A top Democrat in Oklahoma alleges the party’s recent appointment of a white woman as interim director is “yet another example of white supremacy.”

Former state senator Connie Johnson blasted Democratic Party Chairman Mark Hammons in an email to the party’s state leaders that was highlighted by the McCarville Report, a state politics blog.

Hammons reportedly made a “unilateral” decision to install Sarah Baker, the party’s communications director since last February, to take over as interim director last Friday, while some party leaders were preparing for the Democratic National Convention in Philadelphia.

The move apparently infuriated Johnson, who fired off an angry email accusing the party’s top brass of white supremacy, KOCO reports.

“I respectfully disagree with the proposal to hire Sarah Baker as interim ED, and respectfully request that this discussion and decision be put on hold until after the national convention, when the Central Committee can meet, discuss and vote,” Johnson wrote.

“The executive committee should/can also meet before then to achieve a modicum of conformance with the CC’s desires and previous directives to the chair to include other officers in decision making. We were only informed last night via email about 6p.”

Johnson went on to list several “unilateral” hiring decisions made by Hammons since he took over the executive committee, and wrote that “this unilateral, poor founded decision to hare an interim ED – while we are away at convention – is more of the same!”

Later in the rant, Johnson poses the question:

Or … is this yet another example of white supremacy at work?

I know that statement will offend and turn off many, so sincere apologies up front (don’t mean to offend but definitely to agitate enough that you at least consider a different perspective) But before you tar and feather me, try to get and watch the video ‘Hidden Color, Pt. 4’ to better understand the white supremacy concept and phenomenon.

Johnson, the party’s vice chairman, told Enid News she’s angry because she doesn’t think Hammons considered qualified minority candidates. She said the post had been vacant since Russell Griffin left the position to run a campaign in April, and the party did not interview any people or advertise the job, as far as she knows.

“It’s disrespectful to Oklahoma Democratic voters,” she said. “Let’s open it up and interview other people.”

Hammons said the party is committed to diversity, but Baker was the best candidate and only person from Oklahoma out of about a dozen that applied for the position. He contends that Oklahoma Democrats can’t afford to wait with only about 100 days to go before the general election, as the director in in charge of helping local candidates with fundraising and campaigning, according to the new site.

“This is not the time to bring someone in and have them go through a learning curve that will occupy the rest of the election cycle,” he said. Baker “is well qualified and understands local leadership. She is the person who had the combination of skills to be effective.”

“I feel comfortable I made the right decision, but if the central committee disagrees, they’ll have the opportunity to vote on it,” Hammons said.

Baker, 31, will make $4,000 a month in the new position. She has previously run for the state house, served as state legislative chair and vice president of communications for the Oklahoma Parent Teacher Association and served on the state education department’s Character Development Education Task Force, according to The McCarville Report.