(AP) Hurricane Katrina thrust racial disparities onto the nation's political agenda and top civil rights leaders, fueled by outrage over the disaster, are heading to Washington. The occasion is the 10th anniversary of Louis Farrakhan's Million Man March, a long-planned event that now is shaping up as a stage for black America to respond to the devastation in New Orleans. [...] "The need to save our people — it's so much bigger than the personality or the baggage that has been heaped on Louis Farrakhan or others," Farrakhan said. "Katrina has focused this agenda."

Still, not everyone is supportive. For months, the Anti-Defamation League has been urging black leaders to boycott, calling Farrakhan and another organizer, Malik Zulu Shabazz, "unrepentant racists and anti-Semites."

Despite anti-gay statements made by Farrakhan, some black gay and lesbian leaders have requested time to speak at the event to no avail. Instead, gay advocates will stage a "We Are Family United Weekend," a parallel gathering near the Mall, said Ray Daniels of the National Black Justice Coalition.

So let me put this all together. Gay rights groups, minority and poor advocates, and elected officials and other “rights” activists will now unite with someone who has been quoted accusing Jews of “thievery, lying and deceit and using the name of God to shield your dirty religion”, saying “Hitler was a very great man”, and agreeing with Elijah Muhammad when he said white people are “blue eyed devils”.

Is this really about trying raise up the poor and the oppressed? Or is this a politically convenient alliance to raise funds in the activist corners of the Washington scene? Either way, I see a direct conflict of interests in what the various groups appear to represent.