"Whites only?" Sixty-five kids at a summer camp were recently kicked out of a swimming pool, evidently because of their race.
We can't let this stand.
Join us in condemning the swim club and asking the Department of Justice to investigate.
Two weeks ago outside Philadelphia, 65 children from a summer camp tried to go swimming at a club their camp had a contract
to use. Seems like the club didn't know the kids were largely Black.
When the campers entered the pool, White parents allegedly took their kids out of the water, and the swimming club's staff
asked the campers to leave. The next day, the club told the summer camp that their membership would be canceled and that their
payment would be refunded. When asked why, the club's leader said that a lot of kids "would change the complexion ... and
the atmosphere of the club."1
A "Whites only" pool in 2009 should not be tolerated. The club's actions appear to be a violation of section 1981 of the Civil
Rights Act.2 Whether or not any laws were violated, a "Whites only" pool should be something every American condemns.
Please join us in doing exactly that, and please email your friends and family and invite them to do the same. Your signature
will also be used to call on the Department of Justice to evaluate suing the facility under federal law. It takes just a moment
to do both, here:
http://www.colorofchange.org/swim/?id=1568-800845
Obama is President but that doesn't mean that suddenly all is fine when it comes to race in America. This is a vivid reminder
of what we know still lies beneath the surface.
We all know stories like this one -- similar incidents play out quietly every day in different communities across the country.
The difference in this case is that folks got caught and there was a contract in place that makes for a potentially illegal
act.
Standing up now isn't just about making things right for these kids in Philadelphia or bringing consequences to this swim
club (called the Valley Swim Club). It's about creating a climate of accountability everywhere. If we can publicly shame the
Valley Swim Club and hold them accountable for this incident, it will make others think twice before engaging in what appears
to be blatant discrimination.
Please join us in condemning the Valley Swim Club's behavior and calling on the Justice Department to investigate whether
they violated civil rights laws. And please ask your friends and family to do the same.
http://www.colorofchange.org/swim/?id=1568-800845
Thanks and Peace,
-- James, Gabriel, William, Dani and the rest of the ColorOfChange.org team
July 9th, 2009
Help support our work. ColorOfChange.org is powered by YOU -- your energy and dollars. We take no money from lobbyists or
large corporations that don't share our values, and our tiny staff ensures your contributions go a long way. You can contribute
here:
https://secure.colorofchange.org/contribute/?id=1568-800845
References:
1. "'Pool Boots Kids Who Might "Change the Complexion,'" NBC Philadelphia, 07-08-09
http://bit.ly/90Zyr
2. "Section 1981 Summary," Employment Law Information Network
http://www.elinfonet.com/1981sum.php
More Resources:
"60 Black Kids Booted from Philly Pool For Being Black -- Speak Out," Jill Tubman at Jack and Jill Politics, 07-08-09
http://bit.ly/GkJTs
VIDEO: "Please Don't Change the Complexion of our Pool," This Week in Blackness, 07-08-09
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=saTCMJVYljU
"Swim Club Accused of Discrimination," FOX 29 Philadelphia, 07-08-09
http://bit.ly/7EKGy
"Valley Swim Club: Day Two," Adam B at Daily Kos, 07-08-09
http://bit.ly/qbpSA
Courts Asked to Equalize Playing Field in Wright
vs CBS Television Inc.
Press Release
Justice for the Community and Jackie Wright P.O. Box 884714 San Francisco, CA
94188
For Immediate Release
July 4, 2009
CBS TELEVISION ATTEMPTS TO DENY FORMER EMPLOYEE DAY IN COURT
Corporation asks U.S. Federal Court in San Francisco to Dismiss Discrimination Suit.
San Francisco- Three-time Associated Press Award winning journalist and Emmy-nominated producer,
Jackie Wright has asked the U.S. Federal Court in San Francisco to prove the founding tenets of the United States of America
by not dismissing her suit of racial and age discrimination against CBS Television, Inc. as the corporation has requested.
In documents to the court, Wright, who is representing herself, stated, "Allowing my day in court as a person who has
struggled and worked hard to find out that the American Dream of working hard to be successful has not worked for all people
in America, will give some semblance of equalizing the playing field to examine whether "All men are created equal. In that
I am filing as "forma pauperis," I do not have the money to engage a legal firm as the executives of the billion-dollar company,
CBS Television, Inc."
In February 2009, Wright, 55, who is Black, filed suit based on race and age discrimination.
In January 2007 Wright, was laid off with at least five others that included a Latina, a White male over 50, and a Gay male.
Wright, who said her wrongful termination resulted after experiencing on-going racism during her three years at CBS 5/CW Bay
Area TV in San Francisco, immediately sought redress through the EEOC and also appealing directly to the Chairman of CBS Television,
Sumner Redstone.
Wright's stand against CBS Television, Inc. is also a stand for the community. UCLA law professor,
Dr. Jerry Kang's "Trojan Horses of Race" says TV news creates and perpetuates racism and it is a document Wright references to show that the elimination of her position
as "Public Affairs Manager is a disservice to community and the station's responsibility to serve in the public interest as
mandated by the FCC.
(Photo courtesy of Jim Haslett & 114 Aviation Company-Air
Mobile Light Jacksonville, FL nativeSp5 Wyley Wright Jr. & PFC John Francis Shea of Boston died in accident
while escorting Sec. Defense Robert S. McNamara.) Wright, who raised two of her siblings after the death of her parents including her father, Sp5 Wyley Wright, who died in 1964 in Viet Nam while escorting then Secretary of Defense, Robert S. McNamara, told the court she wants to have the opportunity to try to find out as the White Firefighters in New Haven, Connecticut
did that working hard will result in success and that you should not be judged by your race.
"Working my way through
the University of Georgia as a full time student and full time worker raising my teenage sister and my elementary-age daughter,receiving
two of my Associated Press Awards while working my way through the University of Georgia at a commercial radio station; having
more than a decade of direct media experience as a news reporter, radio news director, and TV camera operator, I have not
experienced that working hard in America results in success. The reason being, is the unbridled institutional racism
that still exists in the workplace. That is a reality even in an age where there is a man of color who is President
of the United States of America," Wright said.
Wright described the CBS 5/CW Bay Area as a toxic environment where
there was such a plantation hierarchal mentality until what Dr. Julia Hare calls "leading Blacks" (Tavis Smiley's "State of the Black Union") as opposed to "Black Leaders" at the station suffered
what Wright termed the "first and only syndrome." Wright's definition of
the syndrome is someone of color being fearful that his or her position within a mostly White institution will be threatened,
undermined or replaced by another person of color joining the institution. At CBS Wright described, "It was the classic
case of the oppressed imitating the behavior of the oppressor just as Jewish overseers were harsher on Jews than the Nazis
in the Jewish ghettoes in Poland during World War II and the Black slave overseers were harsher on other Blacks than Whites
during slavery."
Wright also asked the court to look at what she termed as "bait and
switch racism," describing that a Latino salesperson was hired just a few weeks before an effective Latina salesperson,
was fired. Wright described the flow of Latinos through particularly the sales department as a " swift turnstile" and
asked the court to examine the length of time people of color remained at CBS Television Inc. That would be an indicator
to the true nature of the institutional racism in the company.
Wright, whose actions were independent of Unity Journalists
of Color, spoke before the San Francisco Board of Supervisors about elimination of people of color from the airwaves and its impact on public service, the same day Unity distributed a news release on the
subject, April 21, 2009. Wright hopes the recent news releases from major organizations including Unity
and the Association of Black Journalists, will help the courts and general public know that the lack of people of color in
media is a cause for concern.
In documents to the court, Wright
said it's important not to dismiss her case because of the importance of media in the democratic process. Media
are supposed to be the "watchdog of government." Wright asked, "Who is watching the
watchdog?" With the waning of media activist groups, the courts are the most viable avenue for providing checks and
balances to media organizations.
Other past and current lawsuits indicate there is a history of racism and bias
at the CBS affiliate in San Francisco.
As Wright continues her quest for her day in court, she is outreaching to other journalists who may have experienced
institutional racism or other bias at a CBS affiliate across the nation. She can be emailed at justiceforcommunityandjackie@gmail.com
to share your personal story or that of a colleague or friend.
Supreme Court Expected to Take Up Davis Case Seven of nine witnesses have recanted testimony
By
AFRO Staff
Troy Davis (Courtesy Photo)
The fate of Troy Davis now rests in the hands of the U.S. Supreme Court.
The nation’s highest court is expected
this week to consider hearing the case of Davis, a Georgia man convicted 20 years ago of killing a Savannah police officer.
Davis’ execution has been stayed three times as lawyers ran through options to keep him alive, but his final appeal
now rests with the Supreme Court.
Davis, 40, was convicted in 1991 of killing off-duty police officer Mark Allen MacPhail,
though no physical evidence at the time linked him to the murder. Since the trial, seven of the nine witnesses against Davis
have recanted their testimony.
The Supreme Court will retire for its summer recess Tuesday until September. If it
does not make a decision whether to take up Davis’s case, prosecutors could attempt to get a fourth execution warrant
for Davis before the court re-convenes.
However, that delay may also work in the favor of Davis’ defense team,
Laura Moye of Amnesty International USA’s Death Penalty Abolition Campaign told the Atlanta Journal-Constitution.
“It
buys more time for all of the advocates to get more publicity on the case,” Moye said.
Davis’ case has
drawn international support, including from former President Jimmy Carter and the Vatican. The NAACP has launched an “I
Am Troy” campaign.
In 1991, Chatham County, Georgia jurors took just two hours to decide Davis was guilty, and
seven more to sentence him to death, both unanimous decisions. But an Associated Press investigation this week found that
at least four have had second thoughts about their choice.
“Maybe I might have voted him guilty, but never,
ever the death penalty,” Brenda Forrest, a 53-year-old research and development manager who served on the jury, told
the AP. “That part is clear to me. If need be, take this thing back to trial.”
Georgia congressmen John
Lewis and Hank Johnson along with NAACP President Ben Jealous met with Davis last month, and all three left the two-hour-long
meeting convinced of Davis’ innocence.
Lewis said he planned to talk to leaders of both the House and Senate
Judiciary Committees about the case, and said he has considered seeking a presidential pardon but has not spoken to President
Obama about intervening in the case.
Jealous said the case is now a national priority for the organization.
“This
case stands out,” Mr. Jealous said during a May 29 news conference after he met with Mr. Davis. “Something’s
wrong in Chatham County.”
We vigil to stop us from murdering this innocent man Trey Davis
Open Letter To The Tens Of Thousands
Of Rogue Cops Jim Kirwan 2-17-8
Your numbers may be growing among the millions
of people wearing some kind of badge in the United States, but your days are numbered.
Not because of any direct threat
from people like me; no what I'm talking about here is the threat that you are creating all by yourselves.
If you
had been paying attention you would have seen this coming on your own.
What the military and the mercenaries are doing
in Iraq and Afghanistan each of you is now doing here, in your own tiny little world so full
of arrogance and basic brutality.
Every time you beat a man senseless, or shame a woman to tears in front of her loved
ones, or randomly kill someone either by accident or by design it happens just because you can - so you make more than enemies
- you plant the seeds of your own violent end.
Have you ever seen children tear a well-trained combat
soldier to pieces, I have. It happened in a relatively good neighborhood in LA, and the dead man was one of the most decorated
marines we had.
It happened a block and a half from my apartment. It was a very long time ago, but I never got over
the shock of seeing what looked like The Lord of the Flies coming to life.
Before
the Decider, police forces were relatively small in comparison to the size of the populations they were charged with "Protecting
and Serving." But after it became clear that the entire upper echelon of government had become nothing more than glorified
street bandits: the gloves came off all the way down the food chain.
So when the demonstrations against the wars began,
your departments began to behave as if US citizens were the real Enemies of the State.
Way back in
1992 the behavior patterns for you were in play in the aftermath of Hurricane Andrew.
And you did oh such a job then of disposing of all those bodies-the Owners loved it, but that had to remain a secret because
of "national security."
(1) Then came Katrina and the mercenaries helped you out with your own campaign of terror
against the survivors of New
Orleans that had the temerity not to die. But from that point forward your ranks began to swell, as officers began
to catch the drift of what would lead to their next promotion in the newly criminal world of 'law-enforcement.'
(2) This
was followed by Blackwater that was armed with new and secret contracts to
retrain the sheriffs, the marshals, and the police of all stripes to convert them into the heavily armored combat troops that
would very soon begin to patrol the streets and byways of America. Since then you have become brazenly bold and unflinching
in your treatment of the people that you were supposed to protect-the same people that actually pay your inflated salaries.
Contrary to what you might believe you are not a law unto yourselves-you're supposed to be peace
officers.
(3) That's what can be tracked about the current situation, and that's what most of you see
as your current job: the brutalizing, the Tasering and or the killing of US citizens that fail in some small way to obey your
every command-no matter how unreasonable. It seems no one knows exactly how many you have killed, as your departments fail
to keep such records-but when one is too many - then a hundred or more amounts to a mutiny against the very people you are
sworn to serve. Here's a rough history of your recent activities, in part.
(4)
What you don't seem to realize is
that when you take off the Kevlar, and unstrap both your weapons, you need a shower, possibly a shave if you're male, and
you'll need to grab something to eat. If you live in the Burbs which most cops do, you probably have "friends" and maybe you
might want to go to a game or just get together with "friends." In brief you do what other people do unless you're a robot
living in a barrack somewhere dark and semi-distant. If you have a family they have their lives to live as well, grocery shopping,
school etc. just like other people-except that you are not like other people!
You have become a secret enforcer, the
muscle and bullets of the fascist state incarnate. And that makes you and yours into targets for those that you have wronged.
What used to protect you was the good will of the people you served, but with that out-of-the-way now,
because you've put yourself beyond the law and above the people that once cared whether you lived or died-your world has changed
almost as much as ours:
Only you still have no clue about the consequences that are coming! When you do what you
do to ordinary people your actions affect the lives of a great many people
beyond the targets of your brutality-and those people whether adults or children will not forget.
Meanwhile you have
forgotten that you are not Supermen or Superwomen, you're just flesh and blood like all the rest of us: and with every day
that passes the numbers of your enemies continue to increase by the hundreds, until that figure reaches into the thousands,
and you are beginning to close in on that magic number now.
When my old man was murdered I lived with rage for
a very long time-but it was a very different era then and reason won out-his killer had to live with perpetual uncertainty,
but he got to live. This is a very different world today. But the laws of consequence and responsibility are still in tact
in this jungle that passes for life-in-Occupied-America today.
Just thought you'd like to know that
while the public has not yet decided to act, that day will not remain at bay forever. How long will it be before you need
to look over your shoulder, or check you squad car before getting in, not once in awhile, but each and every time. How well
do you know your 'friends' and how's your life these days, maybe a little more tension, a lot less patience because at some
level you have to know we're watching.
This is so because you have become unnatural, and with each passing day you
grow more distant from the people that you brutalize so easily!
By the way this Open Letter is
also meant for those thugs that serve the god of TSA.
They might not get your perks but too many of them are all too
eager to attack the innocent instead of simply asking civil questions. Events like this are growing in their frequency, every
hour of every day.
(5) I came up the hard way and I carried a gun for a few years-so I'm not blind to what you're
trying to do. Early on I lived in Paint Hotels among the drifters and the night-moths, but even then there were too many
of your kind. I've had my share of pistol-whippings in the back of a patrol car, I survived the petty interrogations and the
insults then-but I fought back with lawyers and with real cops to make it right.
Today everything
is different and the Bad Guys wear the uniform and are praised for what they
do to us. You might want to think about it boys and girls, because no one leaves this life alive.
One of the first
things that basic training taught to every military draftee, back in the fifties, was that there is always someone bigger,
someone stronger, someone meaner than you might think you really are.
That was a major life-lesson, too bad you guys
missed out on that. Your
behavior towards the public is teaching them that "selling out is futile" and that anyone alone is always easy prey; maybe
that's why you roam in packs? Soon the public may begin to emulate your tactics, and then where will you be when you find
yourself outnumbered by an angry mob that no longer fears your uniform, but instead is energized because of what you do NOT
stand for!
You might want to think about these things, because they are not secret anymore: and
millions of people have begun to watch your every move-so why not begin to do the right thing, while you can. kirwanstudios@sbcglobal.net
I have read and signed the petition: "Protest a Stolen Election & Persecution of Rev. Pinkney".
Please take a moment to read about this important issue, and join me in signing the petition. It takes just 30 seconds,
but can truly make a difference. We are trying to reach 1000 signatures - please sign here: http://www.thepetitionsite.com/takeaction/624471377
Once you have signed, you can help even more by asking your friends and family to sign as well.
I know a few good cops, but for those cops that kill civilians, there may be a way to prosecure them. There is actually
"anti lynching legislation" that protects people from being killed by a mob.
Thus, a mob of cops, that beat and
subsequently kill a civilian, could be prosecuted under this law.
And although they are cops, in this case they
are not following the law, thus having on their uniforms and being on the job doesn't give a mob of them the right
to beat or kill someone.. Please read below and pass this to any other persons (legal minds or otherwise) that can use
this and follow through.
--
Lynching is an extrajudicial punishment meted out by a mob. Lynching, an enumerated
felony in all states in the United States, is defined by some codes of law as "Any act of violence inflicted
by a mob upon the body of another person which results in the death of the person," with a 'mob' being defined as "the
assemblage of two or more persons, without color or authority of law, for the premeditated purpose and with the premeditated
intent of committing an act of violence upon the person of another."
Lynching in the second degree is defined as "Any act of violence inflicted by a mob upon the body of another person and
from which death does not result."To sustain a conviction for lynching at least some evidence of premeditation must be
produced, however "The common intent to do violence" may be formed before or during the assemblage."
Here's to
getting rid of bad cops so that we can both clean up the police force, and protect civilians (primarily Blacks and darker
Hispanics, who are traditionally more likely to be brutalized by rogue cops)
!
Never forget
the price paid for where you stand today.
This was once our resume' ...
None of us has had to experience the pain of separation orlive
withthedisgrace
and humiliation that comes with not being free. When you cast your vote for who will run our country, never
forget your history and keep this bill of sale in mind. When we allow ourselves to forget our not so distant past, then
we are destined to repeat these actions in our future. Stand for those who came before us and those who could
not stand up for themselves. VOTE! I encourage you to share this with everyone you know.
Demonstration to stop police killing and brutality.
by E. Monday Oct 22nd, 2007 5:11 PM
If you or someone that you know have been a victim of police misconduct email me pastorsagainstinjustice@yahoo.com
I would first like for everyone to say a prayer for everyone who have lost a loved one because of police misconduct.
I know that there is a God who sits high and looks down low who can see the injustice caused by racist or cowardly police
officers and justice will be done because it is God's will to serve justice. This site is to expose the injustice and inform
the people!
In choosing to give God thanks, it motivates you to look for His purpose in the situation instead of trying to manipulate
your way out of the situation. You begin to desire His purpose. Giving thanks helps you to bring your will into submission
to do His will, it relieves anger, frustration and rebellion. Giving thanks changes your attitude. You Of Your Continuing
Dependence. Giving thanks reminds you of your continuing dependence upon Him.Giving thanks helps you to develop a stronger
trust in God. Seldom does He do things the way you think He will. Through trust you begin to see His purpose. You learn to
trust most when you are walking in the dark because walking in the light does not take any faith.
Giving thanks will energize you when you are weary and tired both emotionally and/or physically. Your inner man is renewed
and something happens on the outside.
Giving thanks releases a supernatural strength, a divine energy will be released within you."Thou wilt keep him in perfect
peace, whose mind is stayed on thee: because he trusteth in thee.
Giving thanks is essential in being able to rejoice, to be calmly happy, cheerful, hearted in mind and spirit Impacts Our
Christian Witness
Giving thanks will influence our Christian witness. When the bottom drops out, who does the world call? They will seek us
out because of the life style they have seen in us.Builds Relationship With God and Brings UnityProbably the most important,
Giving thanks builds relationship with our Heavenly Father. Causing us to desire to have the mind of Christ in all things.
I pray that God give the families the strength to carry on in Jesus name amen.
Here you will find stories of police misconduct and the stories of the people they left behind. I would like to say to Mesha, God
has heard your prayers keep up the struggle and you will win.
