Tag Archives: race matters

‘You Don’t Belong Here’: Long Island Black Family Receives Hateful Note From Racist White Neighbors

Black Family Receives Hateful Note From Racist White Neighbors Police on Long Island say their hate crimes unit is investigating an anonymous note sent to a black resident asking her and her family to leave the town, which the letter said is “84 percent white.” Via NBC New York : “ATTN: AFRICAN-AMERICAN FAMILY,” the all-caps note read. “THIS IS COMING FROM LINDENHURST COMMUNITY.” “YOU DON’T BELONG HERE,” the letter continued. “PLEASE LEAVE LINDENHURST AS SOON AS YOU CAN. IT WILL BE BETTER FOR ALL OF US.” The letter urged the woman to find a town “WHERE THERE ARE MORE PEOPLE LIKE YOU,” and ended with, “SORRY IF THIS IS RUDE, BUT IT’S THE TRUTH.” Darcell Copes lives in the home with her three grown children and five young grandchildren. “I went from being fearful, protecting my family, to being totally confused, and wanted to know who and why,” she told NBC 4 New York Friday. “Today, it becomes even deeper: is it someone in the school district, is it the guy at the corner store, is it my neighbor down the street? Where?” Daughter Ronica Copes uploaded a photo of the menacing, hateful letter to Facebook, and the image has since been shared more than 1,500 times. Dozens of Facebook commenters expressed outrage about the letter, postmarked May 19. “Sooooo, I’m checking my mail and when I come across this I can’t help but laugh… wait, it’s not funny though,” Ronica Copes wrote on her Facebook page. “Where they do that at? Oh yeah Lindenhurst. Unbelievable but then it’s not … our daily reality, I’ve just never seen it in this form.” The Copes said they’ve been receiving support from the community. The family has lived in the home for two years and say they hadn’t experienced overt racism in the past since moving there — but the letter is proof that alive and well in 2015, and they’re not shocked. Babylon Town and Lindenhurst Village condemned the letter for its “racist hateful views” in a joint statement obtained by Lindenhurst Patch Friday. You can’t be serious!

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‘You Don’t Belong Here’: Long Island Black Family Receives Hateful Note From Racist White Neighbors

Racist Internet Trolls Deface Black Lesbian Facebook Event Page With Homophobic Slurs And Offers To “Bring KFC”

Black Lesbian Facebook Page Flooded With Racist And Homophobic Slurs Keyboard courage never ceases to amaze us… Via RawStory The Facebook page for an event held by the group Black Lesbian United in California was forced to shut down after being overrun by thousands of Internet trolls — many of them white men — who pledged to “attend” it, Pink News reports. On the group’s page, trolls posted a flood of racist and homophobic comments. Some trolls asked if they could come because they “know a black guy” and some offered to “bring the KFC.” Links to hardcore lesbian porn were posted on the page. “I’m a straight white boy but have big ambititions [sic] to one day be a black lesbian,” one man commented. Some users stood up for the group and criticized the trolls. “To the black lesbians who only came to this page to find happiness and acceptance in their sexuality I want to give a sincere apology for the twisted sick people who have written racist or homophobic comments to you,” a commenter wrote. “Nobody deserves to be treated that way no matter how f**king funny those idiots think they are. Keep being proud of who you are and don’t listen to the insecure people below xx Once again I am truly sorry.” Due to the huge amount of abuse, Black Lesbians United removed the event page. Can’t eem put together a lil’ function on the ‘book without azzholes pissing in the rainbow-colored kool-aid… Image via Facebook

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Racist Internet Trolls Deface Black Lesbian Facebook Event Page With Homophobic Slurs And Offers To “Bring KFC”

Video Shows Terrifying Moments Before Freight Train Hits MARTA Bus In Atlanta, Injuring 6

Six Injured On City Bus Struck By Freight Train In Atlanta Via WSBTV : MARTA officials said the bus crossed the train tracks on Welcome All Road to make a left onto Ben Hill Road. Traffic had backed up from the light and a portion of the bus was still on the tracks when the train crashed into it, according to MARTA officials. The bus was hit once, spun around and was hit again, MARTA officials said. Surveillance video from inside and outside the bus shows several different angles of the crash. WSBTV

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Video Shows Terrifying Moments Before Freight Train Hits MARTA Bus In Atlanta, Injuring 6

Race Matters: Are You Surprised To Learn Harvard University Is Facing Racial Bias Accusations From THIS Ethnicity?

Asian Americans File Discrimination Complaint Against Harvard It’s not like we’ve never heard stories about racism at Harvard before but are you surprised to learn that Asians feel the school has unfair admissions policies? According to Wall Street Journal reports: A complaint Friday alleged that Harvard University discriminates against Asian-American applicants by setting a higher bar for admissions than that faced by other groups. The complaint, filed by a coalition of 64 organizations, says the university has set quotas to keep the numbers of Asian-American students significantly lower than the quality of their applications merits. It cites third-party academic research on the SAT exam showing that Asian-Americans have to score on average about 140 points higher than white students, 270 points higher than Hispanic students and 450 points higher than African-American students to equal their chances of gaining admission to Harvard. The exam is scored on a 2400-point scale. The complaint was filed with the U.S. Education Department’s Office for Civil Rights. “Many studies have indicated that Harvard University has been engaged in systemic and continuous discrimination against Asian-Americans during its very subjective ‘Holistic’ college admissions process,” the complaint alleges. The coalition is seeking a federal investigation and is requesting Harvard “immediately cease and desist from using stereotypes, racial biases and other discriminatory means in evaluating Asian-American applicants.” Robert Iuliano, Harvard’s general counsel, said the school’s admissions policies are “fully compliant with the law.” The school says its admissions process takes into account a variety of factors besides academics, including applicants’ extracurricular activities and leadership qualities. “Within its holistic admissions process, and as part of its effort to build a diverse class, Harvard College has demonstrated a strong record of recruiting and admitting Asian American students,” Mr. Iuliano said in a statement. He said the percentage of Asian-American students admitted to the undergraduate school rose to 21% from less than 18% in the past decade. But the group that filed the complaint said that percentage should be much higher given the increasing numbers of Asian-American students that apply. The complaint argues that elite schools “that use race-neutral admissions” have far higher Asian-American enrollment than Harvard. At California Institute of Technology, for instance, about 40% of undergraduates are Asian-American, about twice that at Harvard. The allegations come six months after a group called Students for Fair Admissions argued in a federal lawsuit that Harvard uses preferences to reach specific racial balance on its campuses. Do you think Harvard should change their policy? And how crazy is the test score difference between Blacks and Asians? Does this complaint surprise you? Shutterstock

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Race Matters: Are You Surprised To Learn Harvard University Is Facing Racial Bias Accusations From THIS Ethnicity?

Must See: Hip-Hop Hero Killer Mike Talks Race, Baltimore, And Black Culture On Bill Maher [Video]

Killer Mike Makes An Appearance On Real Time With Bill Maher When Killer Mike is on the mic, it’s imperative that you listen… Flip the page to see more of Mike speaking truth to power. Image via YouTube

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Must See: Hip-Hop Hero Killer Mike Talks Race, Baltimore, And Black Culture On Bill Maher [Video]

Study Shows Blacks Are More Likely To Take On Student Loan Debt And Default Than Whites

Blacks Are More Likely To Take On Student Loan Debt Than Whites U.S. congressman Elijah Cummings and Sen. Elizabeth Warren recently joined forces to discuss the issues with student loan debt in this country and break down the racial barriers when it comes to who is falling victim to the debt boom… Via The National Journal : Today the majority of all college students—at two-year and four-year, private and public institutions—rely on grants and loans to pay tuition. Americans now hold about $1.2 trillion in student debt, and right now most borrowers aren’t paying off their debts at all. Cummings and Warren are particularly concerned about the effect student debt has on African-American borrowers. “African-American students are more likely to take on debt—and more debt—than white, Latino, and Asian-American students,” Cummings said at the event. In 2013, 42 percent of African-American families had student loans, compared to 28 percent of white families, according to the Urban Institute, a Washington, D.C. think tank. That racial gap is driven by an enormous wealth disparity, Cummings said. The average African-American household has a total net worth of $11,000, according a Pew Research Center analysis. That’s not enough to pay for even a single semester at Howard, and it’s barely enough to cover a year of tuition at a public university like the University of Maryland-Baltimore County. In contrast, the average white family has a net worth of $141,900. The startling discrepancy in household wealth means that a white family and a black family can have the same income but a radically different financial situation. It’s a disparity rooted in history, as The Atlantic’s Ta-Nehisi Coates has explained, and it means that the average black family today essentially lives without a financial safety net. Student loans can be a lifeline, helping students finance college degrees even as tuition prices rise. Tyrone Hankerson, a current Howard senior, told forum attendees that he’s financing his education through a combination of scholarships, work-study aid, and a loan his parents took out on his behalf. After he graduates, he plans on going to law school. But loan payments can become a heavy burden. One Howard graduate, Latechia Mitchell, said that her undergraduate degree was largely financed by scholarships, but she took out $60,000 for graduate school and to get a teacher certification. Although she and her husband both have college degrees and professional jobs, they can afford to pay only the interest on their cumulative student debt. Discuss…

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Study Shows Blacks Are More Likely To Take On Student Loan Debt And Default Than Whites

Charges Against Officers Accused Of Killing Freddie Gray May Get Dropped Due To “Insufficient Evidence”

Charges Against Baltimore Police Who Killed Freddie Gray Could Be Dropped Marilyn Mosby’s announcement that the six police officers responsible for Freddie Gray’s death would be brought up on homicide charges for their actions was a relief to many. But unsurprisingly, the Baltimore Police’s own investigation into the death of Freddie Gray doesn’t support the homicide charges brought forth by the state attorney — giving their attorneys grounds to move for dismissal. Via CNN : The Baltimore police investigation into the death of Freddie Gray doesn’t support some of the charges, including the most serious, filed by the Baltimore City State’s Attorney, potentially allowing lawyers representing the police officers the opportunity to undercut the prosecution, according to officials briefed on the separate probes conducted by the State’s Attorney and police. Already, defense attorneys are filing motions seeking to exploit differences between the separate state attorney and police investigations. Lawyers for two officers have challenged a key finding of State’s Attorney Marilyn Mosby’s case: that a knife found on Freddie Gray was legal in Maryland and therefore the officers didn’t have a right to arrest Gray. The police investigation found that the knife is illegal under Baltimore city code. Officials familiar with the probes also say the homicide investigation run by police investigators at most contemplated a manslaughter charge, not second degree murder as Mosby charged one of the officers, Caesar Goodson. To win conviction for murder, prosecutors must prove intent to kill. Manslaughter relates to unintentional killings. SMH! We knew it was only a matter of time before the police department tried to find a way to wiggle out of these charges…

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Charges Against Officers Accused Of Killing Freddie Gray May Get Dropped Due To “Insufficient Evidence”

Maryland Legislator Talks Revoking The Food Stamps Of Baltimore’s “Thug Community” After Riots

Maryland Legislator Thinks Baltimore Rioters Should Have Benefits Revoked While serving as guest host for a radio show on Wednesday, Maryland State legislator Patrick McDonough chatted with callers on “finding a solution” to the “problem” that is Baltimore’s angry youth — which he refers to as the “thug nation.” McDonough gave an interesting response when a caller asked if it were possible to simply starve the families of rioters to punish them for having a “poor upbringing.” When asked if people who riot in the community are “too young, why can’t they take away benefits from families, from like the parents who are collecting welfare.” McDonough responded: “That’s an idea and that could be legislation. I think that you could make the case that there is a failure to do proper parenting and allowing this stuff to happen, is there an opportunity for a month to take away your food stamps?” Hmmm…he thinks starving the people will keep them from looting stores again ? We bet he has a bit of a surprise coming his way if something like this comes to pass… He also says he’d be interested in seeing a scientific study to explain what is so wrong with young, poor Black people and why they just can’t seem to get along with police: “These young people, they’re violent, they’re brutal, their mindset is dysfunctional to a point of being dangerous…” Funny…sounds like he’s describing abusive members of the police force to us. BaltimoreSun

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Maryland Legislator Talks Revoking The Food Stamps Of Baltimore’s “Thug Community” After Riots

Hispanic Dining Hall Workers Not Allowed To Speak Spanish Around Columbia University Students

Dining Hall Workers Not Allowed To Speak Spanish Around Columbia Students Columbia University dining hall workers are circulating a petition against “arbitrary and racist policies ” that allegedly forbid them from speaking Spanish in the presence of students or eating in the Butler lounge during their lunch breaks. The workers in question staff Blue Java Coffee bar in Butler Library, the Columbia Spectator reports. Via Gothamist : Unsurprisingly, these rules have not yet been made public by Dining Services. The petition, which began circulating yesterday and was written in collaboration with Student Worker Solidarity, states that Vicki Dunn, the executive director of Columbia Dining, first announced the rules during an orientation session in August 2013. According to the petition, at the time workers were relegated to eating their meals inside a closet. A timeline in the petition suggests the closet issue escalated considerably this spring. According to the petition, the closet rule has been “temporarily reversed.” Here’s an excerpt of the timeline: Early April, 2015 : [Columbia manager] Hazel Clark tells Butler lounge workers that a student complained about trash being kept outside in the lounge area. Responding to this complaint, Clark ordered that workers move the trash to the closet, where they were also expected to sit when eating. April 13, 2015: SWS members send email to Vicki Dunn expressing concern about workers eating in the closet, where the trash was kept and schedule meeting to discuss the issue. In response to the email, Dunn emails Butler Lounge management rescinding the rule that workers should eat in the closet. April 15: SWS members meet with Columbia dining administration, who claim not to know about the closet rule. They do not confirm or deny the prohibition on speaking Spanish, but cite student complaints in justifying rules against workers talking amongst themselves An anonymous dining worker quoted in the petition reasons, “If it wasn’t for us, they wouldn’t be raking in thousands of dollars a day from Columbia Dining Services. They need to treat us differently.” Discuss….

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Hispanic Dining Hall Workers Not Allowed To Speak Spanish Around Columbia University Students

9 Insensitive Shirts Companies Tried To Sell

9 Insensitive Offensive Shirts Companies Actually Tried To Sell Some companies are just clueless. These clothing brands really tried to sell shirts that were tone deaf and crazy. And at the end of the day, all they did was make people mad. How do these ideas even get approved?

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9 Insensitive Shirts Companies Tried To Sell