eveningstandard--2019-09-17--Boots in racism row as shopper finds security tags on aposblackapos hair products but not apos

Boots in racism row as shopper finds security tags on 'black' hair products but not 'white' ones

Boots has become embroiled in a racism row after a customer complained security tags were only present on “black” hair products but not those for “white people”.  Natasha Wright, a make-up artist, posted a video online showing rows of hair essentials labelled “black hair care” sealed by security devices, designed to prevent theft.  But in the next aisle were rows of hair essentials for "white" people, including Aussie and L’Oreal brands, untagged despite some costing £10 each.  Boots said its staff put security tags on items they believe are being stolen "regardless" of what they are.  In the video, showing the retail giant’s Wembley High Road branch, Ms Wright can be heard seething at the disparity. “Boots, what are you trying to say?,” she asks. “If you think we’re going to be coming into your store stealing, don’t bother to stock it.  “Stick to what you know best. But don’t insult us, Boots."  She wrote on Facebook: “As a person of colour it’s a wonderful thing when we can do a beauty shop all in one place, it makes you feel included."  She continued,:“To be made to feel like second class citizens is an absolute travesty,” adding in block capitals: “shame on you Boots”.  The row comes after Walmart was also accused of racism for locking ‘African American’ beauty products in glass cabinets, while leaving those for white people on open display.  Customer Jasmine Saunders, 42, claimed the chain was “singling out” black women with “racial discrimination policy and practice” that denied them dignity.  Following the Wembley store row, Boots said: “To prevent theft our colleagues add security tags to the products they believe are being stolen.  “They do this regardless of what the product is, the cost of it, or which aisle they are on.”


eveningstandard--2019-10-15--England captain Harry Kane questions Uefa racism protocol in Bulgaria and calls for zero tolerance a

England captain Harry Kane questions Uefa racism protocol in Bulgaria and calls for zero tolerance approach

England captain Harry Kane has called on Uefa to introduce a zero-tolerance approach to racism after their 6-0 win over Bulgaria was marred by shocking abuse.  Play was halted twice during the first half as head coach Gareth Southgate reported incidents, including monkey chanting and Nazi salutes, to the ¬Croatian match officials.  In keeping with Uefa’s three-step anti-racism protocol, an announcement was made over the public address ¬system urging supporters to stop, before England were given the opportunity to leave the field during the second break in play close to half-time.  They decided unanimously to continue and after around 50 fans were ejected at the break, England ran out easy winners. Marcus Rashford opened the scoring, before Ross Barkley and Raheem Sterling added a brace each, prior to Kane’s 85th-minute strike.  However, the result was a mere footnote to a shameful night in which debutant Tyrone Mings revealed the racist abuse began during the warm-up. And while Southgate insisted he had “full faith” in the procedures in place — the public announcement being the first step, the second taking the players off for a “specific period” and the third ¬seeing the referee abandon the match entirely — but Kane said: “Whether the UEFA protocols are strong enough, I am not sure.  “Should any racial abuse be allowed at any time? It shouldn’t be. The protocol at the moment allows there to be an announcement and two or three steps before the players are taken off the pitch.  “It is unacceptable to be racist once, so I feel there can be stronger punishments and protocols. But from our point of view as a team, we stuck together, showed unity and did what we had to and that is the most important thing.”  The first step did not come until the 27th minute last night, with the public address announcement calling for an end to the abuse in both Bulgarian and English loudly booed by sections of the home support.  Play was stopped again in the 42nd minute, when England’s players were offered the chance to leave the pitch. They opted to forego the second step and play on until half-time, when they decided against abandoning the Euro 2020 qualifier. Southgate said afterwards that if the abuse had continued into the second half, his players would have taken the option of step two.  “There was a discussion in the changing room and everyone wanted to carry on playing,” added Kane, who finished the night with three assists and a goal. “If there were players who didn’t, we wouldn’t have come back out and played. That shows the squad, the maturity and the character that everyone wanted to come back out and play.”  Uefa are set to launch an official investigation once the referee’s report is submitted. The FARE (Fans Against Racism in Europe) network, a group which helps UEFA monitor instances of racism at matches across Europe, will help the governing body build a “legally safe” case to prosecute Bulgaria, whose coach Krasimir Balakov insisted he did not hear any abuse.  FARE’s executive director, Piara Power, said: “We had observers at the match and they have an official role in the sense that they will have flagged up issues with the delegates and they will also have collected evidence of what we all saw through our TV screens. The fact that it was widespread racism cannot be in doubt and the issue now will be the evidence that UEFA need to have a legally safe prosecution of the Bulgarians.”  Domestic anti-discrimination campaigners Kick It Out also urged UEFA to take strong action, given Bulgaria’s history of racist incidents. The Vasil Levski Stadium was partially closed on Monday night as a sanction for discriminatory behaviour in June’s qualifiers, while two of their club sides, Levski Sofia and Lokomotov Plovdiv, have been punished during this season’s Europa League competition.  “It is now time for Uefa to step up and show some leadership. For far too long, they have consistently failed to take effective action. The fact Bulgaria are already hosting this game with a partial stadium closure for racist abuse shows that the sanctions are not fit for purpose.  “There can be no more pitiful fines or short stadium bans. If UEFA care at all about tackling discrimination — and if their #EqualGame campaign means anything — then points deductions and tournament expulsion must follow.”  FA chairman Greg Clarke refused to “prejudice” an inquiry by demanding similar sanctions, but confirmed BAME members of England’s backroom staff had been “visibly emotionally upset” at the abuse they witnessed.  “It’s probably one of the most appalling nights I’ve seen in football,” said Clarke at an impromptu press conference. “[Gareth] talked to the players at half-time and they got together and they said, ‘No, we want to play, we want to finish, we want to win the game, we don’t want the racists to win’. I heard examples of appalling racist chanting. I was looking at a group of people, in all black — about 50 of them — who were making what looked like fascist gestures.”  Southgate praised the match officials, saying: “Sadly, my players, because of their experiences in our own country, are hardened to racism. I don’t know what that says about our society but that’s the reality, so that actually saddens me that when I speak to them about it, they are absolutely hardened to it. So, they actually are in the dressing room smiling because they’ve played so well. They also know they’ve made a statement and they want the focus to be on the football.”


eveningstandard--2019-12-22--PFA call on government to open inquiry into racism within football after Antonio Rudiger allegations

The Professional Football Association has called on the government to open an "enquiry into racism within football" following alleged racist abuse at Tottenham's home game against Chelsea.  Chelsea defender Antonio Rudiger reported being targeted by monkey chants during the second half of the 2-0 win at Tottenham - where there were three stadium announcements saying that "racist behaviour among spectators is interfering with the game".  A statement read: "Following the events at today’s Tottenham Hotspur v Chelsea game, we are disgusted and dismayed that once again, a Premier League fixture has been tainted by abuse from the stands towards players.  "Racism has no place in football or society. It is deeply disappointing that some fans continue to display vulgar racist gestures and chants from the stands.  "It has become clear that football players are on the receiving end of the blatant racism that is currently rife in the UK, but they are not alone. The PFA stands beside every player who faces discrimination. We will continue to fight on their behalf to combat this issue for good.  "Football is part of the fabric of British society. With the huge global audience that English football attracts, we have a responsibility to lead the way with a zero-tolerance policy.  "Racist abuse in football is not just an issue for black and ethnic minority players, it is an issue for everyone who loves the game.  "Whilst the protocols in place ensured stadium announcements were executed today, we need to ensure the perpetrators are identified and dealt with according to the law.  "We believe that the time has come for all governing bodies to unite collectively to end this abuse. Tonight, the PFA calls for a government enquiry into racism within football and encourage the establishment of an All-Party Group at the Department of Culture Media and Sport.  "All football stakeholders must work in partnership with police and clubs to drive this issue and accelerate solutions.  "As always, the PFA extends our full support to Antonio Rüdiger and any player who has suffered racist abuse. We will not allow this to continue.  "Now more than ever we must unite and stand strong and together to confront, challenge and eradicate racist abuse in our stadiums and in our country."


france24--2019-12-14--Racism leads to high rate of US black women who die from childbirth

Black mothers in the United States are three times more likely to die from childbirth than white mothers, according to statistics from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. In New York City, they are eight times more likely to die. The US is the only developed country in the world in which the rate of maternal mortality is on the rise. The epidemic is firmly rooted in racism.  Every day, two-year-old Anari asks when her mother, Shamony, is coming home.  “Mommy hasn’t been there for extended days and the impact of that on a little baby you’ll never know. She misses her mom but she can’t express it like an adult would,” Anari’s grandmother, Shawnee Benton, told FRANCE 24.  “I say she’s just as fiery as her mum. I was with her earlier today and she’s in the twos, so it’s like 'NO' and 'WAIT' and just being sassy and I was thinking - if Shamony was here she would be the one who’d regulate Anari and say ‘No correct yourself and say 'please' and 'thank you’.”  Shamony Gibson died of a pulmonary embolism on October 6th, 2019, a fortnight after giving birth. She was 30 years old. Her newborn son, Khari, only spent two weeks of his life with his mother.  How do you explain to a two-year-old that mummy’s not coming back?  At a community cafe in Bedford-Stuyvesant, Brooklyn, Shawnee Benton looks at the only photo she has of her daughter Shamony with both of Shamony's children and her partner Omari Maynard.  “Khari will never know his mother in the way that we know her,” says Shawnee. She cannot bring herself to use the word 'death'. She talks about her daughter ‘transitioning’. It’s only been two months since her daughter passed away and the pain is raw.  The question that haunts her family is whether Shamony would still be alive if she were white.  Shamony gave birth on September 30th. She had a C-section. A few days after she returned home she felt a shortness of breath. “She started having problems breathing then she was doing better and then we know how it ended...after 12 hours she was gone,” explains Shawnee.  A pulmonary embolism is one of the most common post-childbirth complications. Some 700 women in the US die every year from such complications, according to the latest CDC report. The study concludes that 3 of every 5 deaths are avoidable.  The US has the highest rate of pregnancy-related deaths among developed countries, and black mothers die in childbirth at three times the rate of white mothers, according to the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists.  In New York City, that racial disparity is even more stark: black women are 8 times more likely to die.  For a long time, experts claimed that high rates of diabetes and obesity within the black community were behind the elevated maternal death rates. They also argued that poorer communities were more at risk due to a lack of education or health care coverage. Yet those theories have now been debunked. Black mothers are still more at risk than white women even if they have university-level education and are well-off.  Dr. Deborah Kaplan, the assistant commissioner at the NYC Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, told FRANCE 24 that the problem is rooted in discrimination.  “Racism was baked into the DNA of this country and since then every policy has reflected that history, including the myth that black people don’t experience pain like white people," she said. "[It] affects people who are going to give birth and are complaining of pain or who may have a complication that is not taken seriously because simply of the colour of their skin.”  33 percent of black women say that they have been discriminated against in hospital or by healthcare workers, according to a survey conducted in 2017 by NPR. Incidents of doctors and nurses not listening to their patients or making assumptions based on race are increasingly common, Kaplan explained.  This was the case for Shamony. Her mother, Shawnee, told FRANCE 24 that the first responders did not listen to her. “When they came to the house I mentioned the possibility of pulmonary embolism and it was dismissed. I also was asked several times if she used drugs, even though when they came I told them she just had a baby. I feel like if she wasn’t a brown girl things might not have unfolded in that way.”  Even tennis star Serena Williams says she fell victim to this sort of discrimination. In September 2017, Williams almost died from a pulmonary embolism after giving birth to her daughter via C-section. She told her story in an interview with Vogue Magazine, explaining that she felt short of breath and knew something was wrong. Williams said that at first medical staff did not believe her. She insisted and a CT scan proved her right - she had a pulmonary embolism. She was put on an anticoagulant heparin drip which saved her life.  The hospital where Shamony was taken did not have such sophisticated equipment, Shawnee explains. “The hospital she was in, is one of these hospitals that does not get the resources and the funding put into it like other hospitals do. They did a great job with her but it’s in my mind that they didn’t have what they needed.”  If Shamony had been taken to another hospital, might she have survived? Shawnee’s eyes fill with tears as she wonders if something more could have been done to save her daughter.  “It doesn’t make sense. She should be here. They, whoever has been taken like this, should be here.”  Growing up, Shamony helped take care of her two other siblings. Her mother describes her as a loving, strong and steady force in her family. She studied at New York University and had founded a company with her partner called ‘Art-ful living’ that promoted art as a way of life. “We’re a family of artists, we dance, we sing, we do theatre, we compose. Shamony was an incredible dancer,” Shawnee said.  New York City knows it has a problem. Dr. Kaplan is trying to help fix it. Mayor Bill de Blasio launched an initiative last year to try and decrease maternal death rates among black women. With a 12.8 million dollar budget, the city is investing in its most underfunded hospitals and trying to educate medical staff about racial prejudices.  New York City is also working with doulas to provide pre- and post-natal support to black women. Chanel Porchia, who has six children of her own, is a member of the Black Mamas Matter Alliance and has founded an association called Ancient Song Doula. “I’ve been where child protective services has been used as a tool to get people to comply with medical interventions that weren’t necessarily necessary at that moment," Porchia said. "Or I’ve seen partners who, because they’ve voiced their concerns, have had the police called on them and have been escorted out of the hospital."  So those are things that occur on a regular basis and that’s all over the United States.”  In her workshop in Bedford-Stuyvesant, Porchia advises mothers and women who want to train as doulas. “We really have to start to trust ourselves and our bodies and understand that we have rights. There needs to be institutional accountability. If hospitals perform poorly there should be some reprisal. All providers need to be taught about cultural humility. There needs to be policy reform.”  The issue of maternal health among black women has been raised in the 2020 presidential campaign, with Democratic candidates Bernie Sanders, Elizabeth Warren and Joe Biden saying it’s time for plans to address the maternal mortality epidemic. “Black women shouldn’t have to develop elaborate birth plans or personally shell out thousands of dollars for extra eyes and ears at the hospital to ensure they survive the experience of childbirth. We’ve done enough observing and debating the effects of bias and racism in our health care system. It’s time to demand better outcomes,” Warren says on her campaign website.  Right before Christmas, Shawnee, Maynard, Anari and Khari will celebrate Shamony’s birthday. She would have been turning 31. “We’ll celebrate the life she had,” Shawnee told FRANCE 24. “I wanna make a difference for those who are still alive and who wanna have their babies and be free. What will make the difference is prevention, training and education and advocacy. I have to hold hope that her death will not go in vain.”


newsbusters--2019-08-01--CNN Investigates Racism inRobots

CNN Investigates Racism in...Robots?

On Thursday, a CNN article on “robot racism” took the internet by storm as critics challenged the claim. The article, co-authored by Caroline Klein and David Allan, dove into a study conducted by the Human Interface Technology Laboratory in New Zealand.  The study concluded that there was a bias against black robots, and that this was “a result of bias against African-Americans.” The researchers are worried that the robots that will occupy the workforce in the future will all be white.  It’s unclear as to why the “skin” color of the robot would be important. These researchers, in their infinite wisdom, seem to have forgotten that robots are manufactured. The robot’s appearance is irrelevant, and researcher’s complaints are laughable because no true discrimination has occurred.  The lead researcher, Christoph Bartneck, explained his reasoning to CNN:  This is a ludicrous line of thinking and CNN’s legitimization of it is concerning. When white robots are the concern of the day, society has reached wokeness overload. Further, robots do not represent humans. Humans have a deep sense of morality and compassion, and robots simply don’t. It is eye-opening to see CNN giving a platform to someone who grants humanity to robots while the news organization is warry to provide the same platform to a conservative who would grant the same status to the unborn.  The authors also note that “some real-life humanoid robots are modeled after white celebrities, such as Audrey Hepburn and Scarlett Johansson.” This begs the question as to whether or not there would be an outcry of racism if the robots were more predominately modeled after minority celebrities. The answer: no, not only because having a robot Shaq or Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson would be awesome, but because it doesn’t fit the media narrative that white supremacy is running rampant in America.  This study obviously has validity in pop-culture. Have you noticed how BB-8, the robot companion in the latest Star Wars trilogy, is white? Why is his evil alter ego, BB-9E, black? The answer: blatant and systemic racism! This disturbing trends has descended into youth culture as well. EVE, the deuteragonist in the Disney film WALL-E is white, but the villain robots in The Incredibles are black!  All jokes aside, this article may seem harmless, but the narratives pushed in it are reflective of a culture and a media dominated by liberal bias. The legitimization of these ideas combined with the unwillingness to hear conservative thought has led to an atmosphere of intimidation where people are afraid to have honest disagreements -- or build robots that are the wrong color.


newsweek--2019-01-31--Racism Props Up Americas RichestHeres How We Fix It Opinion

Racism Props Up America's Richest—Here's How We Fix It | Opinion

It's no secret that most Americans haven't kept up with the ballooning wealth of the 1 percent. Most of us have fallen behind over the last few decades, as wages have stagnated and housing, health care, and education costs have gone through the roof.  Underlying the yawning gap between the rich and the rest, however, is another divide: America's persistent racial wealth divide between whites and people of color.  As the U.S. diversifies, people of color make up an ever larger share of the population, even as they remain largely locked out of wealth-building opportunities. As a result, although median white wealth has increased somewhat over the years, America's overall median wealth is actually going down.  While wealth at the middle falters, it’s skyrocketing at the top: In effect, the richest Americans are profiting off the racial wealth divide. That's bad for the entire economy, and it demands a robust policy response.  Importantly, this trend persists despite black and Latino unemployment rates reaching historic lows in 2018 — and even despite overall median income slowly inching up in the last year or two. That's because those modest gains in income are completely insufficient to close our enormous gaps in wealth.  In Dreams Deferred, a new study for the Institute for Policy Studies, we catalogued just how deep the racial wealth divide has become.  We found that with just $3,600 to their name, the median black family today owns only 2 percent of the $147,000 owned by the median white family. The typical Latino family does only a little better, with just 4 percent of the median white family's assets.  “Median wealth,” by the way, refers to the exact middle — with half of households above and half below. That’s a more useful measure than “average wealth,” which skews dramatically toward the very wealthiest households. ( Average white wealth, for example, was $930,000 in 2016 — over six times the median, and nowhere near typical.)  In the decades since 1983, changes in median wealth tell a dramatic story about our economy. Since then, median household wealth has fallen by 3 percent for all U.S. households — and stunningly, we found, by over half for the median black family.  Over the same period, the number of households worth over $10 million ballooned by more than 850 percent.  If these trends continue, the gap between whites and Latinos will be virtually unchanged by mid-century. And it will grow even wider between whites and blacks, whose median wealth is actually decreasing — and, alarmingly, on track to reach zero in a few decades.  Unfortunately, rampant inequality in the larger economy has given a small segment of the population enough clout to thwart efforts to close these gaps. Outfits like the Koch brothers' political network, for example, have poured millions of dollars into efforts to cut their own taxes, which benefits the overwhelmingly white families at the top who are already extremely rich.  How can we combat that inequality? We maintain that creating a more equitable economic system for everyone requires bold policy ideas to close the racial wealth divide.  Such policies could include the expansion of first-time homeownership programs for those that have been historically excluded from building housing wealth by discrimination in mortgage programs. Homes are the single biggest source of wealth for ordinary families, but nlack families were left out of the postwar housing boom almost entirely. Down payment assistance and favorable tax treatment for first-time buyers could narrow this gap considerably.  Additional initiatives to reduce the $1.5 trillion in student debt—like loan forgiveness, interest rate adjustments, or more ambitious programs for debt-free university access—would assist young people to save, build wealth, and invest in homes and enterprises.  Another promising idea is to create a children’s savings account program, which would seed an asset account for every newborn in the United States, ensuring that none of them start from $0. Senator Cory Booker has proposed just such a “baby bond” program in the United States Senate.  According to a study by the Annie E. Casey Foundation, if Congress had implemented a robust universal “baby bond” in 1979, the wealth gap between Latinos and Whites would have been entirely closed by now, and the wealth gap between blacks and whites would have shrunk 82 percent in young adult households.  Other remedies include familiar ideas like raising the minimum wage, expanding affordable health care, and — of course — taxing the 1 percent to fund education and infrastructure.  By taking these measures, we would do more than close the racial wealth gap. We create an economy that works for everyone — not just the super-rich.  Dedrick Asante-Muhammad and Chuck Collins are co-authors of the report, with Josh Hoxie and Sabrina Terry, “ Dream Deferred: How Enriching the 1 Percent Widens the Racial Wealth Divide ,” published by the Institute for Policy Studies.  The views expressed in this article are the authors' own.


osce--2019-04-17--Countering racism xenophobia and hate crimes against migrants at borders focus of OSCEODIHR event

Countering racism, xenophobia and hate crimes against migrants at borders focus of OSCE/ODIHR event in Zagreb

Addressing hate crimes and other violations of the human rights of migrants at borders in South-Eastern Europe, including abuses motivated by racism and xenophobia, was the topic of discussion at an expert meeting in Zagreb on 16 and 17 April 2019. The OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) organized the event in co-operation with the Office of the Ombudswoman of the Republic of Croatia.  The 45 participants (30 women and 15 men) from ten OSCE participating States included representatives of national governments, local authorities, national and international civil society organizations and migrant communities.  “There is increased evidence that the fundamental human rights of migrants are at risk when they cross borders,” said Christie Edwards, Deputy Head of ODIHR’s Tolerance and Non-Discrimination Department. “OSCE participating States must do more to address racism and xenophobia targeting migrants, as well as hate crimes against both migrants and civil society organizations assisting them. It is imperative that the states protect migrants’ right to life, prohibit arbitrary detention in border management procedures and apply the principle of ‘non-refoulement’, which forbids forced return to countries where the person faces threats to her or his life or freedom.”  “States have made a comprehensive set of commitments to address racism, xenophobia, intolerance and discrimination,” said Tena Šimonović Einwalter, Deputy Ombudswoman of Croatia. "Building effective partnerships and strengthening dialogue and co-operation between civil society and state authorities at events such as this one are essential to accomplishing this goal.”  The participants also discussed how to monitor detention conditions and instances of forced return as well as civil society efforts to address violations of the human rights of migrants at the border, including racism, xenophobia and hate crimes against migrants. The discussion also centred on obstacles preventing civil society actors from providing assistance to migrants in the region, as well as on tools and initiatives offered by ODIHR and other stakeholders to help address the issue.


osce--2019-09-26--ODIHR event explores ways to address racism intolerance and violence against Roma and Sinti

ODIHR event explores ways to address racism, intolerance and violence against Roma and Sinti

Ongoing racism, intolerance and hate-motivated violence against Roma and Sinti and the negative impact these have on their inclusion in society, as well as good practices in addressing these issues, were the topics of an event in Warsaw on 26 September 2019. It was organized by the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) as part of its annual human rights conference, the Human Dimension Implementation Meeting.  Representatives of OSCE participating States as well as Roma and Sinti experts and activists discussed the measures undertaken to eliminate such violence and its root causes. There were also presentations of good practices and concrete recommendations to help participating States, OSCE institutions and other stakeholders effectively ensure the safety and security of Roma and Sinti.  “Good laws and policies alone cannot succeed in tackling anti-Roma discrimination and racism,” said Dan Pavel Doghi, Chief of the ODIHR Contact Point for Roma and Sinti Issues. “To be truly effective in ensuring that Roma and Sinti can enjoy their rights and equality within their societies, legislation needs to be coupled with effective monitoring mechanisms guaranteeing its thorough implementation.”  Ismael Cortés, member of the Spanish Parliament, said: “This event provided an important opportunity to review the progress and challenges in fighting bias against Roma and Sinti. We need to mainstream the fight against racism, intolerance and hate-motivated violence, and shift from individual efforts to an interdisciplinary and multi-stakeholder collaboration.”  ODIHR is mandated by the participating States to assist in their efforts to combat racism and discrimination against Roma and Sinti. The commitment, initially established in the 1990 Copenhagen Document, was later reiterated in the 2003 OSCE Action Plan on Improving the Situation of Roma and Sinti.


prisonplanet--2019-03-28--Europarl Calls For Reparations to Fight Structural Racism Against Africans in EU

Europarl Calls For ‘Reparations’ to Fight ‘Structural Racism’ Against Africans in EU

The European Parliament has demanded bloc-wide action including “reparations” to fight “structural racism” which manifests in people of African descent in Europe getting lower school grades and increased police scrutiny, according to Brussels.  In what was described as a “landmark” resolution passed on Tuesday with 535 in favour to 80 votes against, and 44 abstentions, EU member states were ordered “to develop anti-racism policies and stop discrimination in the fields of education, housing, health, criminal justice, political participation and migration”.  “In light of increasing afrophobic attacks, MEPs call on the European Commission and EU member states to acknowledge the racist, discriminatory and xenophobic suffering of Afro-Europeans, and offer proper protection against these inequalities to ensure that hate crimes are suitably investigated, prosecuted and sanctioned,” EU Parliament said in a statement.  “MEPs condemn the mistreatment of people of African descent in police custody, citing the numerous violent incidents and deaths that have occurred while in custody. They also note the frequent use of racial and ethnic profiling in criminal law enforcement, counter-terrorism measures and immigration control, and urge member states to end this practice.”  This article was posted: Thursday, March 28, 2019 at 6:56 am


prisonplanet--2019-03-31--Southern Poverty Law Center urges teachers to lecture 1st graders about microaggressions structur

Southern Poverty Law Center urges teachers to lecture 1st graders about ‘microaggressions,’ structural racism

The Southern Poverty Law Center wants to have a talk with first graders, about microaggressions, stereotypes and systemic racism.  “What is this doing in my inbox?” Tyler O’Neil, editor for PJ Media, posted to Twitter Friday. “The Southern Poverty Law Center wants your first graders to learn about microaggressions. Yes, they’re already struggling to be nice to each other, but the SPLC wants them to tackle structural racism in first grade.”  O’Neil included a clip from his email inbox featuring a message from the SPLC about “Teaching first-graders about microaggressions.”  The news site reports the email linked to an essay from Oakland, California teacher Bret Turner titled “Teaching First-Graders About Microaggressions: The Small Moments Add Up.”  The missive is published by Teaching Tolerance, a nonprofit that focuses on providing “free resources” to educators on a mission of “social justice and anti-bias.” “The anti-bias approach encourages children and young people to challenge prejudice and learn how to be agents of change in their own lives,” according to the site.  Turner explained that first-graders are “in the thick of learning to read and write” as well as “learning how to communicate with others,” making it the perfect time to introduce the concepts of racism, bias, and injustice.  Kids tease each other, it’s part of their development, but “not all unkindness is the same,” according to Turner.  “It can be particularly detrimental when the hurtful language relates to race, gender, religion or other aspects of a child’s identity,” Turner wrote. “These are microaggressions: small, subtle, sometimes-unintended acts of discrimination.”  It’s a teacher’s job to hyper focus kids on their unintentional racism and other unconscious prejudices, but it’s not as simple as a classroom chat or one-on-one conversation. There’s groundwork, Turner advised.  “Before talking with students about microaggressions, it’s essential to establish an identity-safe classroom. Students need to feel safe and supported. In my class, when we do discuss microaggressions, I remind students of conversations we’ve already had about representation,” he wrote.  “I remind them that, when we’re reading together, we always ask, ‘Whose story is being told here?’ I also reference the discussions we’ve had around more overt racism: how being called a racist may hurt, but it doesn’t compare to actually experiencing racism.”  It’s all about equipping 6-year-olds with the “tools, vocabulary and context” to call out their classmates when they unintentionally use biased language or engage in politically incorrect behavior.  This article was posted: Sunday, March 31, 2019 at 4:41 am


renegadetribune--2019-05-31--Racism Row in India as Beauty Pageant Finalists Lack Diversity

Racism Row in India as Beauty Pageant Finalists Lack “Diversity”

Not too long ago I covered the fact that the three major beauty pageant winners in the US are currently black women.  While these women all have African heritage, dark skin, dark eyes, and dark hair, their victories are considered to be a big win for “diversity,” which really just means less White people.  However, in India when beauty pageant finalists all have similar complexion, hair, and eyes, they are said to be sorely lacking in “diversity.”  I guess the definition of “diversity” in a non-White country can be expanded to mean less fair-skinned people, since all of the “women of color” pictured above would be considered as shining examples of “diversity” if they were to win contests in White countries.  Many women in India seek out ways to lighten their skin color, as fair skin is seen by most as being more beautiful.  This could be due to their history with a caste system, as well as objective and subjective beauty standards. Regardless, these women have not been indoctrinated from an early age that “black is beautiful” and that White is plain and boring, though it seems that they may soon be hearing more and more about “fair skinned privilege.”  Here in America, many Black women will avoid going out in the sun too much so that they do not get too dark, and will wear artificial hair or just straighten it to appear to have more European features.  On the flip side, White women are taught to hate their White features, so many will use tanning beds or tanning spray to get darker, and dress and act like hoodrats or latinas, so as to be “cool” and “spicy.” The insanity can sometimes be overwhelming.  Being “diverse” in America confers special privileges, which is why some guys are getting in on the act too.  Not only will being a White in America hinder your chances of winning a beauty contest these days, it will also make it much harder to get into the college of your choice. The recent college admissions scandal revealed that wealthy parents were being instructed to lie about the race of their children on applications so that they had a better chance of getting in, which clearly shows that affirmative action and diversity quotas are literally discrimination against White people.  The real kicker here is that when our enemies speak of “diversity” what they really mean is that they want many different shades of brown and black features – eyes, hair, and skin. It is truly the White race that represents real diversity, with many different vibrant colors of eyes, hair, and skin (including freckled). Our enemies consider it a win for “diversity” when these traits are race-mixed out of existence, which is what happened long ago in India.  The only way to really celebrate diversity is to protect it by allowing the different races and ethnicities to live amongst themselves, judge themselves by their own beauty standards, and pass down their traditions and genetics to future generations.


rt--2019-09-22--US university racism workshop returns just NINE students come to learn about white privilege

US university racism workshop returns, just NINE students come to learn about white privilege

A university workshop on white privilege and racism was a major flop – attracting just nine students out of the 30,000 enrolled in the school. Last year, the course sparked outrage over the perception that it was ‘whites-only’.  The White Consciousness Conversations at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte first drew national headlines in September of last year. The scheduled events for students and staff were said to be “for white people” by the school website. Following public backlash, the description was changed to explain that people of color would be welcome to learn about white privilege and racism, too.  This year, the university brought the Conversations back, but apparently failed to draw the interest of the intended audience. The UNC Charlotte campus has around 30,000 students, but only nine showed up last week, conservative education news outlet College Fix says.  Of those nine, two were journalists there to cover the workshop, and two said their professors offered them extra credit for attending. The remaining five were members of the university’s chapter of conservative group Young Americans for Freedom (YAF), who came “more out of curiosity and concern about the nature of the seminar.”  The latter apparently were not moved by what they heard about “the meaning and implications of whiteness.” The lesson was, according to the report, that racism is what white people do to people of color and should not be confused with racial discrimination, which covers all other forms of mistreatment based on race.  “I think the creators of this event had good intentions, but… we had two different definitions of racism. Unfortunately, if we can’t agree on the definition of racism then we can’t make any meaningful steps towards productive change,” YAF member Kelly VonEnde told the Fix.  While racism remains a problem in the US, including among college students, the way the liberal camp has been dealing with it has faced criticism for being ineffective or even detrimental to the cause, with campuses no longer viewed by many as bastions of free speech and honest debate.  Like this story? Share it with a friend!


russiainsider--2019-12-20--Russian Ballerinas Dance in Blackface, West Screams RACISM!, Russia Shrugs

Russians despise self-righteous virtue signalling. The mulatto American prima ballerina having a fit, Misty Copeland, is muscular to the point of ugly weirdness (see below video). So its true when they say that black women have far more testosterone than white women.  The Bolshoi Theater was accused of racism. A prima of the American ballet considered the stage images of the troupe as discrimination. She was outraged that, during the rehearsal of La Bayadere, the girls put on brown makeup.  Denis Alekseev found out how the theater management reacted to the hysterical outrage.  In the traditional theater, particularly in the ballet, it's called blackface. It's when a white person applies makeup to portray a black person. All of a sudden, the famous La Bayadere has become a symbol of world racism.  And this is the reality of the ballet world. Seeds of doubt that art at the Bolshoi Theater has gone beyond political correctness were planted by Misty Copeland, the first black prima ballerina of the American Ballet Theater posting a photo of the Bolshoi's young dancers in makeup and in black gloves and tights. The wave of negative responses was growing in the comments below the post of the American dancer.  “This is unacceptable. I can't believe I'm looking at it. How does this happen in 2019?!”  “Disappointed, but I'm never surprised by racism in our world.”  Proponents of real art, not the art of inflating scandals, point out an important detail — historically, there's also a golden god in La Bayadere. The performer of this role is painted gold from head to toe.  : “This performance has been going on since 1877 and it's performed like this. Just like other plays in which there are characters of different colors. There are only Russian classical dances in the world. There's no other classic. They use our repertoire, mercilessly mutilating it and disfiguring it. They must adhere to the rules of the culture they took the performance from.”  Supporters of so-called "tolerant" art propose to replace the painted dancers with black actors. They've got no complaints about golden characters. Probably for now.  : “Is there any racism from the point of view of the Bolshoi Theater? Of course, not. It's a cultural tradition. Art is always a convention. Why does anybody need to look for black performers?”  It seems that Western cultural tradition is to reproach the Russians, and not only them, for discrimination and racism. They say the topic is sensitive for African Americans.  “This has reached the point of absurdity. A phrase about the "damned Dutchman" is cut out from Treasure Island because it can offend modern European readers. Now we can't apply makeup. At the same time, the same people say that Russia has the audacity to celebrate May 9th. Great Britain and France celebrate the victory in the Great War, which is what they call the First World War, and this is fine for the Americans. Everything that happens in Russia is perceived through the prism of racism and chauvinism.”  The Bolshoi Theater, which is now preparing for a summer tour in the United States, was surprised at such a backlash. This is the first time for the century-old ballet.  : “The La Bayadere ballet has been held in this edition thousands of times in Russia and abroad, and the Bolshoi Theater won't get involved in such a discussion.”  Not everyone supported the topic of racism in the black ballerina's Instagram. A lot of subscribers already regarded her behavior as the bullying of the kids. After the link to the Bolshoi's dancers was published, they all deleted their accounts.


skynewspolitics--2019-10-15--Husband of Lib Dem MP sorry for 'trolling' Labour minister about racism

Husband of Lib Dem MP sorry for 'trolling' Labour minister about racism  Husband of Lib Dem MP sorry for 'trolling' Labour minister about racism  Mr Wilson works for his wife Angela Smith at her office in Westminster  The husband of a Liberal Democrat MP has apologised after accusing Labour shadow equalities minister Dawn Butler of lying about her experiences of racism.  Steve Wilson, who is married to Angela Smith and is a member of her staff, has been accused of "trolling" Ms Butler after she wrote an article in the Metro newspaper as part of Black History Month.  Ms Butler shared an experience where she was told by an MP that the lift they were sharing was not "for cleaners", which she saw as an example of "blatant racism".  Mr Wilson subsequently accused the Labour MP of lying, and wrote in a tweet: "Sorry but this just not true. Stories like this don't do anyone any justice and anyone propagating then should stop it."  He has since deleted his tweet and his account.  When asked by Sky News if he had any further comment, Mr Wilson said: "There is normal procedure for this sort of thing... I've apologised... I've said what I have to say."  Dawn Butler has now written to Lib Dem leader Jo Swinson about his remarks, and said: "This isn't a 'story' or a lie.  "This is race discrimination in the workplace; it is experienced by black, Asian and ethnic minority people in workplaces across our country on a daily basis and we need to stamp it out.  "White men denying our lived experiences and accusing those of us who do speak out about it of lying, not only legitimises, but it actively promotes racism."  In her letter, Ms Butler went further, asking Ms Swinson to assess whether there was a "particular problem" in Angela Smith's office which needed to addressing through diversity training.  Ms Butler said she had referred the incident to the House of Commons authorities to see whether it had breached the parliamentary staff code.  The Liberal Democrats said that they would not be making any further comment, instead offering Mr Wilson's apology.  "I apologise for the offence I have caused. We must all take responsibility for condemning racism and prejudice in all its forms, in order to stamp it out from our society," he said.  Angela Smith, has herself faced criticism for perceived racism in the past.  Now a Lib Dem, she had been a part of the launch of The Independent Group for Change, after leaving the Labour Party in protest over antisemitism.  During a televised discussion, two hours after the party's launch, Ms Smith described people of colour as having a "funny tinge".  The Lib Dems have also recently faced a backlash from minority groups within their party over the admission of former Conservative MP Phillip Lee.  Some LGBT+ Lib Dems left the party in protest against Mr Lee's admittance, including Jennie Rigg, the chair of the Lib Dems official LGBT+ group.  :: Listen to the Sophy Ridge on Sunday podcast on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify, Spreaker  Mr Lee previously abstained on a vote concerning equal marriage, and in the past had tried to introduce an amendment to a bill which would have banned HIV-positive immigrants from entering the UK.  Ms Swinson defended his admission to the party at the time, saying: "Phillip brings almost 10 years of parliamentary experience and decades of professional expertise.  "He shares our commitment to prevent a disastrous no-deal Brexit, and to stop Brexit altogether.


sputnik--2019-02-06--Racism Bullying Sexism Amnesty International Workplace Toxic Report Finds

Racism, Bullying, Sexism: Amnesty International Workplace 'Toxic', Report Finds

Leading human rights charity Amnesty International has a "toxic" working environment, with bullying, public humiliation, discrimination and other abuses commonplace, a report — commissioned after two employees committed suicide in 2018 — has found.  The review, conducted by the KonTerra Group and led by psychologists, identified a hazardous "us vs. them" dynamic at the organization's offices, combined with an almost total lack of trust in senior managerial figures, evidence of "nepotism and hypocrisy", and multiple reports of managers "belittling" staff in meetings, deliberately excluding certain employees from reporting, or making demeaning, menacing comments such as "you're s***!", "you should quit!", and "if you stay in this position, your life will be a misery".  Shockingly, interviews with staff also indicated Amnesty attempted to "cover up" the death of Gaetan Mootoo, the 65-year-old Amnesty France employee who killed himself in June 2018.  One staff member told the review that the organisation's response to Mootoo's death "upset many of us a lot". "The way they announced it, the way they tried to cover up."  The consultants focused primarily Amnesty's international secretariat in London, finding the office to be largely operating in a "state of emergency" following a restructuring process to decentralize and move staff closer to the ground in places of civil unrest and conflict, which had taken a "considerable toll" on staff wellbeing, it said. Many Amnesty staffers described their employment as a "life cause" and said there was "significant risk of experiencing stress or trauma" due to the nature of the work they conducted — moreover staff are prone to sacrificing their own wellbeing by taking on massive workloads, leading to "overload and burnout".  Staff also reported multiple accounts of discrimination on the basis of race and gender, with women, staff of colour and LGBT employees targeted for abuse, or treated unfairly, a finding KonTerra branded "disconcerting".  They found multiple instances of alleged favouritism or nepotism in hiring and cases where positions and/or individuals were made redundant "without due process".  In a statement, Amnesty Secretary General Kumi Naidoo said the report was "profoundly troubling", and "unacceptable management practices, attitudes and behaviours cannot and will not be tolerated at any level" in the organization.  "We will now look in detail at the recommendations of the KonTerra review — and in consultation with staff draw up an overall implementation plan, assessing to what extent and in what stages we will deliver on them, and how we best integrate them with James Laddie's recommendations. To that end, I will engage with the wellbeing committee, union and management team to identify what is most urgent and what is seen as most appropriate to address the systemic challenges and to restore trust, and how we best communicate these efforts across the organization. I will present the new plan by the end of March 2019," he pledged.


sputnik--2019-02-11--UN Experts Urge Belgium to Recognise Colonial-Era Crimes to Tackle Racism

"The [Belgian] Government should review and ensure that textbooks and educational materials accurately reflect historical facts as they relate to past tragedies and atrocities committed during the colonial era," Chair of the UN Working Group of Experts on People of African Descent Michal Balcerzak said after a group of experts visited Belgium.  He pointed out that a comprehensive action plan to fight racism in Belgium should be adopted by the country's authorities.  "The Government of Belgium needs to adopt a comprehensive national action plan against racism … We found clear evidence that racial discrimination is endemic in institutions in Belgium. People of African descent face discrimination in the enjoyment of economic, social and cultural rights, including diversion from mainstream education into vocational schooling, 'downgrading' in employment opportunities and discrimination in the housing market," Balcerzak said.  The experts praised the former Square du Bastion in Brussels being renamed as Patrice Lumumba Square in June 2018 and called for further commemoration of notable African people.  The working group will present a report on its visit to Belgium, which took place on February 4-11 in the cities of Brussels, Antwerp, Liege, Namur and Charleroi, to the UN Human Rights Council in September.  The Belgian colonial empire included the territories of present-day Burundi, the Democratic Republic of Congo and Rwanda. The Belgian rule in these areas resulted in significant reductions of local populations caused by mass violence, starvation and spread of diseases.


sputnik--2019-11-16--Netizens Divided After Black Eyed Peas Singer Will.i.am Accuses Qantas Flight Attendant of Racism

Black Eyed Peas singer Will.i.am has caused a stir on Twitter after he said that he was subjected to racism during a flight from the Australian city of Brisbane to the capital Sydney. The artist, and a coach on the Voice UK, tweeted that he and his group had experienced their worst-ever service due to an overly aggressive flight attendant, who took out all her frustrations on people of colour.  Will.i.am, whose real name is William Adams, said the woman called the police on him because he allegedly did not hear a “P.A. due to wearing noise cancelling headphones”. He then tweeted that he did not ignore a safety briefing and did comply with all instructions.  The singer’s tweets caused a stir on social media and have received mixed reactions with some netizens saying that incidents of racial discrimination happen quite a lot in Australia, while others said they want to hear the other side of the story.  Other social media users claimed that the artist is a spoiled celebrity and accused him of playing the race card.  Many users said that the Qantas staff treat all customers poorly and the altercation had nothing to do with racism.  Others pointed out that the singer had not complied with strict aviation laws and that an Australian pop duo had been kicked off a flight after they put their luggage in the wrong way.  Still others joked that the flight attendant is not a big fan of Will.i.am’s music.  The singer received backlash for revealing the flight attendant’s name, with people sayting the woman may become the target of abuse. Australian reporter Peter Ford posted a picture of an aggressive message the woman received and said that artist's fans have started attacking her. The singer then urged his fans not to send aggressive messages to the flight attendant.  Commenting on his decision to reveal the woman’s name, Will.i.am said people are “supposed to call out wrong doings” and that he is using Twitter the same way other people use it to complain about mistreatment.


sputnik--2019-12-14--JPMorgan CEO Says to Its Staff He Is 'Disgusted by Racism' - Reports

Jamie Dimon, the JPMorgan Chase & Co's CEO, has written to the company staff that he is “disgusted by racism and hate in any form” after the New York Times disclosed several cases of discrimination that had taken place at JPMorgan, the Hill reported.  Dimon has instructed the bank's managers to scrutinize the company policies and culture to make its standards better, according to the Hill.  Earlier this week, the New York Times presented some audio recordings as evidence of discrimination against a black JPMorgan employee and customer by JPMorgan's Arizona managers.


theblaze--2019-01-17--UC-Berkeley hosting lecture to explain how internet search engines perpetuate whiteness racism

UC-Berkeley hosting lecture to explain how internet search engines perpetuate ‘whiteness,’ racism

A University of California-Berkeley lecture will assert that internet search engines are perpetuating discrimination and oppression, Campus Reform [reported](https://www.campusreform.org/?ID=11757).    ### What is being covered?  During the scheduled March 20 [lecture](https://engineering.berkeley.edu /algorithms-oppression-how-search-engines-reinforce-racism-2019-03-20), professor Safiya Umoja Noble plans to argue that "the combination of private interests in promoting certain sites, along with the monopoly status of a relatively small number of Internet search engines, leads to a biased set of search algorithms that privilege whiteness and discriminate against people of color, specifically women of color," according to the description for the event.  The lecture is called "Algorithms of Oppression: How Search Engines Reinforce Racism" and is based on Noble's book, "Algorithms of Oppression." Noble has been on staff at UCLA and is set to be an assistant professor at the University of Oxford this year.  Noble believes that search engines are creating a social problem that illustrates "how racism is created, maintained, and disseminated in the 21st century," according to the event's description.  Noble will also question whether search engines like Google, Bing, and Yahoo "offer an equal playing field for all forms of ideas, identities, and activities."  "While we often think of terms such as 'big data' and 'algorithms' as benign, neutral, or objective, they are anything but," Noble wrote in her book. "The people who make these decisions hold all types of values, many of which openly promote racism, sexism, and false notions of meritocracy."  Campus Reform reported that Noble cites Google's autofill feature as evidence.  Prior to her book's release last February, Noble said that if users typed "women cannot" into Google's search bar, the autofill feature offered suggestions such as "drive, be bishops, be trusted, [and] speak in church." A search for "women should not," generated autofill suggestions such as "have rights," vote, and work. Additionally, a Google search for "black girls" gave links to pornography.  In response, Google spokeswoman Lara Levin gave a 2018 statement to Campus Reform that said:  > We've made great strides to improve our systems and prevent the types of issues Dr. Noble describes, which is why many of the examples she reports are no longer present. This was true when the book was published; we have not manually fixed anything in response.  ### Anything else?  Noble said white males are primarily to blame for the problem.  During an interview for her book, she [said](https://annenberg.usc.edu/news /diversity-and-inclu...), "And, of course, the primary creators in Silicon Valley of the technologies are white and Asian men, but mostly white men. They make the technology in their image and in their interests. They're not thinking about women."


thedailycaller--2019-03-21--Tucker And PJ Media Editor Discuss Racism At Southern Poverty Law Center

PJ Media senior editor Tyler O’Neil joined Fox News host Tucker Carlson on Wednesday to discuss racism at the Southern Poverty Law Center.  Morris Dees, the group’s co-founder, was abruptly fired last week for failing to meet “the mission of the organization and the values we hope to instill in the world,” according to a statement from SPLC President Richard Cohen to The Daily Caller News Foundation.  Carlson noted Dees’ firing “under mysterious circumstances” and the irony that a group that often falsely labels others as “racist, sexist bigots” would be accused of those things itself.  “This group has been rotten for years,” said Carlson. “Why are people just now noticing?”  “The story actually is really, really bad,” said O’Neil. “You had 13 black former employees of the SPLC interviewed. Twelve of them said they witnessed racist incidents in their time there and three of them called the organization a plantation for its black workers.”  Dees’ firing was first reported by the Montgomery Advertiser, which included a reference to its 1994 series on racism within the organization and the co-founder’s “near singular control over the organization and its mammoth budget.”  The series, a Pulitzer Prize finalist, revealed a figure seen as heroic by some and single-minded by others. Dees’ critics said he was more concerned with fundraising than litigating. The series also alleged discriminatory treatment of black employees within the advocacy group, despite its outward efforts to improve the treatment of minorities in the country. Staffers at the time “accused Morris Dees, the center’s driving force, of being a racist and black employees have ‘felt threatened and banded together.'” The organization denied the accusations raised in the series.  O’Neil noted that it wasn’t just the Advertiser, but also former employees who went to Glassdoor.com to “talk about their experiences facing racial discrimination” in 2017. (RELATED: Southern Poverty Law Center Is Not So Poor)  “There are apparently 100 lawyers and advocates of the SPLC,” he noted. “Only five of them are black. Black employees worked there 12 years and yet, none of them were elevated to senior leadership.”  The PJ Media editor added that if the group “hires more black leaders,” since “blacks tend to be more Christian” perhaps they would stop characterizing Christian groups as anti-LGBT.


thedcclothesline--2019-04-01--SPLC Employees Claim Organization Suffers From Systemic Problems With Racism Sexism

SPLC Employees Claim Organization Suffers From “Systemic Problems With Racism & Sexism”

Just a week after Southern Poverty Law Center President Richard Cohen resigned and two weeks after its co-founder Morris Dees was terminated, more employees are stepping forward and calling out the nonprofit group saying that the environment that they were in at SPLC was a culture of “systemic problems with racism and sexism.”  At least two dozen employees of SPLC signed a letter alleging “mistreatment, sexual harassment, gender discrimination, and racism” by the SPLC after Dees was fired.  CNN spoke with three current employees of the organization who talked on condition of anonymity because of fears over possible retribution. It was one of those employees who cited the systemic problems with racism and sexism, and a second employee agreed with that assessment. But one of the employees who spoke to CNN alleged the organization suffers from a “pervasive racist culture” and an environment in which a woman is not seen or heard. She also said qualified African-American employees were regularly passed over for promotions — including one African-American colleague she describes as brilliant. She added, “My boss only hires white people.”  I have to admit that while the situation is very serious and sad, it is interesting watching this hateful, bigoted organization eat itself.  Conservative pundit Gavin McInnes has said that the SPLC wants everyone to believe that America is “frothing with bigots.” McInnes is suing the nonprofit for labeling his fraternal organization, the Proud Boys, a hate group.  And as the Washington Examiner‘s Beckett Adams wrote last week, the Southern Poverty Law Center is a “scam,” which has taken “no care whatsoever for the reputational and personal harm it causes by lumping Christians and anti-extremist activists with actual neo-Nazis.” As it turns out, the SPLC is a cynical money-making scheme, according to a former staffer’s blistering tell-all, published this week in the New Yorker. The center’s chief goal is to bilk naive and wealthy donors who believe it’s an earnest effort to combat bigotry. The only thing worse than a snarling partisan activist is a slimy conman who merely pretends to be one. –Washington Examiner ““Outside of work,” recalls Bob Moser of his days working for the organization, “we spent a lot of time drinking and dishing in Montgomery bars and restaurants about … the hyperbolic fund-raising appeals, and the fact that, though the center claimed to be effective in fighting extremism, ‘hate’ always continued to be on the rise, more dangerous than ever, with each year’s report on hate groups. ‘The S.P.L.C.—making hate pay,’ we’d say.” ***Visit our new FREE SPEECH community built exclusively for our readers. Click to Join The Deplorables Network Today!***  Of course, hiring the chief of staff of Michelle Obama, who was instrumental in fixing the Jussie Smollett “fake hate hoax” is probably not going to be a good public relations move for the SPLC in all of this, but not to worry, the media who has been using their lies for years, funded by George Soros, will no doubt continue to provide for this hateful, sexist, racist, bigoted criminal organization.  Tim Brown is an author and Editor at FreedomOutpost.com, SonsOfLibertyMedia.com, GunsInTheNews.com and TheWashingtonStandard.com. He is husband to his “more precious than rubies” wife, father of 10 “mighty arrows”, jack of all trades, Christian and lover of liberty. He resides in the U.S. occupied Great State of South Carolina. . Follow Tim on Twitter. Also check him out on Gab, Minds, MeWe, Spreely, Mumbl It and Steemit


thedenverpost--2019-04-03--A Colorado State University Ram Handler alleges racism discrimination in program promoting school

A Colorado State University Ram Handler alleges racism, discrimination in program promoting school

Colorado State University has been thrust in the national spotlight again on allegations of discrimination — this time, from a student who escorted the “Cam the Ram” mascot at events promoting school spirit.  Jessica Balasuriya, a student in agricultural and animal sciences, took to Facebook to share her experience as a “Ram Handler” over the past year-and-a-half. She accused team members and university officials of discriminating against her and other students of color.  University officials said in a statement they are taking her concerns seriously and since she initially raised her concerns in the fall, “several units on campus have been actively working to support her and address her allegations.”  Balasuriya said she felt it was time to share her story in a Facebook post on March 29, prompting others to share their experiences of discrimination and prejudice at CSU. Her public post garnered more than 1,200 shares and 469 comments from CSU students and others across the country.  “Ram Handling is an amazing program and it could be the best way to diversify the face of CSU. The face is now only white and that is not acceptable,” she wrote. “This team’s management, practices, and recruitment processes need to be investigated and recreated to uphold all Principles of Community along with all other policies and promises set forth by Colorado State University.”  Balasuriya joined the Ram Handlers team because she was struggling to fit into the College of Animal Sciences, she wrote.  The student from Oceanside, California, said she immediately noticed the lack of diversity at CSU among both faculty, staff and students. It didn’t help that she didn’t come from a place where she had a lot of agricultural experience. But she was willing to learn and “dive into the culture head first,” she wrote.  However, Balasuriya said joining the team didn’t go as planned.  “Recruitment practices included team members only approaching white, ‘boot wearing’ students,” she wrote. “One of the team members stated their desire to place ‘more hot girls on the team.'”  New team members selected after last year’s recruitment were all “white identifying,” and she was the only person who wasn’t during the last semester, she said.  In her post, Balasuriya detailed numerous events where she points to discrimination from the university as well as instances where she was excluded from team promotional materials.  She cited the annual Rocky Mountain Showdown football game against the arch-rival Colorado Buffaloes where she wasn’t selected to represent the team when the event would be on national television. Her adviser told her it was because of the “problematic issues about the team” that she brought up and her behavior at events, such as when she cried for being mistreated, her Facebook post said.  Balasuriya contacted the Student Resolution Center to get some help, but she alleges she was suspended from the team for doing so.  She cited another event in Denver in her post where she said she was excluded from certain aspects and was then reprimanded for not participating fully.  Throughout these encounters, she said her adviser never asked for her side of the story.  In January, she quit the program, she said.  “As Cam is the face of CSU, this really made me think about how this school portrays their image, and it was made very clear that I do not fit their mold that is recognized as superior or desirable,” she wrote.  Balasuriya does not discredit the program — she said she thinks it could benefit CSU greatly, especially with more diversity.  “I was forced to make the decision to leave this team because of the color of my skin,” she wrote. “I was treated badly for being a human being, for having feelings. I was mistreated for speaking up.”  The university said in its statement that in addition to the resolution center, the vice president for Diversity Office, the vice president for Student Affairs Office, the dean of students, the College of Agricultural Sciences, the Department of Animal Sciences, the Alumni Association and the Office of Equal Opportunity have all been involved in investigating her allegations.  “The concerns brought forward in this case are layered and complex involving issues of culture and accountability. We are taking steps to evaluate all related issues and areas, including making changes to ensure the Ram Handlers program is welcoming to all students of any identity from any major on campus,” the statement said.  University officials said they’re glad Balasuriya shared her concerns and encourage students to report incidents of bias at supportandsafety.colostate.edu/incidents-of-bias.  CSU has faced scrutiny for several instances of discrimination on campus, including an incident where two Native American brothers were pulled from a CSU tour last year when a parent called to report them because they were “quiet” and wearing dark clothing.  Former CSU President Tony Frank also addressed the campus following incidents of a fake noose found hanging in a residence hall and fliers found on campus associated with The Traditionalist Worker Party, a group labeled as extremist by the Southern Poverty Law Center.


theguardianuk--2019-04-08--Resurgent racism illustrates just how much work football still has to do Sean Ingle

Resurgent racism illustrates just how much work football still has to do | Sean Ingle

Still the virus spreads, and with the speed and malignancy of a pandemic. To Brentford, where a fan was arrested on Saturday for allegedly racially abusing Derby’s Duane Holmes. And Nottingham, where Northampton players were subjected to appalling racist language near their hotel. On Twitter, meanwhile, a warmed petri dish in which the vilest views fester and multiply, Crystal Palace’s Wilfried Zaha is called a “diving monkey” and the Wigan winger Nathan Byrne receives a message so offensive it is reported to the police.  And with each incident the clamour and question intensifies: is football doing enough? No, it’s not. Because for all the welcome words of condemnation, the fines and bans and diversity awareness-raising programmes, football fails every time a player speaks out about discrimination, or we hear language inside grounds that would normally lead to an arrest outside it.  One [recent study by academics](https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/19406940.2018.1479284) at Southampton Solent university also found that many supporters don’t believe enough is being done. The research, based on interviews with fans from 53 English clubs, found that fewer than half knew about Kick It Out’s smartphone app – which allows them to report discrimination on the spot – and more than a third lacked confidence that fans would be properly reprimanded for offences. As the academics point out, Kick It Out’s statistics support this scepticism, given only 36% of all cases of discrimination in the 2014‑15 season were disciplined.  The researchers, who were looking primarily at homophobic abuse, also found that many fans want stewards to carry out more of a policing role. But as one Millwall supporter put it: “They don’t get involved because they would get so much abuse from people.” Others suggested that using football banning orders for abuse, more retrospective punishments and having more police inside grounds would all help to tackle the problem.  Meanwhile more of us also need to recognise that discrimination creeps into the boardroom and boot room, too. How could it not when, according to Stephen Bradbury, a lecturer at Loughborough University, “Less than 1% of senior governance positions at professional clubs, league associations, and national federations across Europe and at Uefa are held by minority staff”.  In 2016 Bradbury and two other academics interviewed 40 black and minority ethnic coaches in England, France and the Netherlands [and found that](https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/1367549418823057) “while overt forms of racism were a relatively rare occurrence within the professional coaching workplace … around two thirds of interviewees referred to the continued incidence of more subtle, nuanced, and codified racisms”.  What does that mean? Well, in some cases minority ethnic coaches felt that places on high-level courses were prioritised towards white candidates who were ex-pros. As one black Uefa B licence manager in France, who had coached at Ligue 2 level, put it: “The problem is co-option. They choose themselves. They choose those who are the same as them, who played with them, and they’re not interested in anyone else.”  When it comes to recruiting managers, Bradbury argues that some clubs demonstrate “patterns of institutional closure”. In other words, they tend to recruit coaches from a limited “knowledge bank” of already known applicants from the football industry. As one highly qualified Moroccan coach in the Netherlands put it: “In football, becoming a coach, it is not about how much you know, but about how many people you know.”  This is precisely why those of us in favour of the Rooney Rule – which would require clubs to interview at least one BAME candidate for all managerial and first-team coach roles, as well as some youth development positions – believe it can make a difference. It is a nudge not a push, but it puts new faces in front of chairmen.  The Rooney Rule has been introduced by the Football League, but [a study ](https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/17430437.2018.1490269)[of British Asian coaches](https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/17430437.2018.1490269) trying to make their way in the game suggests it doesn’t help those further down football’s food chain.  As one coach put it: “I apply for semi-pro jobs the majority of the time and I never get an interview. I’ve applied for two or three hundred jobs. I’ve got an A licence. I’ve managed a national team … I can tell you how it works. A job comes up. I email. They acknowledge my email. A couple of weeks later I’m told that I’ve not been selected. The only time I have ever managed in England has been because I’ve known the chairman personally.”  One solution, researchers suggest, is for more equality and unconscious bias training for academy personnel, along with diversifying selection panels when it comes to recruiting coaches.  Of course some will say that football’s problems are merely a reflection of wider society, and with some justification. A 2017 report, for instance, found that applicants with a “Muslim-sounding name” are three times less likely to be called for an interview in comparison with those with a perceived “white” or “English-sounding” name – while another from 2004 noted that people with “black‑sounding names” are 50% less likely to be called back for a job interview.  However, that’s no reason for football not to push harder to be better. After all, as one coach put it to Bradbury: “It’s much easier to break a glass ceiling by stamping down on it from above, than it is to punch it through from below.” The question is, how much does football really want to get its marching boots on?