Results tagged “racism”

The FDNY had some good stats last year, but none relating to diversity. Today, a federal judge ruled that the force’s hiring procedures intentionally discriminate against blacks and Hispanics. He said that for decades people of color have been systematically excluded, and called the practice “a persistent stain on the Fire Department’s record." more ›

Controversy has kicked up around last week's reports that the city was considering Mylan Denerstein to replace Fire Commissioner Nicholas Scoppetta, who resigns at the end of the year. Denerstein, 42, a former federal prosecutor, would be the first female head commissioner, as well as one of the first African-Americans to hold the job. However, firefighters and department sources interviewed by the Post about her possible hiring yielded a tinderbox of negative reactions. more ›

On the same day in November that former New York Post editor Sandra Guzman filed a lawsuit accusing the tabloid of ignoring racist and sexual harassment, the paper fired a black reporter named Austin Fenner, who had worked at the city desk. Now Fenner's filed his own lawsuit (using Guzman's lawyer) alleging that he was subject to unfair employment practices, unlawful retaliation, and accusing editors of racially-motivated news coverage. Fenner claims he was "routinely humiliated," "openly cursed at" and subjected to "Jim Crow"-style segregation. more ›

Two Upper East Side restaurants refuse to deliver uptown to East Harlem, but they willingly schlep longer distances downtown to service a more affluent and more white neighborhood. An investigation by the Post reveals that both Chinese Mirch on Second Avenue between 94th and 95th streets and One Fish Two Fish on Madison Avenue and 97th Street declined to deliver to addresses located 15 blocks to the north, but readily fulfilled orders 20 blocks to the south — a delivery discrepancy that "smacks of racism," according to state Sen. Bill Perkins (D-Harlem). "The difference between north and south is black and white," he said. more ›

A Long Island student who dressed like Aunt Jemima for Halloween was sent home from school when he refused to wipe off his blackface make-up. Before being kicked out, Commack High School senior Dean Jeziorkowski — who has dressed in drag for every Halloween since third grade, going as Barbie, a nun, Wilma Flintstone, and Pocahontas in past years — donned a wig, a bandana, and blackface and "darted in and out of classrooms toting a syrup bottle, asking, 'You want some pancakes?'" more ›

[UPDATE BELOW] Rumors are swirling about a stabbing at the downtown nightclub Greenhouse, and according to one employee, the club was shut down last night. The closure comes as Greenhouse owners fend off allegations that the club denied entry to approximately 100 people because they are black. Two people have filed a $1 billion class action lawsuit against the ostensibly "eco-friendly" nightclub, accusing the bouncer of barring them from author Teri Woods's book party in August. When Woods arrived at the club she found her invited guests waiting outside. Here's cell phone video of her reaction: more ›

The author whose book release party at Varick Street nightclub Greenhouse was allegedly ruined by a racist door policy may file a lawsuit of her own. The "eco-friendly" club was recently hit with a $1 billion class action lawsuit, accusing the bouncer and owner of denying entry to approximately 100 people because of their ethnicity. Now author Teri Woods has come forward corroborate the allegations, and she says it wasn't just blacks who were kept out of her party. more ›

Besides admiring the heart-shaped potato an audience member brought in, President Barack Obama continued his media blitz by discussing various issues with David Letterman on the Late Show just now. For instance, when Letterman asked about former President Jimmy Carter's belief that some political attacks against the President (including Rep. Wilson's "You lie!") were steeped in racism, Obama joked, "It's important to realize that I was actually black before the election." more ›

The White House may have publicly distanced itself from former president Jimmy Carter's remarks saying that racism was at the heart of Rep. Joe Wilson's remarks and other anti-Obama sentiment—White House press secretary Robert Gibbs said, "The president does not believe that that criticism comes based on the color of his skin"—but Carter continued to hammer the point home. Yesterday, while speaking to Emory University freshman, he said, "When a radical fringe element of demonstrators and others begin to attack the president of the United States as an animal or as a reincarnation of Adolf Hitler or when they wave signs in the air that said we should have buried Obama with Kennedy, those kinds of things are beyond the bounds... I think people who are guilty of that kind of personal attack against Obama have been influenced to a major degree by a belief that he should not be president because he happens to be African-American." Carter even weighed in on Kanye West's Taylor Swift dis, saying it was "completely uncalled for" and "his punishment was to appear on the new Jay Leno show." Ha! more ›

Last night, former President Jimmy Carter spoke to NBC News' Brian Williams about Rep. Joe Wilson's "You lie!" outburst during President Barack Obama's health care reform speech last week. And Carter was blunt, saying, "I think it's based on racism. There is an inherent feeling among many in this country that an African-American should not be president." more ›

Why is a Bay Ridge man hanging the Confederate flag from his terrace in a dreary 30-story co-op tower at 65th Street? It's NOT because he's racist, y'all, it's to send a message to those "sophisticated snotnoses in the north." You know, the region where he lives. Brooklyn Paper spotted the flag flapping in Union territory recently, and tracked down the rebel yeller, who would only identify himself as Mike. But he was happy to clear up any confusion over why he's displaying the Stars and Bars so far above the Mason-Dixon line: "I do it is because I’m against political correctness. People who are politically correct don’t agree with that flag — it’s my one-man protest. The left likes to say they celebrate diversity. I guess that’s what I’m doing.... [Northerners] make Southerners into bumpkins — and that’s not the case." Absolutely not, but Cletus Mike is kind of scaring the neighbors with that thing, and one nearby resident says, "I want to stay far away from those people [who have Confederate flags]. We’re free to fly any flag we want, but I’m not crazy about it. We won the war." Well, for now, at least. more ›

An elementary school principal in Harlem has formally apologized for sending a questionnaire to teachers asking them to classify disruptive students by race. But that's not good enough for parents of students at PS 96, which is 71 percent Hispanic and 26 percent black; they're calling for the resignation of Principal Dr. Claudia Moore-Hamilton (who is black). Among other things, the survey asked teachers to identify their problem students as "Black," "Hispanic" or "Other." In an apology letter to parents and faculty, Moore-Hamilton, who's been in charge for one year, acknowledged that her "approach was inflammatory," and the DOE issued a statement agreeing that "the survey was inappropriate." But Fox News reports an investigation is ongoing, and parents say they're fed up after a year filled with fights and students' failed attempts to burn the school down. According to the Post, Assemblyman Adam Powell IV has even chimed in, demanding her removal and citing complaints that she gave children Christmas presents, only to take them back from those on a "naughty" list. more ›

During a performance at the Loews Regency on Park Avenue Thursday night, comic Jacke Mason referred to President Obama as a "schwartza," which, depending on who you ask, is either a benign Yiddish word for "black" or a racial slur equivalent to the n-word. TMZ was all over Mason after the schwartza-bombing, which prompted at least one audience member to walk out, "reportedly" fuming, "He's more offensive to the Jews than Madoff tonight." Speaking on the phone to TMZ, Mason explained, "I was raised in a Jewish family where 'schwartza' was used. It's not a demeaning word and I'm not going to defend myself... What about the demeaning words blacks say about Jews? If it's a racist society, the white people are the ones being persecuted because they have to defend themselves." And after being confronted by a camera-wielding TMZ troll yesterday, Mason angrily dismissed the controversy: "Why don't you ask Kid Rock. What's his name? The comedian. Chris Rock. Why don't you ask him what he said about white people... White people have no freedom of speech. I'm telling you, fuck you and that's it!" Of course, Al Sharpton has now piled on. more ›

A grand jury indicted the seven teens accused of killing an immigrant in Patchogue. All face charges of gang assault as a hate crime--the teens were allegedly targeting Hispanics-- while one was also indicted on charges of manslaughter as a hate crime for fatally stabbing Marcelo Lucero. Last night, over a 1,000 people held a vigil to honor Lucero--and speak out about racism. According to Newsday, Stony Brook University's director of the Social Justice Center Ruth Brandwein said, "This is an unfortunate, terrible tragedy of racism and bigotry that has some roots here. It's time we in Suffolk acknowledge it and move on," while one El Salvadoran immigrant said Nassau County was more tolerant. Suffolk County Executive Steve Levy, whose hardline immigration policies prompted two recent editorials in the NY Times and Newsday, called the seven teens "white supremacists." One of the teens, Jose Pacheco, is Hispanic; his lawyer said, "Jose is distraught that some people think he committed a crime against another Hispanic." more ›

After an Ecuadorean immigrant was stabbed to death, apparently by a group of teens looking to "f--- up" Hispanics, in Patchogue, Suffolk County Executive Steve Levy denounced the crime but later claimed it was a "one-day story," suggesting it was getting media attention because of his immigration policies. more ›

A little over a year ago, a young gay man named Charlie was allegedly beaten by the bouncers at the Williamsburg bar/venue Union Pool, and it wasn't the first time the bar's employees have been accused of despicable acts. Now another complaint has come out against the bouncers at the establishment; a reader writes in about his friend, "the only black guy there," getting tossed out on Wednesday for seemingly no reason at all. When he mentions the incident to someone, they tell him: "Oh yeah I used to work here I'm not surprised. They're totally racist here, this shit happens all the time." Is it time to start boycotting Union Pool, hipsterati? [Photo cred.] more ›

Joseph Wintje, a 51-year-old convicted rapist and registered sex offender, is suing his former landlord because she allegedly evicted him from his Brooklyn apartment for racist reasons. According to the Post, Wintje's discrimination complaint against 70-year-old landlord Domenica Pedone asserts that after just four days in the apartment he was given an ultimatum by Pedone when she noticed his black girlfriend around. Wintje says Pedone told him, "I don't want her coming over here." But Pedone insists she only evicted Wintje after her neighbors said he was a "bad man," what with his rape-y past and all. One thing's for sure; after this Post article, Wintje's going to have a tough time signing a lease anywhere with access to the Google machine. more ›

The Columbia University community is currently divided over the controversy involving a professor's possible plagiarism, which has escalated to racial politics. more ›

More than just a funny comedian, Elon James White (myspace) is becoming a notable force for his efforts to introduce new audiences to the sometimes overlooked diversity of talent within the world of black comedians. In other words, there’s more to black comedy than you might think by watching Def Comedy Jam. By creating The Black Comedy Project with comedian Baron Vaughn, White has helped cultivate an expanding community of artists who might be classified as Black-Alt comedians, for lack of a better term. At the end of the month, White will gather some of most innovative performers in New York for the first ever Black Comedy Experiment festival, which runs from February 28th to March 1st. The three day marathon (it’s a leap year) features an intriguing lineup of stand up, sketch comedy and solo shows, all gathered under one roof at the The Tank (Collective: Unconscious) in Tribeca. Tickets. more ›

The Parks Dept. decided to throw in the towel on litigation that's been going on for three years and conceded to reevaluate its requirement that no more than 50,000 people could gather on Central Park's Great Lawn at one time. more ›

November marks the 20th anniversary of the start of the Tawana Brawley affair--an incident that inflamed racial relations in New York and across the country after a teenage girl alleged that she had been sexually assaulted and abused by police. The ensuing media circus thrust Rev. Al Sharpton into the limelight and established his bona fides as a community spokesman. It also tarnished the reputations of the people she accused of raping her and, later... more ›

Six anonymous students at Columbia University have gone on a hunger strike to protest the administration's attitude and position on a number of issues, including Columbia's plans for West Harlem/Manhatanville, a series of hate crimes on campus and lack of an ethnic studies program. You can see the full list of demands at the strikers website, as well as explanations for questions like "Why now?"The recent acts of hate on this campus have lent urgency... more ›

a good idea, no matter what side of the law you're on. A 14-year-old boy was throwing eggs at cars in Staten Island when two police officers decided to teach him a lesson. Police sources S.tell the Daily News that Officers Thomas Elliassen and Michael Danese picked up Rayshawn Moreno around 8:30PM, drove him to "a swampy area of the 122nd Precinct" and then "dropped him off wearing only boxer shorts and socks and left." Moreno had to walk to a Burlington Coat Factory, where a security guard called his parents. more ›

Today on the Gothamist Newsmap: a pedestrian struck on 160th St. and Archer Ave. in Queens, a shooting on East 119th St. in Manhattan, and a construction accident on Flatbush Ave. in Brooklyn, Before anyone accuses A-Rod of greediness for spurning an offer of $30 million a year, let it be known that would make the top-performing athlete a pathetic piker among NYC earners. Maggie Gyllenhaal acclimates to Brooklyn: She isn't comfortable with her... more ›

Today on the Gothamist Newsmap: a pedestrian struck on 11th Ave. and West 43rd St. in Manhattan, a shooting on 21st St. in Queens, and a shooting on Eastern Parkway in Brooklyn. Veteran political reporter Gabe Pressman weighs in on the wave of mortgage foreclosures sweeping New York and finds overwhelming evidence of racism. A privately funded program to encourage lower income and minority students to take Advanced Placement courses will pay cash for... more ›

While SFist cringed at the fatal dose of crime littering the Bay Area, it found solace in Hillary Clinton's San Francisco campaign headquarters opening, which featured loads of exposed mammary glands. In other news, SF Taxi Commission ruled that Satan's cab must keep its (in)famous medallion number, 666; and in an un-fashion-forward frenzy, San Francisco Fashion Week (chortle) bars bloggers from covering and getting smashed at their shows and parties, respectively. Also, they found a picture displaying the woes of cruising in a tacky limo on the streets of San Francisco. more ›

As we mentioned, City Councilman Charles Barron held his press conference yesterday to announce his candidacy for the 2009 Brooklyn Borough Presidency. He told the crowds that his platform included affordable housing, health care accessibility, more jobs, standing up to developers who use eminent domain, ending mayor control of schools and more would help everyone. "Am I going to be a borough president for all the people? Absolutely. But I'm letting y'all know now, I'm taking care of black folk. Unapologetically." more ›

This week ended with the launch of the seventh and final Harry Potter installation. But while the world was consumed with Pottermania, it's important to remember that there were more serious things going on in the world, too - two of them in -Ist cities. more ›

Four months after the opening of three much mulled-over Robert Moses exhibitions, the debate over his legacy shows no signs of waning. Yesterday’s NY Times delved yet again into the morass, this time wondering whether the two perspectives are simply creatures of their cultural moments – a city embroiled in decay vs. a city experiencing a growth spurt. more ›

Bronx Borough President Adolfo Carrion, Jr. wants Germany to apologize for an army instructor telling a trainee, "You're in the Bronx, a black van pulls up in front of you and three African-Americans get out and start really insulting your mother… act!" Carrion calls the video "inaccurate and bigoted," and says, "The Bronx and the African-American community are owed an apology." more ›