Showing posts with label racism. Show all posts
Showing posts with label racism. Show all posts

Thursday, June 29, 2023

READ: Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson dissent in Supreme Court’s affirmative action ruling

Read Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson dissent over the Supreme Court’s majority opinion on affirmative action in college admissions, in which she asserts that it will not bring a quicker end to racism.

Jackson Dissent by George L. Cook III on Scribd

Wednesday, October 20, 2021

NYC Board of Health Passes Resolution Declaring Racism a Public Health Crisis

The resolution recognizes the impact of racism on health during the COVID-19 pandemic and beyond

The resolution requests several actions from the Health Department including making recommendations to the NYC Racial Justice Commission, establishing a Data for Equity working group, performing an anti-racism review of the NYC Health Code, and issuing a semi-annual report on progress associated with this resolution

October 18, 2021 — The New York City Board of Health today passed a landmark resolution on racism as a public health crisis (PDF), requesting that the Health Department expand its anti-racism work. The resolution institutionalizes the vision behind the Health Department’s June 2020 declaration and requires that the Department develop and implement priorities for a racially just recovery from COVID-19, as well as other actions to address this public health crisis in the short and long term.

“To build a healthier New York City, we must confront racism as a public health crisis,” said Health Commissioner Dr. Dave A. Chokshi. “The COVID-19 pandemic magnified inequities, leading to suffering disproportionately borne by communities of color in our City and across our nation. But these inequities are not inevitable. Today is an historic day for the country’s oldest Board of Health to officially recognize this crisis and demand action.”

“We’ve seen for years the negative impact racism has in our public health data and today, we’re recommitting ourselves to building a more equitable City,” said First Deputy Commissioner and Chief Equity Officer Dr. Torian Easterling. “I thank the Board of Health for sharing our commitment to dismantling systemic racism.

The resolution recognizes the impact of racism on the health of New Yorkers and requests the Health Department perform a series of actions, including:

  1. That the NYC Health Department research, clarify, and acknowledge examples of its historic role in divesting and underinvesting in critical community-led health programs, and participate in a truth and reconciliation process with communities harmed by these actions when possible;

  2. That the NYC Health Department establish a Data for Equity internal working group to ensure the agency apply an intersectional, anti-racism equity lens to public health data and provide annual guidance to other NYC Mayoral agencies on best practices to collect and make available to the Health Department relevant data to track and improve health equity;

  3. That the NYC Health Department make recommendations on anti-racism, health-related NYC Charter revisions to the newly established Mayoral Racial Justice Commission to strengthen the NYC’s effort to combat racism;

  4. That the NYC Health Department continue collaborations with sister agencies to report on fatalities, injuries, health conditions, by race, gender, and other demographics, to improve data quality and care;

  5. That the NYC Health Department in consultation with relevant community organizations perform an anti-racism review of the NYC Health Code to identify any existing provisions that support systemic and structural racism and bias and recommend new provisions to dismantle systemic and structural racism and bias;

  6. That the NYC Health Department partner with city agencies and relevant organizations, consistent with Local Law 174 (dated October 13, 2019) and Executive Order 45 (dated May 8, 2019), to advise on assessments of structural racism within policies, plans and budgets related to all determinants of health (transportation, education, housing, economic opportunities, civic participation and healthcare delivery contexts) and make recommendations to mitigate harm within a public health context; and

  7. That the NYC Health Department report twice each year to the BOH to promote the work associated with this resolution and to ensure Health Department accountability on progress.

"I applaud today's bold and necessary action by the NYC Board of Health declaring racism a public health crisis and directing the Health Department to take concrete steps to promote an anti-racist public health agenda,” said New York State Senator Brand Hoylman. “The combined effect of institutional racism and the COVID-19 pandemic on Black and Brown New Yorkers represent an urgent call to action which we can no longer ignore as a government or society.”

“COVID-19 has ravaged our communities in every imaginable way, and our borough continues to suffer from racial inequities in the healthcare system,” said Bronx Borough President Ruben Diaz Jr. “For years, my office has worked towards health equity including our #Not62 campaign for a healthier Bronx, our Black Maternal Mortality Task Force and our efforts to combat the ongoing pandemic. As we continue to fight this infectious disease that has forever changed how we go about our daily lives, we must fight for transformative change to a system that has historically and disproportionately failed communities of color. This resolution by the New York City Board of Health declaring racism a public health crisis is historic and will be a tremendous step forward in our fight for health equity."

“From mental health to maternal care, Black and Brown New Yorkers have experienced the systemic inequities that exist in patient care within our hospitals and clinics for generations. Before and most notably during the COVID-19 pandemic, we witnessed the life-threatening and sometimes fatal consequences of prejudice and bias within our society. DOHMH’s declaration that racism is a public health crisis is a vital step forward in removing the longstanding barriers to quality healthcare for all while rebuilding public trust. We need to dedicate more resources to uprooting racism from all public spaces, particularly within health institutions where people of all backgrounds deserve to be seen, heard, treated fairly and with dignity. By cultivating community partnerships and engaging in public dialogue, DOHMH can champion equity to improve the patient experience and quality of life for New Yorkers,” said Council Member Farah N. Louis, Chair of the Committee on Mental Health, Disabilities, and Addictions.

“The COVID-19 pandemic amplified long-standing health and socioeconomic disparities caused by racism. With this resolution, the Board of Health is tackling racism with the urgency it deserves," said Sideya Sherman, Executive Director of the Taskforce on Racial Inclusion and Equity and EVP for Community Engagement and Partnerships, NYCHA. "We applaud the Health Department for expanding its anti-racist work to address structural inequalities in collaboration with communities and sister agencies to build a healthier city for all New Yorkers."

“I commend the New York City Board of Health for joining some 200 jurisdictions and institutions across the country to declare racism a public health crisis,” said Dr. Mary T. Bassett, FXB Center for Health and Human Rights director and incoming New York State Health Commissioner. “Crucially, this call places centrality on complete and timely data and community collaboration. To assess the extent of the harm of racism to health and longevity is key to long overdue redress. I urge others to follow the Board’s example.”

"For too long structural racism has predetermined the health outcomes of too many of our communities,” said Dr. Oxiris Barbot, Senior Fellow for Public Health and Social Justice at the JPB Foundation. “Operationalizing a health equity agenda for communities to have the greatest opportunity to realize their fullest health potential requires institutions to undo historical practices that have caused harm. This Board of Health action paves the way for concrete actions our city needs to undo the pernicious legacy of racism as a public health crisis."

“As the nation's premiere health department and largest local jurisdiction promoting and protecting the health of people, this is incredible news and movement,” said Chief Health Equity Officer and Senior Vice President of the American Medical Association and Former and Founding Deputy Commissioner of the Center for Health Equity within the Health Department, Dr. Aletha Maybank. “Thanks to the Board of Health for solidifying and structuring this commitment to racial justice for sustainability in NYC. Special thanks to the many leaders and voices across our city that have elevated the existence and harms of racism for generations and advocated for change. And final thanks to the many justice warriors that I had the privilege to work alongside in the Health Department and the Mayor's Office who began to lay the foundation for this governmental declaration and commitment over six years ago. This continued urgency and leadership to confront racism as well as dismantle, imagine, and redesign systems that do not exclude, or harm are paramount to moving closer to the vision and realization of a city that affirms the human rights of people and their collective desires for dignity, justice, liberation, and joy.”

“NBEC is in solidarity with the NYC Department of Health and Mental Hygiene,” said Director of Technical Assistance at the National Birth Equity Collaborative, Lilliann Paine, MPH. “By declaring racism a public health crisis, this puts the discussion of race and racism in the foreground of national debate. This resolution is the first step of accountability for the past harms and future solutions the NYC DOHMH will amend and conditions the department will create to ensure optimal health for the citizens of NYC.”

“I’m inspired to learn that New York City is taking this historic step in addressing racism’s role in policies and practices,” said Dr. Jeanette Kowalik, former City of Milwaukee Commissioner of Health and current Director of Policy Development at the Trust for America’s Health. “Declaring racism is a public health crisis now is necessary especially for one of the greatest cities in the United States. As diverse as NYC is, we know that it was and still is impacted by harmful policies and practices that oppressed Black, Brown, and Indigenous people for decades. Acknowledging that there’s a problem is the first step to bold and collective action which should be centered in community and well- funded over many years. Thank you!”

“I applaud the New York City Board of Health for today’s action to identify racism as a public health crisis,” said APHA Executive Director Georges C. Benjamin, MD. “The step they are taking today to make a public declaration will start an important conversation that will lead to concrete steps that address health inequities.”

“Congratulations to the NYC Board of Health on this Resolution that confronts racism denial and moves to action!” said Past President of the American Public Health Association, Camara Jones, MD, MPH, PhD. “Yes, racism exists. Yes, racism is a system. Yes, racism saps the strength of the whole society through the waste of human resources. And YES, we CAN ACT to dismantle racism! Going forward, make your institutional walls more porous by partnering with and investing in communities. Build bridges with other sectors because health is not created within the health sector. And always be guided by these three principles for achieving health equity: value all individuals and populations equally; recognize and rectify historical injustices; and provide resources according to need. Thank you for being a model for the nation!

“Today’s historic move by the NYC Board of Health to declare racism a public health crisis is vitally important – and long overdue” said Executive Director for the Drug Policy Alliance Kassandra Frederique. “Over decades of Drug Policy Alliance’s work in New York we have seen firsthand how racism has driven extreme harm: skyrocketing overdose deaths of Black and Latinx New Yorkers; racist drug enforcement destroying communities and providing a pretext for police violence; and draconian drug war criminalization leading to discrimination in housing, employment, child welfare, and many more systems that impact the daily lives of New Yorkers. The public health effects of racism have been catastrophic, and the extreme disparities have been clear for decades. Confronting racism head on and intentionally crafting policy to address the myriad harms for individual New Yorkers and communities of color is not the ultimate outcome we seek – it is the starting point. This declaration is momentous and must be concretely borne out every single day from here forward across all city policy.”

The resolution goes into effect immediately.

The Health Department grounds this resolution in the long-standing efforts led by the Race to Justice and Take Care New York. Both teams aim to promote justice and build capacity within the agency and with community partners to improve health outcomes for all New Yorkers.

There have been more than 200 declarations of racism as a public health crisis across the United States including from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. New York City’s resolution is one of the first to tie specific actions to its declaration.


Friday, June 05, 2020

Black NFL stars team up for powerful message to the league

More than a dozen players, including Super Bowl MVP Patrick Mahomes, Michael Thomas, Saquon Barkley,Deshaun Watson, Odell Beckham and Marshon Lattimore took part in a video telling the NFL to listen to its players when it comes to racism, social justice , and how they want to protest.

Saturday, March 02, 2019

Cory Booker focusing on Trump's racist policies

New Jersey Sen. Cory Booker responded Friday to critics who believe he should unequivocally call President Trump “a racist.” Booker, campaigning for president at Reedy Fork Baptist Church, said he has been “very focused” on fighting Trump’s “racist and harmful policies” and is less concerned with “how you label” the president. He also accused Trump of emboldening white supremacists in the country.

Yahoo News asked Booker how he felt about the distinction at his event on Friday. He offered a lengthy critique of Trump’s positions on racial issues.

“Donald Trump has been using race … as a way to divide Americans. He’s been attacking people. He’s been using racist policies and language. He’s been empowering hate,” Booker said.

Booker went on to note FBI data showing that the number of hate crimes in the country spiked in 2017, Trump’s first year in office.

“We’ve seen unfortunate reports of biased incidences going up. I believe we need to protect ourselves and our communities and our neighborhoods from the kind of racist policies and actions that we see coming from this president,” Booker said. “It’s deeply unfortunate that this is a man who … can’t condemn Nazis … a guy who, literally, you see white supremacists using his language in their own materials.”

Booker added that Trump’s behavior has been “unacceptable” and is “something we should stand up against.”

“This is something that I’m very focused on from the time that I’ve been in office. I want to stand strong against the kind of policies that are hurting people,” said Booker.

After his extended criticism of the president, Yahoo News pressed Booker on whether he thought Trump was a “racist.”

“I’m less concerned about how you label him than I am about protecting people that he’s hurting and protecting against his racist and harmful policies,” Booker said.

[SOURCE: YAHOO NEWS]

Sunday, February 17, 2019

Why I wanted to believe Jussie Smollet's story

BY George L. Cook III AfricanAmericanReports.Com.

Jussie Smollet claims to have been beaten, doused with bleach, and having a noose placed around his neck by two individuals shouting, "This is MAGA Country!" because he was both black and gay.

Initially I believed him. As a black man who grew up in the United States, I know that black man have been and are physically assaulted because of racism. As one who has LBGT family members and friends, I know too that others can be beaten or even killed because of their sexual orientation.

In plain English, I had no reason to doubt Smollet's story.

As more and more details emerged about the attack including details that the attack may have been staged that belief changed to a want to believe Smollet.

You see, it would have been horrible if Smollet had indeed been beaten, but it would be far worse if he were lying about the entire incident. If he were lying, it would make it that much harder for the next black or gay person assaulted to be taken seriously. That would endanger just not one person but millions.

Those who are genuinely racist will use Smollet's lies as a smokescreen to cover their violent deeds knowing a seed of doubt has now been planted in America's collective mind. Law enforcement may become more hesitant in believing the victims and start investigations that look more at the victims hat the alleged accusers.

Some conservatives are already using Smollet's alleged lies to attack the left and those who believed him. They will once again claim that racist attacks in the United States are isolated incidents and make it okay to question the victim's validity.

I still want to believe Jussie but in light of everything that's coming out, I no longer can. His story doesn't add up.

I don't know what Jussie Smollet was thinking or what he set out to do by lying about being attacked, but I do know that whatever his intentions he has only made things worse.

George L. Cook III AfricanAmericanReports.Com.

Saturday, February 02, 2019

Cory Booker, Kamala Harris called for Virginia Governor Northam to resign

Democratic presidential candidates, Cory Booker and Kamala Harris are calling for Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam (D) to resign over his appearance in a picture showing a man wearing blackface and another dressed in a Ku Klux Klan robe.

Read their statements posted on Twitter below:

Saturday, January 12, 2019

Tim Scott: Why are Republicans accused of racism? Because we’re silent on things like this.

Republican U.S. Senator Tim Scott from South Carolina wrote an opinion piece which was published in the Washington Post in which he called out the Republican party for its silence on issues of racism. The most recent incident being Rep. Steve King's (R-Iowa) reprehensible comment son white nationalism. Read that op-ed below:

Why are Republicans accused of racism? Because we’re silent on things like this.

By Tim Scott January 11 at 1:38 PM


Tim Scott, a Republican, represents South Carolina in the U.S. Senate.

Over the past two years, Republicans have focused on spreading opportunity, and it has paid dividends: From the creation of opportunity zones in some of our nation’s most distressed communities to amazing job-creation statistics and low unemployment rates, there’s no doubt that the future is brightening for many Americans.

However, we are often still struggling when it comes to civility and fairness. This was driven home once again Thursday as Rep. Steve King (R-Iowa) wondered aloud: “White nationalist, white supremacist, Western civilization — how did that language become offensive?”

I will admit I am unsure who is offended by the term “Western civilization” on its own, but anyone who needs “white nationalist” or “white supremacist” defined, described and defended does lack some pretty common knowledge.

Three months ago, a white supremacist killed two black people in a parking lot in Kentucky. We are only 18 months from Charlottesville, where white nationalists killed a white woman with a car and severely beat multiple black people. Almost four years ago, a white supremacist murdered nine African Americans in a church in Charleston, S.C. In 1998, white supremacists dragged James Byrd Jr., behind a pickup truck through Jasper, Tex., decapitating him in the process.

These are just a sliver of the havoc that white nationalists and white supremacists have strewn across our nation for hundreds of years. Four little girls killed in a bombing in Birmingham, Ala., thousands lynched and countless hearts and minds turned cruel and hateful.

When people with opinions similar to King’s open their mouths, they damage not only the Republican Party and the conservative brand but also our nation as a whole. They want to be treated with fairness for some perceived slights but refuse to return the favor to those on the other side.

Some in our party wonder why Republicans are constantly accused of racism — it is because of our silence when things like this are said. Immigration is the perfect example, in which somehow our affection for the rule of law has become conflated with a perceived racism against brown and black people.

I do support border security not because I want to keep certain ethnicities out of our nation, but because I support enforcing our laws. I do not care if you come from Canada, France or Honduras, if you break our laws, there should be consequences. But it has become almost impossible to have a reasonable conversation along those lines. That’s in part why I laid out my agenda on civility, fairness and opportunity on Thursday on the floor of the Senate.

King’s comments are not conservative views but separate views that should be ridiculed at every turn possible. Conservative principles mean equal opportunity for all to succeed, regardless of what you look like or where you are from. It is maddening to see so many folks who believe this and have only good intentions in their hearts tarnished by these radical perspectives.

That is why silence is no longer acceptable. It is tempting to write King — or other extremists on race issues, such as black-nationalist Louis Farrakhan — as lonely voices in the wilderness, but they are far more dangerous than that. They continue to rip at the fabric of our nation, a country built on hope, strength and diversity. It is the opposite of civility and fairness and will lead only to more pain and suffering.

We have made significant progress in our nation, and while there is still work to do, we cannot let these intolerant and hateful views hold us back. This is a uniquely fractured time in our nation’s history, not our worst but far from our best, and it is only together that we will rebuild the trust we seem to have lost in each other.

We must work to lead our nation forward. In the future, I hope Steve King takes the opportunity to join us.

Sunday, August 12, 2018

NAACP president on Trump: 'I have no other conclusion but to say he is a racist'

Derrick Johnson, the president of the NAACP, said President Donald Trump "is a racist" and bashed his administration for its racially charged rhetoric and policies in an interview with Politico published Friday. Listen to that interview below:

Saturday, August 11, 2018

Charlottesville mayor: Trump "bringing to light" hate in America

A year after violence sparked by white supremacists in Charlottesville claimed the life of a young civil rights activist and touched off a national conversation about race relations, the city's new mayor, Nikuyah Walker, says she is still so personally angered by President Trump that she has not been able to bring herself to even refer to him by name. The mayor holds him responsible for encouraging the rise of hate in America.

Wednesday, May 30, 2018

Can we all agree that comparing a black person to an ape is racist?

By George L. Cook III African American Reports

I can't believe that in 2018 people are actually questioning whether comparing a black person to an ape is racist. Are people that ignorant? Listen to more below.

Sunday, January 14, 2018

John Lewis won't attend Trump's first State of the Union

Rep. John Lewis said he will not attend President Trump's first State of the Union after he referred to poorer nations, made up of primarily black and brown people, as "shithole countries."

The congressman, a noted 1960s civil rights leader cited Trump's derogatory comments about immigration from Haiti and African counties as his reason for not attending the address later this month.

"I think he is a racist," Lewis said.

Lewis pointed to the example of Martin Luther King Jr., whose birthday is celebrated Monday.

"He would be speaking the idea that we are one people, one family … we must learn to live together as brothers and sisters, if not, we will perish as fools," Lewis said.

[SOURCE: Washington Examiner]

Sunday, November 05, 2017

Must Read: We Were Eight Years in Power: An American Tragedy by Ta-Nehisi Coates

“We were eight years in power” was the lament of Reconstruction-era black politicians as the American experiment in multiracial democracy ended with the return of white supremacist rule in the South. In this sweeping collection of new and selected essays, Ta-Nehisi Coates explores the tragic echoes of that history in our own time: the unprecedented election of a black president followed by a vicious backlash that fueled the election of the man Coates argues is America’s “first white president.”

But the story of these present-day eight years is not just about presidential politics. This book also examines the new voices, ideas, and movements for justice that emerged over this period—and the effects of the persistent, haunting shadow of our nation’s old and unreconciled history. Coates powerfully examines the events of the Obama era from his intimate and revealing perspective—the point of view of a young writer who begins the journey in an unemployment office in Harlem and ends it in the Oval Office, interviewing a president.

We Were Eight Years in Power features Coates’s iconic essays first published in The Atlantic, including “Fear of a Black President,” “The Case for Reparations,” and “The Black Family in the Age of Mass Incarceration,” along with eight fresh essays that revisit each year of the Obama administration through Coates’s own experiences, observations, and intellectual development, capped by a bracingly original assessment of the election that fully illuminated the tragedy of the Obama era. We Were Eight Years in Power is a vital account of modern America, from one of the definitive voices of this historic moment.

Check Out The Book

Hardcover---------- Paperback---------- Kindle

Friday, November 03, 2017

6 Florida firefighters fired for noose hung on black colleague's photo

Six firefighters who worked at Station 12 in Miami have been fired and five more face demotions or discipline after racist and sexually harassing behavior targeted a black colleague.

The city said the firefighters left a hangman’s noose on a photo of fellow first responder, who is a 17-year veteran. Watch more on this story below:

Sunday, August 13, 2017

Congressional Black Caucus Statement On White Supremacist Violence in Charlottesville

Today, the Congressional Black Caucus released the following statement on the white supremacists violence that occurred today in Charlottesville, Va.:

“Since the campaign, President Trump has encouraged and emboldened the type of racism and violence we saw today in Charlottesville, Va. This is a president after all who has two white supremacists working for him in the White House – Steve Bannon and Stephen Miller. For these reasons, we weren't surprised President Trump couldn't bring himself to say the words "white supremacy,” "white supremacists," and “domestic terrorism” when he addressed the nation this afternoon, and that he instead chose to use racially coded dog whistles like ‘law and order’ and false equivalencies like ‘many sides.’

“Where is Attorney General Sessions? Instead of suppressing votes and dismantling affirmative action, he should be working with the Department of Homeland Security to investigate today's crimes. Where is the chairman of the House Committee on Homeland Security? The CBC urged Chairman McCaul months ago to investigate this sort of domestic terrorism; now, we urge him to do this once again and to hold a hearing immediately. As 49 members who represent and are part of a community who has for centuries been victimized by white supremacists, we strongly condemn what happened today in Charlottesville. We also condemn the Administration's poor response to it.”

[SOURCE]

Charlotteville VA: The bad and good of America

Saturday, July 29, 2017

Black bussinessman is trying to trademark the N-Word

For 20 years, Curtis Bordenave said he has spotted oncoming trends and gotten out ahead of them. Most recently, that's involved efforts to profit from a racial slur.

His business, Better Moves Consulting, markets and sells clothing and other merchandise aimed at promoting unity, equality and understanding, he said.

In a roundabout way, he claims that mission is exactly why he is trying to trademark the N-word.

Bordenave of Columbus, who is African American, filed a trademark application in June with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office for "Nigga," shortly following a U.S. Supreme Court decision that now allows trademarking disparaging language. The office accepted his application and assigned it to an examiner for review, a process Bordenave said could take up to a year.

In the meantime Business Moves Consulting is gearing up to produce products for the brand. Bordenave said it had already designed T-shirts and plans to produce soap, shaving cream, moisturizer and fingernail polish. He said a website where customers can purchase the products should be live next week, and the Nigga_brand Instagram page -- which had 16 followers as of Friday morning -- features mockups for the products.

"Our vision for the brand is not to disparage people, but to change the narrative and the meaning of the word," Bordenave said. "Products were sold with that name on it many years ago, and to say we can't change the meaning of that word is not really accurate.

"We give the word more power if we shelter it away, so that if anybody wants to just pull it out, it has a stink," he added. "We believe that we can change it."

He said the logo will be discrete on products, which will more prominently feature messages about inclusiveness and unity.

Should the brand grow to be successful, Bordenave said he wants to use funds to help African American students go to college and enable them to give back to their communities.

Read more: Local man trying to trademark N-word


Sunday, June 04, 2017

Jason Whitlock is wrong about Lebron James acting like a victim

Jason Whitlock recently said that Lebron James was playing the victim by discussing his house being vandalized. What Whitlock doesn't understand or remember is that whether you wear a sweatsuit or a business suit you are still a black person in America. Hear more of my thoughts/opinion on this in the video below. George L. Cook III AfricanAmericanReports.Com.

Saturday, June 03, 2017

NAACP DENOUNCES RECENT WAVE OF VANDALISM AGAINST AFRICAN-AMERICANS

The NAACP issued the following statement after a noose was found Wednesday, May 31, at the National Museum of African American History and Culture in Washington, D.C. and after NBA star LeBron James’ house in Los Angeles, California was defaced with the N-word.

“We are deeply troubled and disturbed by the heinous acts of racism that occurred on Wednesday,” said Leon Russell, Board Chairman of the NAACP. “Leaving a noose – a symbol and weapon of hate – in front of the new National Museum of African American History and Culture and vandalizing the home of NBA superstar LeBron James, underscore the recent increase in hate crimes committed against African-Americans under the Trump Administration. The NAACP will not sit by idly while our people continue to be assailed by racist and cowardly actions. Furthermore, we call on the Trump Administration to stand up and speak out against these attacks.”

“Atrocious acts like those committed on Wednesday demonstrate the divisive animus that is pervasive throughout our country. The NAACP stands with the Smithsonian and with Mr. James and is wholly committed, now more than ever, to protecting equal rights of all persons and to eliminating race-based discrimination in the United States. We will not be deterred,” said Derrick Johnson, Vice Chairman of the NAACP.

Wednesday, May 31, 2017

Noose found at National Museum of African American History & Culture

A section of the National Museum of African American History and Culture was temporarily shut down on Wednesday after a noose was found on the floor of the exhibition, the Smithsonian said.

U.S. Park Police arrived on the scene after the noose was discovered and removed it, according to Smithsonian Magazine. The exhibition was reopened within three hours.

"The noose has long represented a deplorable act of cowardice and depravity — a symbol of extreme violence for African Americans," museum director Lonnie Bunch wrote in an email to staff. "Today's incident is a painful reminder of the challenges that African Americans continue to face."

The incident marked the second time within the past week that a noose had been discovered on Smithsonian property. Another one was found on Friday hanging on a tree outside the Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden just across the National Mall from the African American History Museum.

The latest noose was found on the floor of the section of the museum dedicated to segregation.

“The Smithsonian family stands together in condemning this act of hatred and intolerance, especially repugnant in a museum that affirms and celebrates the American values of inclusion and diversity,” Smithsonian Institution Secretary David Skorton said in email to Smithsonian employees.

“We will not be intimated. Cowardly acts like these will not, for one moment, prevent us from the vital work we do.”

[SOURCE: THE HILL]

Wednesday, May 17, 2017

What it's like to be the target of racism on campus

Taylor Dumpson was elated. On May 1, she became student government president at American University -- the first African-American woman ever to hold the job.

But less then 24 hours after she officially took office, her joy turned to pain. Dumpson got a message from a friend as she was on her way to campus. Bananas had been found hanging from nooses at three different spots on campus, her friend said.

One had the words "Harambe bait" scrawled on it, after the gorilla that was shot and killed at the Cincinnati Zoo for dragging a child who fell into his enclosure.

Another was marked with the initials of the historically black sorority Alpha Kappa Alpha, of which Dumpson is a member.

The discovery shook her to her core. The nooses were a clear reference to lynching, Dumpson said, the bananas a play on the racist trope that African-Americans are monkeys.

"I think the message that they were trying to send is, I shouldn't be in the position I am," she said.

At first, Dumpson said, being targeted left her feeling numb. "It's just overwhelming," she said. "I didn't see this coming. But now I am here. And I haven't had time to just stop ... I still have to lead."

What happened at American University isn't an isolated incident. So far over the course of the 2016-2017 school year, there have been at least 153 racist incidents on 108 campuses across 34 states, according to the Anti-Defamation League.

Read more: What it's like to be the target of racism on campus

Wednesday, March 22, 2017

Maryland murderer traveled from Maryland to New York to kill black men

Police said the man who surrendered Tuesday in connection with the fatal stabbing of a man in Midtown Manhattan traveled to New York City with the intent to attack and kill black men. Watch more below: