by Zeba Blay via huffingtonpost.com
The University of Mississippi is taking major strides in acknowledging its racist history. The institution, affectionately known as Ole Miss, announced plans on Thursday to recognize pre-Civil War campus buildings that were built by slaves.
According to NBC, in addition to placing plaques on buildings built by slaves, the university will also remove the name of white supremacist James K. Vardaman from a campus building. Vardaman was the governor of Mississippi from 1904 to 1908. “As an educational institution, it is imperative we foster a learning environment and fulfill our mission by pursuing knowledge and understanding,” Chancellor Jeffrey Vitter said in a news release.
Ole Miss famously became embroiled in racial tension and violence in 1962, when James Meredith became the first black student to attend the institution as the result of court-ordered integration. The move is part of an ongoing process on the campus to reconcile with its past, provide historical context, and create a more welcoming environment for a diverse student body.
To read and see more, go to: Ole Miss To Post Signs Recognizing Campus Buildings Built By Slave Labor | HuffPost
Posts tagged as “racial discrimination”
article by Adebola Adeniyi via venturesafrica.com
On Wednesday, a United States Attorney, Preet Bharara, filed a suit in Manhattan against multinational bank, JPMorgan Chase & Co., after over 53,000 African-American and Hispanic borrowers were charged more for home loans than white borrowers with the same credit and risk profiles by the bank’s authorised mortgage brokers.
JPMorgan Chase & Co was indicted by the mortgage brokers the bank engages in originating loans, and in this case, wholesale loans were disbursed to clients. According to an allegation made by a compliant, Chase allowed brokers to change rates charged for loans from those initially set based on objective credit-related factors.
The banking institution was found guilty of knowingly violating the US Fair Housing Act and the Equal Credit Opportunity Act between 2006 and 2009. There were claims that the bank acted with careless disdain towards over 53,000 African-American and Hispanic borrowers. The spokeswoman for JPMorgan, Elizabeth Seymour said the bank agreed to settle the allegation made by the complaint but denies any form of misconduct reaffirming that the bank is dedicated to providing equal access to credit.
To read full article, go to: JPMorgan to pay $55 million in racial discrimination suit – Ventures Africa
Also: http://www.usatoday.com/story/money/2017/01/18/us-accuses-jpmorgan-mortgage-discrimination-lawsuit/96710486/
article via theroot.com
President Barack Obama returned to his Harvard Law Review roots (he was the first black president of hundred-plus year old journal in his last year at the school) as he penned a 55-page-article on criminal justice reform, how his administration has moved the needle, and how far we have to go.
Entitled “The President’s Role in Advancing Criminal Justice Reform,” the piece appeared in the January 2017 edition of the illustrious book, and according to Harvard magazine, “largely restates the bipartisan case for criminal-justice reform, with an emphasis on mass incarceration’s financial cost.”
Obama did touch on the racial bias in our criminal justice policymaking in the article, writing:
A large body of research finds that, for similar offenses, members of the African American and Hispanic communities are more likely to be stopped, searched, arrested, convicted, and sentenced to harsher penalties. Rates of parental incarceration are two to seven times higher for African American and Hispanic children. Over the past thirty years, the share of African American adults with a past felony conviction—and who have paid their debt to society—has more than tripled, and one in four African American men outside the correctional system now has a felony record. This number is in addition to the one in twenty African American men under correctional supervision…The system of mass incarceration has endured for as long as it has in part because of the school-to-prison pipeline and political opposition to reform that insisted on ‘a stern dose of discipline—more policy, more prisons, more personal responsibility, and an end to welfare.’ Today, however, much of that opposition has receded, replaced by broad agreement that policies put in place in that era are not a good match for the challenges of today.
To read full article, go to: President Obama Pens 55-Page Article on Criminal Justice
Today I woke up to a Facebook post that my roommate from college shared on her feed. Her response to that tauntingly generic Facebook encouragement— “What’s on your mind?” seemed a little more perturbed, urgent and determined than usual: “This is a must read! #blacklivesmatter #takeaknee and if u don’t like my hashtags feel free to unfollow me.” Whoa… okay, she had my attention. I found my glasses and I was in. The share was an essay by Solange Knowles about her recent experience with racial discrimination at a Kraftwerk concert.
The essay is entitled “And Do You Belong? I Do…”, and the title is a pretty good indication of what follows. Here we go, I thought… I am about to read about how someone had caused Beyoncé’s sister to feel some type of way. I knew it would be a truthful expression of Solange having to deal with some, well… ignorant mess. I’ve certainly been there. This was going to be a level of discrimination probably more than the norm though, because why else make such an effort to share?
Solange’s essay is thought-provoking and definitely worth the read. She is insightful and honest about her past experiences with racial discrimination, as well as her recent encounter while trying to dance and enjoy music with her family.
Though the content of the post is not surprising – again, so many of us have been there – the trash throwing did surprise me. (Yes, someone throws trash at Solange and her family.) Really?? It was taken there??? But instead of responding in the moment in a way that likely would have brought negative attention to her and her family, I have to applaud Solange for instead turning to Twitter, then laying it out there again in writing, as well as covering the anticipated naysayers with intelligent responses.
Here is her essay in its entirety:
http://saintheron.com/featured/and-do-you-belong-i-do/
In light of GBN’s own essay on personal discrimination:
https://goodblacknews.org/2016/07/14/editorial-what-i-said-when-my- white-friend-asked-for-my-black-opinion-on-white-privilege/
We are reminded by her action that knowledge is power, well-chosen words are power, and speaking up in protest is power. I think it’s important that she bravely lays it out there for the world to hear.
Thank you, Solange.
Though the content of the post is not surprising – again, so many of us have been there – the trash throwing did surprise me. (Yes, someone throws trash at Solange and her family.) Really?? It was taken there??? But instead of responding in the moment in a way that likely would have brought negative attention to her and her family, I have to applaud Solange for instead turning to Twitter, then laying it out there again in writing, as well as covering the anticipated naysayers with intelligent responses.
Here is her essay in its entirety:
http://saintheron.com/featured/and-do-you-belong-i-do/
In light of GBN’s own essay on personal discrimination:
https://goodblacknews.org/2016/07/14/editorial-what-i-said-when-my- white-friend-asked-for-my-black-opinion-on-white-privilege/
We are reminded by her action that knowledge is power, well-chosen words are power, and speaking up in protest is power. I think it’s important that she bravely lays it out there for the world to hear.
Thank you, Solange.
Telecom giant AT&T has fired an executive who was sued this week for allegedly using his work cell phone to keep and send racially offensive images. Aaron Slator was fired as AT&T’s President of Content and Advertising Sales after employee Knoyme King, 50, accused him and other executives at AT&T of subjecting her to discriminatory behavior.
“There is no place for demeaning behavior within AT&T, and we regret the action was not taken earlier,” the company said in a statement confirming Slator’s dismissal.
The images at issue were found in Slator’s possession when he asked an assistant to transfer data from an old phone to a new one, the lawsuit said.
One of the images depicted an African child dancing with the racist caption “It’s Friday N—-s,” the lawsuit said. According to the lawsuit, Slator once sent the image in a text describing it as “an oldie but a goodie.”
“Slator harbors obvious and deep-seated racial animus toward African Americans,” the lawsuit obtained by the Daily News said. “Slator’s decisions regarding hiring, firing, promotions and raises are infected by his racism.”
The suit, filed Monday in Los Angeles County Superior Court, names multiple defendants including Slator, company CEO Randall Stephenson, other executives at the company’s Los Angeles office and board member Joyce Roche.
King’s lawyer Louis (Skip) Miller said Tuesday that Slator’s termination will not affect the lawsuit moving forward. “If anything, it’s an admission of liability. It proves we’re right, that it all happened,” Miller told The News.
He said the lawsuit is bigger than one image or one executive.
“The issues in this case are age, race and gender discrimination, and they don’t stop with Aaron Slator. These images and issues were reported a year and a half ago, and the company swept them under the rug,” Miller said.
He called King a “very nice lady” who spent 30 years building a career at AT&T and deserved better. According to the lawsuit, King, who is African American, was passed over for promotions and given unfair pay because of her race and age. “She’s a very down to earth, earnest, hard-working and loyal woman,” Miller said of King. “And she thought she’d have a career where she could move up. She never had a chance.”
article by Nancy Dillon via nydailynews.com
SAN JOSE — San Jose State has expelled three of the students charged with the racially-tinged bullying of a freshman and extended one other student’s suspension, requiring him to go to counseling and to remain on probation for the rest of his college career if he returns to school.
All four had been suspended pending final disciplinary action for allegedly subjecting then-17-year-old Donald Williams Jr. to repeated abuse, including wrestling him to the ground and fastening a bike lock around his neck, calling him racially derogatory names, locking him in his room and displaying a Confederate flag.
The university’s move comes after news surfaced in November that the freshman reported being tormented relentlessly for weeks. The revelation sparked community outrage, an internal investigation, an apology from the college president, criminal charges and the creation of a task force. All four suspects have pleaded not guilty to misdemeanor battery and hate crime charges.
African-American leaders were pleased to learn Friday that the university had taken stern disciplinary action. The expelled students are banned for life from enrolling in any California State University college, according to university documents and sources familiar with the investigation.
“It’s a no-brainer,” said LaDoris Cordell, a retired judge and city police watchdog who chaired the task force. “They have no business being enrolled at SJSU.”
From the Times London:
Scotland Yard was found guilty today (May 14) of discrimination, harassment and victimisation against a black, gay officer who was dismissed for “discrediting the police service”.
The overwhelming ruling by an Employment Appeal Tribunal in favour of Kevin Maxwell raises questions about the Metropolitan Police’s public commitment to stamp out racism in its ranks.
Sir Bernard Hogan-Howe, the Met commissioner, pledged last year to be the “implacable enemy” of racism after a series of allegations against his officers.
Mr Maxwell, 34, a former detective constable in the Met’s Counter-terrorism Command, has fought a three-year legal battle with the Met since lodging a complaint about his treatment.
Stationed at Heathrow airport he complained of homophobic remarks and said ethnic minority officers were used as a “buffer” to stop passengers who would then be passed to white officers to be searched.
He lodged an employment tribunal claim but details of it, and especially comments about his sexuality, were leaked to The Sun newspaper.
In February 2012 an employment tribunal ruled in Mr Maxwell’s favor and also criticised senior Met officers for not appearing to understand their own policies on supporting whistleblowers. Against the advice of the tribunal, the Met launched an appeal against the ruling.
Sir Bernard Hogan-Howe, the Met commissioner, pledged last year to be the “implacable enemy” of racism after a series of allegations against his officers.
Mr Maxwell, 34, a former detective constable in the Met’s Counter-terrorism Command, has fought a three-year legal battle with the Met since lodging a complaint about his treatment.
Stationed at Heathrow airport he complained of homophobic remarks and said ethnic minority officers were used as a “buffer” to stop passengers who would then be passed to white officers to be searched.
He lodged an employment tribunal claim but details of it, and especially comments about his sexuality, were leaked to The Sun newspaper.
In February 2012 an employment tribunal ruled in Mr Maxwell’s favor and also criticised senior Met officers for not appearing to understand their own policies on supporting whistleblowers. Against the advice of the tribunal, the Met launched an appeal against the ruling.
Remember how good you felt when Black History Month rolled around and you finally got to learn and talk about significant African American historical figures in school? Well, according to new research published in the Journal of Child Development, affirming a black child’s desire to learn about their race does more than just give them a personal boost, it helps them academically as well.
The study, conducted by Ming-Te Wang and James P. Huguley of the University of Pittsburgh and Harvard University respectively, found that “racial socialization”—teaching kids about their culture and involving them in activities that promote racial pride and connection—helps to offset the discrimination and racial prejudices children face by the outside world.