and Fox News Channel, calling for the heads of the presidents of these organizations.

"But because Dick Gregory said it to a white man, it's okay," Peterson said.

He added that "we have a double standard in this country today, where black liberals can do and say whatever they want" because whites "have allowed themselves to be intimidated" by the fear of being called racists.

Mychal Massie, a radio talk show host and member of the black conservative group Project 21, agreed with Peterson, telling Cybercast News Service that Gregory's remarks provided "an unambiguous display of overt black racism."

Massie's disdain extended to the Atlanta event, which he called "a pep rally for hatred." He was also critical of many of the participants, including U.S. Rep. John Conyers (D-Mich.), Rev. Jesse Jackson, U.S. Rep. Maxine Waters (D-Calif.), actor Greg Mathis and singer/actor Harry Belafonte.

"Combined, these people have a greater aggregate income than some third-world countries," Massie said. "How has America hurt them? How have they been injured by what's taking place in America? And where are their ideas and solutions?"

Peterson also criticized what he called the "so-called rally" in Atlanta to extend the Voting Rights Act.

"Whether this act is confirmed in 2007 is not going to make a difference whether blacks go out to vote," he said. "Blacks aren't voting -- not because of the lack of opportunity -- they're not voting because there's too much apathy."

Peterson charged that the real purpose of the event was for groups like the NAACP and the AFL-CIO to begin a campaign for the 2008 presidential election. He also claimed its organizers "have used racism to fatten their pockets and maintain power. And now, they're going broke. They're desperate to get back in power."

Gregory is also a hypocrite, according to Peterson, for castigating the United States while enjoying a successful career here. "Dick Gregory has done better in this country than he would have done anywhere else in the world," Peterson said. "I'd like to know where he could go and be able to do what he has done here."

Massie added that he believes the event was entirely unnecessary because "there's not one thing a black person cannot do in America if he or she wants to do it and is prepared educationally or skill-wise.

"To hear Jackson and Belafonte and these people talk, the only thing black people can do is shine shoes at a bus stop," Massie said. "If that's what they're doing, it's because that's what they're qualified to do, or they're not looking high enough.

"The civil rights battle is over," Massie added, "and we won."

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