QUOTE OF THE WEEK: “We will not tolerate murder, or the threat of violence, masquerading as political activism. So let me be clear. The Justice Department will use every tool at its disposal to protect the rights ensured under our Constitution.” – Attorney General Eric Holder, calling for strengthening federal hate crime legislation, June 16, 2009.
HIGH LEVEL OF MISTRUST BETWEEN BLACKS AND LATINOS IN NEW ORLEANS: A study by the international relief organization Oxfam found that blacks and Latinos in New Orleans have almost identical concerns about discrimination in housing, employment, and the criminal justice system. But the survey also found a high level of mistrust between the two ethnic groups in the city. The survey found that both groups expressed discomfort and suspicion about the other group. — Since Hurricane Katrina ravaged the city in August 2005, the black population of New Orleans has decreased. During the same period, the Latino population has increased.
LOUISIANA CITY SUED FOR TICKETING A BLACK MAN WHO DISPLAYED A CAR BUMPER STICKER THAT CONTAINED A RACIAL SLUR: The city of Amite, Louisiana, has agreed to settle a civil rights lawsuit filed by a black man. In 2007 the man was ticketed for violating obscenity laws because he had a bumper sticker on his car that read, “You might be a Nigger.” The man was promoting a book he had written by that title. The city dismissed the ticket and agreed to an undisclosed monetary settlement but maintains that it did nothing wrong and only wanted to avoid costly litigation.
STUDY FINDS THAT RACIAL DISPARITIES IN HEALTH ARE EVIDENT IN EVERY STATE OF THE UNION: It is well known that there are significant racial health disparities for women in the United States. But a new study by the Kaiser Family Foundation finds that there are significant racial health disparities for women in each of the 50 states. The foundation compared rates of diabetes, heart disease, cancer, and HIV/AIDS. — The report found that the racial differences in health indicators between black and white women were the least pronounced in the states of Virginia, Maryland, Georgia, and Hawaii. The widest disparities were in Arkansas, Indiana, Louisiana, Mississippi, Montana, and South Dakota.
BLACK PERCENTAGE OF STATE TROOPERS IN NEW JERSEY HAS DECLINED: In 2000 the New Jersey State Police signed a consent decree with the NAACP to boost minority hiring. The force had been accused in the past of racial profiling in traffic stops. Now, nine years later, eight of every 10 state troopers are white men. And the percentage of blacks in the state police force actually dropped from 8.2 percent to 6.7 percent. There has been a slight increase in Hispanic and women state troopers.
IN CUSTOMER SATISFACTION, WHITE SALESMEN ARE PERCEIVED AS DOING A BETTER JOB: A study scheduled for publication in The Academy of Management Journal found that white men are perceived to perform better in customer service positions than women or minorities. — In one test, college students were shown videotapes of a salesperson dealing with a customer. Script, store setting, and camera angles were all identical. But white males were given the highest rating. There were large numbers of women and minorities among the test group. — A second test showed a similar bias for white male doctors among patients of a health maintenance organization. David Hekman, the lead author of the study and an assistant professor of management at the University of Wisconsin, told the New York Times, “The findings suggest that the customer is always wrong. Everyone – white, black, men, women – think the white man is more valuable.”
STATEN ISLAND, NEW YORK: A black teenager was injured in an attack outside a restaurant in Staten Island, New York. The teen was attacked by a group of white men who were yelling racial slurs. The black teen needed stitches after he was hit with a tire iron. (Staten Island Advance, 6-18-09)
WINDSOR, VIRGINIA: White supremacist fliers were distributed to homes in several neighborhoods of Windsor, Virginia. A truck was seen driving through neighborhoods with a passenger who tossed the newspapers onto driveways. (Newport News Daily Press, 6-19-09)
HICKORY HILLS, ILLINOIS: A country club in Hickory Hills, Illinois, agreed to settle a race discrimination lawsuit filed by the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. The suit charged that the club did not hire black workers because of their race.
GULFPORT, MISSISSIPPI: The U.S. Department of Justice filed a race discrimination lawsuit against the former owners of a mobile home park in Gulfport, Mississippi. The suit charges that the owners of the park tried to evict black tenants for rule violations while no action was taken against white tenants who committed the same violations. Black tenants were also said to be harassed and intimidated by the park’s owners.
GREENVILLE, TENNESSEE: Racist fliers from the Ku Klux Klan were distributed in a predominantly black neighborhood of Greenville, Tennessee. The fliers were headlined, “Wake Up White America and Take a Stand.” The fliers voiced opposition to interracial marriage and called for protections for “white Christian children.” (Associated Press, 6-23-09)
BALTIMORE, MARYLAND: The city of Baltimore has settled a longstanding race discrimination lawsuit filed by black police officers. The suit showed that over a 10-year period, 139 police officers were fired for disciplinary reasons. Of these, 99 were African Americans. Blacks were convicted of violations in department disciplinary hearings at a 90 percent rate whereas the conviction rate for white officers was 60 percent. (Associated Press, 6-23-09)
CHARLOTTE, NORTH CAROLINA: An African-American attorney claims in a complaint that she was fired from her law firm in Charlotte, North Carolina, because of her race. The black woman said she was fired a few months after receiving an outstanding performance report and the promise to be made partner. A white lawyer was hired as her replacement. (Charlotte Observer, 6-24-09)
LAPLACE, LOUISIANA: The head of the volunteer fire department in LaPlace, Louisiana, resigned after he was alleged to have sent a racist e-mail message to colleagues. The message referred to African Americans as “love bugs” and contained racial slurs. (New Orleans Times-Picayune, 6-24-09)
GREENSBURG, PENNSYLVANIA: A race discrimination lawsuit was filed against a Catholic high school in Greensburg, Pennsylvania. The suit charges that black students are routinely harassed with racial slurs in school corridors. The suit charges racism in selection for the school’s athletic teams and in discipline handed out by school administrators. (Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, 6-26-09)
TRACKING HATE CRIMES: For week June 21-27, the term “hate crime” appeared in the nation’s major newspapers and magazines 301 times. This is less than the 484 mentions of the term in the prior week. — So far in 2009, hate crimes were mentioned 8,106 times in the national press. In the January 1 to June 27, 2008 period, hate crimes were mentioned 7,534 times in the national media.