Shirley Sherrod was forced to resign from her position as the Georgia director of Rural Development with the US Department of Agriculture because of a deliberate effort by right-wing media to paint her as a racist. She was forced out of this position almost immediately, before it became clear that conservative blogger Andrew Breitbart had spliced and doctored her original remarks (given at an NAACP dinner) until they were hardly recognizable.

In context, Ms. Sherrod shared a powerful story of moving past racism in order to help people of all races and backgrounds. She deserves an apology from the Department of Agriculture, and she should be asked to return to her position immediately.