Anti-Racism
I have a question for white people.
I will preface it with an excerpt from a recent email sent by a reader named James. He wrote: “It is the blacks who are by far the most racist of all people as they can’t seem to simply forget their damn color and move on with life, get more education and skills, manage their money, stay married, stay out of crime and live a good life.”
I share this email not because it’s surprising, but, rather, because it’s common. Indeed, it’s a rare day when I don’t get three just like it before lunch.
Which brings me to the aforementioned question for white people — or at least, for white people who, like James, fret about African-American bigotry. The question is this:
How, precisely, does all this “black racism” impact your life?
Does it cause police to be called out while you are barbecuing in a park, swimming in a public pool, smoking in a parking garage, sitting in a coffee shop or otherwise minding your own business?
Does it cause politicians to close polling places in your neighborhood, or pass Photo ID laws demanding forms of identification you literally cannot get, in order to suppress your vote?
Does it impact your health? (“African Americans are routinely under-treated for their pain compared with whites, according to research.” — Washington Post, April 4, 2016.)
Your wealth? (“According to a new study … median Black and Latino households will lose the little relative wealth they have by about the time people of color form a majority of households in the U.S. By 2053, Black households will have a median wealth of zero.” — Forbes, Sept. 11, 2017.)
Your housing? (“A half-century after the Fair Housing Act became a civil-rights landmark, multiple studies show housing in America is nearly as segregated as it was when LBJ enacted a law designed to eliminate it.” — U.S. News and World Report, April 20, 2018.)
Your children? (“Racial bias against black students begins long before they get to their teens — it starts in preschool, according to a study released today from the Yale Child Study Center.” — U.S. News and World Report, Sept. 28, 2016.)
The Anti-Racism Network of SA (Arnsa) on November 1 and 2 comes at an important time – when we’re seeing distinct shifts globally towards right wing, fascist thinking. We are living in an increasingly polarised world, with policies and practices that are often framed by sentiment that is anti-immigration, anti-Black, anti-Muslim and anti-Semitic. This encroaching narrow conservatism is intersectional, negatively affecting the most vulnerable in society.
Speaking at the UN General Assembly four years ago, anti-apartheid struggle veteran Ahmed Kathrada said that “we can safely assume that we might be at a crossroads with regard to the resurgence of global racism”.
Since then, we’ve seen Donald Trump’s ascendance and the emergence of right-wing political parties across Europe. In the developing world, we’ve seen the troubling emergence of Hindu nationalism, while in Brazil we’re witnessing the growing popularity of the right-wing.
In South Africa, not only have we had repeated xenophobic attacks, but we now have the African Basic Movement, whose core mandate is to get rid of foreigners. We have written to the Independent Electoral Commission, calling for the party’s deregistration.
We also have examples of how narrow interest groups have gained recognition and support. People are increasingly being mobilised around ethnic, tribal or racial identity in a bid to secure resources or government services. Others have established links abroad, as with AfriForum’s recent lobbying expedition to Washington.
READ: Real Racism
Beyond the broader global context, there is the day-to-day lived experience of entrenched structural racism and personal racism. We have had our fair share of everything from school policy discrimination to the racist vitriol of various individuals.
These local and international examples point to several trends: a growing expression of overt racism without shame or fear for the consequences; leadership positions being won on populist, nationalist rhetoric; the use of electoral or other platforms to legitimise racist policies or narratives; and the emergence of organised right wing movements that are increasingly interconnected.
When Kathrada delivered his UN speech, he called for the “Greenpeace of anti-racism” – for progressive organisations globally to present the alternative, the counter-narrative to the emerging global right. To do this, local formations dedicated to fighting racism will be required to organise themselves into a national coalition. This is essentially the base that Arnsa aims to build.
National coalitions will have to develop links with similar organisations globally. Arnsa has set up links with the European Network Against Racism and other organisations, but these relationships need to be strengthened and extended to a broader international network. In a grassroots way, irrespective of its size, an organisation can play an important role in building a united front against the growing threat of globally coordinated racism.
How to Challenge Racism in College Admissions
Challenge Racism in College Admissions
Colleges and universities in the United States have long prioritized race over academic fit in admissions decisions in order to achieve “student-body diversity.”
According to a 1978 U.S. Supreme Court decision, this practice—known as affirmative action—is legal, so long as race is only one of many considerations.
1 In essence, this ruling outlawed racial quotas (i.e., reserving a specific number of seats for particular minorities).
But allows institutions to give minorities the equivalent of bonus points for being minorities.
Although the justices attempted to prevent the possibility that a candidate could be denied admission for not being a minority.
Spots are limited—so bonus points for one candidate could mean another of higher merit is not accepted.
In the 1978 Supreme Court decision, Harvard College was cited as an exemplar of affirmative action.
Not only does Harvard—the world’s most prestigious institution of higher education—continue its modus operandi of favoring minorities in admissions decisions, but it does so explicitly as a matter of official policy.
It is, ironic, therefore, that the college is in court this week, being sued for allegedly discriminating against minorities, specifically Asians.
Cape Town – Chase the DA away. When they knock at your door to campaign for next year’s elections, chase the DA away because they are racist, focused only on advancing white people.
So said Atlantis councillor Greg Bernado who, along with chief whip Shaun August and mayco members Siyabulela Mamkeli, Suzette Little and Thulani van der Stemela, resigned from the DA on Thursday.
The five party members resigned shortly after executive mayor Patricia de Lille had addressed a full council sitting at the Civic Centre.
They cited racism and victimisation by the party’s higher echelon as one of the main reasons for their departure.
“I would like to tell communities: they (DA) are busy with their campaigns. When they come to your door, chase them away. They are a bunch of liars, they are a bunch of deceivers,” Bernado said.
De Lille said she had suffered vicious attacks for over a year in a council that was hell-bent on smearing her name.
Two Bowmans reports probing De Lille had contradictory findings, she said, in that in one report into corruption and maladministration in the City of Cape Town, she is reportedly found to be complicit in irregularities.
The second report, however, absolved her, De Lille said.
De Lille also gave those who accused her of using City money to renovate her home a chance to publicly apologize.
Failing that, she would take legal action against them, De Lille said.
August took to social media shortly after his resignation to explain his reasons.
“I can no longer support a racist regime who continue to undermine my fight for non-racialism and equality. I can no longer serve a party that claims a particular set of values but acts contrary to those values. I can no longer serve a party that is inconsistent with the application of rules, where some are above them. I will continue to serve the people of South Africa in any capacity and will endeavour to do so with integrity and the principles that will put our citizens before us as politicians,” August said.
When asked about whether they were concerned about how the exodus could negatively affect the party, provincial leader Bonginkosi Madikizela said: “It is concerning because you want to grow and not lose people. We would have loved to retain these members, but they’ve taken a decision to leave, which means we must focus on two very important things, service delivery and preparing for the elections next year.”
He added that it was not “something new for people to break away”.
The same people “who are crying foul can be accused of the very same allegations they are making”, Madikizela said.
He said the party was taking a “strong stance” to get to the bottom of the allegations.
While the vacancies of the five councillors were now available, DA Cape Metro chairperson Grant Twigg said: “We have vacancies now and we will go through normal processes to fill them.”
Asked whether there was a name on the table to replace August, Twigg answered “no”.
The deputy chairperson of the DA federal council, Thomas Walters, said the party was not racist.
“There is nothing original about calling the DA racist. The DA has the most diverse leadership and electorate of all political parties in South Africa. That, I think, is enough of an answer to people playing the race card. There are also allegations of intimidation that are downright untrue.”
Romania will have to play its next competitive game behind closed doors and its soccer association has been fined by UEFA for racist chants and banners at a Nations League game.
UEFA says the Romanian soccer association was fined 50,000 euros ($57,080) for the racist behavior of its supporters and another 23,000 euros ($26,250) for fans invading the field and lighting fireworks at the national stadium in Bucharest.
UEFA previously said the “racist behavior” included incidents targeting Romanian neighbor Hungary when the national team played to a 0-0 draw against Serbia on Oct 14.
Romania fans also held up a banner linking refugees to terrorism, and a video posted on social media showed fans chanting a slogan supporting Serbia’s territorial claim to Kosovo.
Romania hosts Lithuania in the UEFA Nations League on Nov. 17.
UEFA says the Romanian soccer association was fined 50,000 euros ($57,080) for the racist behavior of its supporters and another 23,000 euros ($26,250) for fans invading the field and lighting fireworks at the national stadium in Bucharest.UEFA previously said the “racist behavior” included incidents targeting Romanian neighbor Hungary when the national team played to a 0-0 draw against Serbia on Oct 14.Romania fans also held up a banner linking refugees to terrorism, and a video posted on social media showed fans chanting a slogan supporting Serbia’s territorial claim to Kosovo.Romania hosts Lithuania in the UEFA Nations League on Nov. 17.UEFA says the Romanian soccer association was fined 50,000 euros ($57,080) for the racist behavior of its supporters and another 23,000 euros ($26,250) for fans invading the field and lighting fireworks at the national stadium in Bucharest.UEFA previously said the “racist behavior” included incidents targeting Romanian neighbor Hungary when the national team played to a 0-0 draw against Serbia on Oct 14.omania fans also held up a banner linking refugees to terrorism, and a video posted on social media showed fans chanting a slogan supporting Serbia’s territorial claim to Kosovo.
The Crypt of Civilization is arguably the largest time capsule in the world. Housed in a basement at a university north of Atlanta, this underground chamber with a massive stainless-steel door was packed with artifacts, then welded shut on May 25, 1940.
The crypt was designed to preserve a picture of life in the 1930s for humans thousands of years in the future. Inside are stacks of records and film reels alongside 640,000 pages of books shot onto microfilmed pages. There are appliances, clothing, preserved food, an original copy of the script of Gone With the Wind donated by its director, a bottle of Vaseline, and a “Negro doll.” There’s even a phonograph designed to teach English words if future civilizations have forgotten the language. No electricity? No problem. A tiny windmill can run a generator to produce current.
The crypt was made to be opened in 8113 c.e., a date based on the difference between when the project began—1936—and what at the time was thought to be the first year of the Egyptian calendar. The crypt’s return would be as far removed from the present as the present was from the pharaonic past.
Thornwell Jacobs, a historian and an educator, was the prime mover of the crypt. Jacobs felt an acute lack of understanding of everyday lives in his own historical investigations. “Had it not been for such a natural catastrophe as the eruption of Vesuvius, the glories of Pompeii and Herculaneum would never have been revealed to our sight,” he wrote in his memoirs, which he included in the chamber. He also expressed a subtler desire to preserve the culture of the American South, which he argued was slipping away day by day. Thus he sealed his vision of the present into a room at Oglethorpe University, where he served as president from its refounding in 1913 through 1941.
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Low-cost carrier Ryanair has issued a statement to clarify its response to an incident in which a woman was racially abused on one of its flights, and accused the daughter of the victim of making an “untrue” claim about whether the airline made an apology. Ryanair also implied its cabin crew had not understood the seriousness of the incident at the time, which happened while passengers were boarding a flight from Barcelona to Stansted last Friday.
In a statement, Ryanair said it “immediately wrote . . . to the female passenger at 11am on Sunday morning, apologising sincerely for what happened on board the aircraft . . . We also invited the passenger to contact the airline if they wished to discuss the matter further. The claim made in the media in recent days, that Ryanair did not contact or apologise to the female passenger, is untrue.” Carol Gayle, daughter of victim Delsie Gayle, said in the days after the incident: “Nobody has apologised. We’ve not had nothing. We just want an open apology from Ryanair.”
However, on Friday Ryanair made public copies of a letter and an email that it said had been sent on Sunday morning from the airline’s customer disruptions manager to Ms Gayle: “On behalf of Ryanair, may I sincerely apologise for what happened on board our aircraft,” the letter said. Ryanair also said it only became aware of a video of the incident — in which a man identified as David Mesher called Mrs Gayle “an ugly black bastard” — late on Saturday, October 20, “when it gained widespread coverage on social media.” The airline said it reported the incident to the police at 9am the next morning. It implied its cabin crew had not understood the seriousness of the incident at the time: “While these events were videoed by another passenger on a mobile phone, this video was not shown to cabin crew until after landing in London Stansted.”
Mr Mesher spoke to media on Friday morning, saying he was “not a racist person by any means” and apologising for Mrs Gayle’s distress. He claimed it was “just a fit of temper at the time”. The airline said: “Ryanair’s Spanish cabin crew were aware of an argument between these two passengers during the boarding process, but were not aware of, as they were not present when, racist comments that were made by the male passenger towards the female passenger.” Robin Kiely, head of communications at Ryanair, said the airline had “treated [the incident] with the urgency and seriousness it warranted”.
“We trust that this statement will address the inaccurate media coverage of this incident over recent days, and that the legal rights of both passengers will be respected, while the police services in Essex and Barcelona conduct their investigation of this matter, with Ryanair’s full co-operation and assistance.”
Principal who used N-word repeatedly says the slur ‘was used in context’ during anti-racism discussions
used N-word repeatedly says the slur ‘was used in context’ during anti-racism discussions
A high school principal who uttered the N-word on multiple occasions insists he used it in the context of antiracism discussions.
According to the Cincinnati Enquirer, Doug Leist, the principal of Kings High School first used the N-word in January during a staff meeting.
Days after a basketball team that included King students wore jerseys bearing racial slurs. In a discussion about countering racism, Leist was heard using the word.
Then, in September, the principal reportedly repeated it to a black student who wanted to play a pep rally song that contained the N-word.
In that discussion, Leist reportedly used the word three different times to convey why it was inappropriate.
“He could’ve easily said ‘the N-word’ or ‘inappropriate language’ and I would have got the point,” the student said, according to the Enquirer. “I was extremely uncomfortable.”
Racism in Education, Religion and Neoliberalism: Empowering the anti-minority extremists?
The highly-educated and hyper-religious Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka is consistently failing to apply inclusive, just, and peaceful approaches to resolving the country’s violent inter-communal clashes. The unfolding narrative of recent anti-Muslim riots in six villages scattered throughout the Kandy district, and its aftermath, is remarkably like anti-minority riots since 1915. Further instances of such violence are highly likely unless sincere attempts are made to address the proliferation of racism, particularly by educational and religious institutions, in the context of nation-building under the rule of neoliberalism.
The Unfolding Narrative
What began as a spontaneous altercation between a few individuals taking the law into their own hands to settle a road rage incident, triggered a spiral of violence against the entire life, property and places of worship of Muslims. M.G. Kumarasinghe (41) a Sinhalese lorry driver, was assaulted by three Muslim youth in a spontaneous altercation over his refusal to allow a three-wheel taxi to overtake. The assailants were apprehended, released on bail as is usual in assault cases, and then rearrested following the assault victim’s death seven days later.
As a result of postcolonial racialized minority narratives, such symptomatic violence against the Muslim minority is one among many incidents where Sri Lankans use violence with impunity to settle disputes, and such incidents do not generally spark public outrage and reprisals against those not directly involved.
The funeral of Mr. Kumarasinghe, held in a remote Ambala village in the Kandy district, attracted strangers, including politicians and media personalities. Such an elaborate display of public sympathy would not have happened if the death had no meaning in the anti-Muslim identity politics. Certainly, no evidence of such sympathy was apparent at the funeral of a Muslim person killed in the riots.
The incident in Digana was virtually unknown to most of the country’s population until forces unrelated to Kumarasinghe’s family resorted to anti-Muslim violence, which spread to other areas. Attacks continued despite the imposition of a curfew, until about a week after Kumarasinghe’s death. The locations of the attacks where Muslims are isolated among Sinhalese and Tamils seem to have a spatial logic that embodies intentional expressions of nation-building narratives.
Anti-racism event has to move venue after threats
Anti-racism event has to move venue after threats
A Church of Scotland venue has cancelled an event highlighting anti-Irish racism in Scotland after receiving threats of violence.
Call It Out, a group campaigning against anti-Catholic and Irish prejudice.
Was due to be launched at the Renfield St Stephen’s centre in Glasgow next week. However, the venue in Bath Street revoked the booking after receiving threats it believed to be credible.
Police were called to the building last year after dozens of loyalists turned out to protest at Francie Molloy, the Sinn Fein MP for Mid Ulster, who gave a talk on Irish reunification.