Racist Clippers Owner Donald Sterling: What You Can Do

This blog believes that online activism is an important way for all 'villagers' to protest the continued racism of Donald Sterling. We actively support the call to action by the folks at Color of Change!

We've known for decades that Donald Sterling is a racist scumbag and sexual harasser who shouldn't be the owner of an NBA team.

The tape released Friday — which allegedly features Donald Sterling telling his girlfriend he doesn't want her to bring Black people to Clippers games or "broadcast her associations" with Black people on Instagram — is just the most recent example of Sterling's well-documented hostility towards Black people.

Donald Sterling should not be allowed to continue profiting from the achievements of some of the world's most exceptional Black athletes. Major companies that rely on business from Black folks shouldn't be lining the pockets of an NBA owner who doesn't want us at the games. Stripping the Clippers of their corporate sponsorships is an important first step towards removing Donald Sterling as their owner.

Join ColorOfChange in demanding that corporations end their sponsorship of the Clippers until Donald Sterling is no longer associated with the team.

Since he acquired the Clippers in 1981, Donald Sterling has repeatedly demonstrated racial animosity both inside the Clippers organization and out:

• Former General Manager Elgin Baylor charged in a racial discrimination suit that Sterling ran the Clippers with the "vision of a Southern plantation–type structure" asking him to create a team of “poor Black boys from the South and a white head coach.”
• When interviewing one prospective white coach, Sterling reportedly asked "I wanna know why you think you can coach these n**gers."
• Despite complaints from players, Sterling has made a disturbing habit of of bringing women into the locker room and saying things like "look at these beautiful Black bodies."
• Sterling is a ruthless, bigoted slumlord. In 2009, he settled a case with the Department of Justice paying the largest settlement ever obtained in a government housing discrimination suit. He was accused of systematically denying rental opportunities to prospective Black and Hispanic tenants across his Southern California properties. In court documents, he stated that "Black tenants smell and attract vermin."

The NBA is a league with a distinctly Black identity.  And most of us ... unlike Donald Sterling ... know that Black History Month is not celebrated in March! Someone with such vile views towards Black people and a wretched past of racial discrimination should not be allowed to profit in a league where more than 75% of the players are Black.  Snoop Dogg agrees!

Donald Sterling and Adam Silver

The NBA has a larger share of Black viewers than any other major U.S. sport. The Clippers and the NBA share a number of crucial corporate sponsors which count on a Black NBA audience as customers. Assuming his investigation verifies the authenticity of the recording, new NBA commissioner Adam Silver should demonstrate that naked bigotry will not be tolerated and do everything in his power to remove Sterling as the Clippers owner — including an indefinite suspension. Pressure from ColorOfChange.org members will encourage sponsors and the NBA to cut ties with and punish Donald Sterling.

Sign the petition. Tell corporations: Drop the Clippers and their racist owner.

Related articles

• Why the Clippers made the wrong decision by playing after Donald Sterling's racist comments
• Donald Sterling, Los Angeles Clippers Owner, Caught on Tape Being a HUGE Racist
• Magic Johnson blasts Clippers owner Donald Sterling
• NBA Players React to Alleged Donald Sterling Racist Rant
• LA Clippers Racism Controversy: Obama Rips Donald Sterling, New Audio Surfaces, NAACP Cancels Award

Billboards and Voter Suppression Roaches in Ohio and Wisconsin

Ordinarily when you turn on the lights the roaches in the room begin to run for the exists. That isn't the case with the folks trying to steal the 2012 presidential election. This week the roaches responsible for an outrageous voter suppression scheme in communities of color in Ohio and Wisconsin. The roaches this time around are trying to say anonymous as they have paid for devious billboards designed to scare Black and Hispanic people away from voting.

Melissa Harris-Perry and Ohio state Senator Nina Turner were on the case about this issue yesterday.

Visit NBCNews.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

With less than a month to go ... an anonymous advertiser tries to create an atmosphere of fear around voting just as the early voting period begins in Ohio and Wisconsin. I encourage all 'villagers' to sign an online petition demanding that demanding that Clear Channel immediately take down these offensive and dangerous billboards:

http://act.colorofchange.org/sign/billboards.

These billboards are clearly designed to intimidate voters, and they're part of a coordinated right-wing attack on the voting rights of people of color. The billboards are hosted by Clear Channel, a media conglomerate owned by Bain Capital — the same company that Mitt Romney co-founded. Clear Channel has tried to avoid any responsibility for the ads, saying that the group who paid for them is responsible for the content. But Clear Channel has rejected billboard ads at least three times in the past.

The myth of widespread "voter fraud" has been used to justify voter suppression efforts again and again. As a result, we've seen new restrictions on voting and voter registration, including discriminatory voter ID laws and voter roll purges. The fact is that voter fraud rarely occurs. In fact, voter fraud happens as infrequently as death by lightning.

Clear Channel syndicates some of our country’s most conservative commentators like Glenn Beck and Rush Limbaugh, and now it is allowing the myth of voter fraud to intimidate Black and Latino voters. Please join us in demanding that Clear Channel immediately remove the billboards, it only takes a moment.

Black Women Are "Less Attractive"? Hell No!

Last week Psychology Today  posted a blog claiming that Black women are "objectively" less beautiful than women of other races. Its author, Satoshi Kanazawa, is notorious for hiding behind pseudoscience to promote discredited racist and sexist ideas.  

Under increasing scrutiny, Psychology Today removed the blog post from their site, but over a week later they still haven't issued an apology.

This blog joins ColorOfChange in demanding that Psychology Today (a)apologize, (b) explain how the blog post got past their editors, and (c) tell us howthey'll make sure nothing like this happens again.


Kanazawa's article is flawed from top to bottom. Using a flawed data-set from an unrelated study of teenagers, he draws the obviously false conclusion that Black women are "objectively" less attractive than women from other racial groups.

Kanazawa has a long history of hiding behind pseudo-science to express racist and sexist views. He once wrote an article asking "Are All Women Essentially Prostitutes?" and another suggesting that the US should have dropped nuclear bombs across the entire Middle East after 9/11 because it would have wiped out Muslim terrorists.

So why does Psychology Today continue to give him a platform? Black women must constantly face both subtle and explicit messages that they are valued less than women of other races -- messages that are especially damaging to Black girls. Now they've served as launching point for yet another attack, this time in the name of science.

To undo the damage it's done, Psychology Today needs to explicitly reject Kanazawa's ideas.  

Please sign the online petition today!

Is Bobby Rush (D-IL) Opposition to Net Neutrality a Threat to Future of the Open Internet?

I’ve shared information with you about Net Neutrality in the past.


Methinks that it's time for each of us as individuals to take a stand on this issue. Earlier this week it became clear -- the FCC is wavering on net neutrality. And no matter what kind of rule the FCC makes, Republicans in Congress are waiting for an opportunity to gut Internet freedom.

But the person seeking to lead Democrats on the House subcommittee with oversight over Internet policy has been a staunch opponent of net neutrality, even calling it "a solution in search of a problem."

And due to his seniority, he may get the position. The decision on the position is being made right now.

That's why this blog is joining with friends at ColorOfChange.org in calling on Speaker Nancy Pelosi and other key leaders to oppose Congressman Bobby Rush's bid for Ranking Member on the House Subcommittee on Communications, Technology, and the Internet.

Congressman Bobby Rush (D-IL) has a strong record of service in our communities -- let there be no mistake. And we want to see Black members of Congress in leadership positions wherever possible. But when it comes to the Internet, Congressman Rush has repeatedly supported the interests of the telecom industry over the interests of regular people, and he's been a leading Black voice in opposition to network neutrality.

In 2006, Rush worked with Rep. Joe Barton (R-TX) and other Republicans to enact legislation that would undermine network neutrality.   Recently, he supported an effort by Rep. Gene Green (D-TX) to prevent the FCC from instituting network neutrality rules. It would be dangerous to the future of the Internet for Bobby Rush to become the ranking member on the House subcommittee in charge of net neutrality.

Rush's financial relationship to the telecom industry also raises the question of whether he can stand with everyday people vs. the big broadband providers. AT&T, Verizon, and the National Cable and Telecommunications Association have been among his strongest campaign contributors, with AT&T's PAC being his second biggest life-time contributor. From 2001 to 2004 the company donated $1 million to a community technology center Rush founded in Chicago that bears his name.

Speaker Pelosi has been a steadfast supporter of the open Internet and has promised that any legislation to gut net neutrality is "not going to be a Democratic initiative."

In my opinion, allowing Rush to become Ranking Member would simply be a mistake for any of us that support continuation of 'net neutrality' and threaten the future of the open Internet.

What say u?

Tell President Obama to Reinstate Shirley Sherrod

This blog joins with ColorOfChange in demanding that the Obama Administration reinstate Shirley Sherrod.

The Obama administration just caved in to the right-wing smear machine, firing a Black USDA official after she was smeared by far-right blogger Andrew Breitbart and his friends at Fox News Channel.

On Monday, Andrew Breitbart (a blogger who works closely with FOX News and has a long history of launching deceptive, racially charged smear campaigns) posted a deceptively edited video of USDA employee Shirley Sherrod speaking at an NAACP function. The video shows Sherrod telling a story about how she once was asked for help from a White farmer, and how she didn't "give him the full force of what I could do" to help him, because of his race.

Breitbart touted the video as evidence that the NAACP and the Obama administration tolerated racial discrimination against White people, saying that it showed Sherrod's "federal duties are managed through the prism of race and class distinctions." Breitbart's doctored video and false storyline moved quickly to FOX News, where on-air personalities called for Sherrod's firing.

The truth is that Sherrod was telling a 24-year old story about her work for a non-profit organization whose mission was to help Black farmers. Discrimination against Black farmers was rampant, and she described how she was first reluctant when approached by a White farmer named Roger Spooner for help (Sherrod also says that her father was killed by a White farmer 45 years ago). But after seeing that no one wanted to help Spooner, she worked to save his farm, and eventually became good friends with his family.

Yesterday, Roger Spooner said that Sherrod saved their farm and kept them out of bankruptcy. He told CNN, "I don't know what brought up the racist mess. They just want to stir up some trouble, it sounds to me in my opinion."

The NAACP was snookered.   They joined the attack on Shirley Sherrod based on the the edited video.  They should have simply watched the full speech before they rushed to judgement.   The full video is shown below:





It took less than 24 hours for the lies to be debunked. But by that time, it was too late — Sherrod was forced to quit.

Once the truth became known, Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack issued a statement saying that whether or not the smear campaign against Sherrod was based in lies, it was necessary to fire her because the "controversy" would make it hard for her to do her job.

The Obama administration is essentially saying that they will always back down in the face of dishonest, race-baiting smear campaigns launched by right-wing propagandists. They've ended the career of someone who did nothing wrong, and by handing a victory to the people who launched this deception, the administration is encouraging them to launch even more smears. All to avoid "controversy." It's pathetic, it's shameful, and it has to stop.

It's not the first time this has happened. Several members of the Obama administration have lost their jobs or been demoted, and nominees to cabinet positions have either stepped down or withdrawn their nominations after becoming the target of smear campaigns launched by FOX News and Breitbart.

It's bad enough that we have to fight the constant smear campaigns and appeals to racial paranoia from FOX and the right-wing media. But it's completely shameful and outrageous for the Obama administration to throw innocent public servants under the bus just to avoid having to fight back against the lies.

Please join us in calling on the White House to immediately give Shirley Sherrod her job back, and to stop bowing to the will of right-wing propaganda artists.

Important Development in the Oscar Grant Case

Soulclap to the brothers and sisters of ColorOfChange for bringing us this important news:

---

There’s been an important new development in the Oscar Grant case, and you helped make it possible.

Last year, we told you the story of Oscar Grant, the young man who was shot in the back by a police officer while laying face-down on a subway platform in Oakland, CA.





The officer who shot Grant, Johannes Mehserle, was subsequently charged with murder and is currently awaiting trial — a rare moment for police accountability. But in the moments before Grant’s murder he was also brutalized by another officer on the scene named Tony Pirone.

Now, more than a year after Grant’s tragic murder, the Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART) Police Department has fired Pirone for his conduct that night. With Pirone’s dismissal, three officers at the scene of Grant’s murder have now been fired for their actions, which clearly set the stage for Grant’s death that night.

While the fate of the officer who killed Grant is not yet certain, it is important to recognize the significance of this moment. It is definitely a victory for all who believe that those who enforce the law can never be above it. And it couldn’t have happened without the participation of tens of thousands of ColorOfChange members who spoke up for justice for Oscar Grant, signing petitions, making phone calls, writing letters and attending rallies.

Last year, ColorOfChange members in the Bay Area confronted the Alameda County District Attorney with stacks of more than 20,000 petitions demanding that he explain why he hadn’t arrested Pirone. Most of the local media covered our event, feeding a public conversation about the D.A’s handling of the case and shining a spotlight on Pirone’s actions.

Our action was a major catalyst in Pirone’s ultimate dismissal. The intense media spotlight ColorOfChange members shone on Pirone and the pressure you generated both locally and nationally contributed significantly to a measure of accountability: a rogue cop was kicked off the police force, losing his ability to shield himself with his badge while terrorizing and brutalizing innocent civilians. It also sends a clear signal to other officers who might be inclined to abuse their power.

We still believe that Pirone should have been brought up on charges for assaulting Grant. But we shouldn’t let this distract us from the ultimate goal: seeing that Grant’s murderer gets the full measure of justice for what he’s done. With his trial for murder pending, we’re already part of the way there — a position we might not be in today were it not for ColorOfChange members like you speaking up, keeping pressure on the District Attorney, and forcing him to act swiftly to pursue justice.

These are achievements we can all be proud of. Thank you for standing with us.

Thanks and Peace,
-- James, Gabriel, William, Dani, Milton and the rest of the ColorOfChange.org team

---

I have to admit that this blog didn't provide as much coverage of the Oscar Grant case as we should have done at the time. I'm grateful to James and his crew from ColorOfChange for their tireless online activism. I hope that justice is finally done in memory of Oscar Grant and for the family that he left behind.

Will Congress Maintain Racist Approach to Cocaine Laws?

Soulclap to ColorOfChange.org for pointing out the opportunity that we have to apply political pressure to ensure that Congress does the right thing when it comes to sentencing guidelines for people caught with cocaine.

Thousands of the people currently in jail are victims of arcane and racist sentencing laws. People caught with crack cocaine -- often Black and poor -- are sentenced 100 times more harshly than those caught with powder cocaine. This is part of the reason that 1 in 15 Black adults is behind bars.

The U.S. Senate had a chance to advance a bill to eliminate the disparity. Instead, they chose to reduce it -- with no good reason other than to please “moderate” Democrats and Republicans. And President Obama, who for years has championed ending the disparity, is supporting the bill — apparently because it’s bipartisan. Can you think of any legitimate reason that the sentencing guidelines should be different between crack and powder cocaine?

This blog is joining with ColorOfChange.org and other progressive bloggers in calling for our blog readers to take a moment to sign a letter to President Obama and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi demanding they show leadership and push for the House version of the bill, which would eliminate the sentencing disparity?

Today’s unfair sentencing laws treat five grams of crack cocaine the same as 500 grams of powder cocaine — a disparity of 100-to-1. Under the Senate’s plan, the laws would change to make 28 grams of crack trigger the same sentence as 500 grams of powder. As one journalist put it, the proposal would “make the law one-fifth as racist as it used to be.”

Here’s what New York defense attorney Gary G. Becker told the Sentencing Law and Policy blog, after the Senate Judiciary Committee moved to reduce, instead of eliminate, the disparity:

The Senate Judiciary Committee’s vote to “reduce” the crack cocaine/powder cocaine punishment disparity from 100:1 to 20:1 is a scandalous, racist, and politically motivated act. In view of the near-unanimous consensus that there is no justifiable basis for punishing crack cocaine more harshly than powder cocaine, and that the 100:1 ratio was both arbitrary and irrational — even [the] DOJ called for elimination of the disparity — the Senate Judiciary Committee settles on an equally unsupportable, irrational, and arbitrary punishment scheme, one that will disproportionately affect minorities, destroy families, and promote disrespect for the law.

Attorney General Eric Holder said last week, “There is no law enforcement or sentencing rationale for the current disparity between crack and cocaine powder offenses, and I have strongly supported eliminating it to ensure our sentencing laws are tough, predictable and fair.” Yet he went on to give his stamp of approval to the Senate’s 20:1 bill and urged Congress to approve it so it can be signed into law.

There is no disagreement that the current sentencing approach pulls non-violent drug offenders out of their communities for unreasonable lengths of time. And most of the committee members, who unanimously supported this plan, acknowledge that the disparity disproportionately affects Black communities.

This is politics at its worst. It’s legislation that harms communities instead of helping them — a direct result of political horse-trading that throws the most vulnerable among us under the bus.

Villagers have a chance to make it right. There’s a bill in the House that would completely eliminate the sentencing disparity. But if some Senators have their way and are able to quickly send their bill to the House, this diluted compromise could override the House’s bill — our only remaining chance at real reform.

Allowing that to happen would be disastrous. It will mean more broken families and more unequal justice. It will mean that instead of seizing an opportunity to help our communities, Congress and President Obama have decided to write a scaled-back form of discrimination into our laws.

Can you take a moment to tell President Obama and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi to fight for passage of the House version of the bill? And when you do, please ask your family and friends to do the same.

Does Rupert Murdoch Think That Barack Obama is "a Racist"?

Villagers recall that Glenn Beck called Obama a racist a few weeks ago on Fox News. Rupert Murdoch co-signed Glenn Beck's comment at first.





Rupert Murdoch has been ducking any follow-up questions on the subject. ColorOfChange has over 135,000 signatures on a petition asking Murdoch to either say clearly that he meant what he said and that he stands by Beck; or he should acknowledge there's a problem with what Beck said and take responsibility for stopping the continued race-baiting at News Corp and Fox.

But Murdoch has refused to respond.

Yesterday, Rupert Murdoch spoke at the Federal Trade Commission as part of a conference on the future of journalism. ColorOfChange organizers and others in the audience confronted Murdoch about his comments and asked for an explanation, but as you can see, Murdoch made a quick, silent exit.





What are your thoughts on this issue? Personally, I encourage all villagers to sign the ColorOfChange petition!

Did Glenn Beck Compare Jimmy Carter to Terrorist Suicide Bombers?

Glenn Beck is truly losing his mind in front of a nationwide audience. First, he lounges on a Fox News couch sharing his belief that President Barack Obama "hates white people" and is a "racist". Then he calls for a 9/12 right-wing protest at which about 60,000 people show up ... many of them carrying overtly racist signs and billboards. Now he rants about Jimmy Carter using the tactics of terrorist suicide bombers:



I imagine that Glenn Beck is under immense pressure. After all, he has lost over 50% of his advertising revenue since an online petition was circulated a few weeks ago. I need to update my list of advertisers that have agreed to boycott Glenn Beck's show on the Fox network. There are now 62 advertisers on that list.

Estimated advertising revenue [the total amount of advertising money being spent during a block of commercial time for a program] was collected on a week-by-week basis for a period of two months. According to the data collected, the amount of money spent by national advertisers on Beck’s program per week was at its highest at approximately $1,060,000, for the week ending August 2, 2009. ColorOfChange.org launched their campaign at the end of that week and since then, 62 advertisers have distanced themselves from Beck. Data collected for the week ending September 6, 2009 shows Beck’s estimated ad revenue at $492,000, equal to a loss of $568,000.

It appears that the pressure is beginning to be felt by Glenn Beck. Don't you agree?

Farmers Insurance Pulls Ads from Glenn Beck Show on Fox News

Soulclap to the folks at POLITICO for reporting that Farmers Insurance is the 21st company to pull their ads from the Glenn Beck show on Fox News.

Farmers spokesperson says, "We advertise on Fox News Channel, which places our ads in the Network programming, and we ceased placing on Glenn Beck a week ago."

We have been reminded by village voices that just because advertisers pull ads from Beck's show doesn't mean the network will lose any money. A Fox News spokesperson told the Daily News yesterday that "advertisers referenced have all moved their spots from Beck to other programs on the network so there has been no revenue lost."

Folks can spin this in any direction that they want. Bottomline is that Beck called our nation's president a 'racist' and he is paying a price for it. My hope is that all villagers will sign the online petition in support of our efforts to boycott any corporation that advertises on the Glenn Beck show.

Thank Sen. Jim Webb (D-VA) for Leadership on Criminal Justice Reform

I've shared with you the plans Senator James Webb (D-VA) has for prison reform in an earlier blog post. I'm pleased to tell you that Sen. Webb is a man of his word. He introduced a bill, National Criminal Justice Commission Act that could lead to badly needed prison reform.

I encourage all like-minded villagers to send the Senator a thank you note! I joined with ColorOfChange.org folks to send him the following thank you note:

Dear Senator Webb,

Thank you for your devotion to reforming America's broken criminal justice system and addressing the deep inequities that have come to define it. By introducing the National Criminal Justice Commission Act, you've helped spark an honest conversation about the serious problems plaguing the system, and created an opening for the kind of broad, sweeping reform that is so badly needed. I want to thank you for your courageous leadership on this issue. I pledge to stand with you in your continued work for a more just and effective approach towards stopping crime and keeping our communities safe.

Sincerely,
Villager :)

We stood up last November and voted for change. Now it is time to be the change. What say u?

Gov. Mark Sanford (R-SC) on Defensive in Fight Over Stimulus Dollars

The online activism against Gov. Mark Sanford continued today.

Hundreds of phone calls are streaming into Governor Sanford's office this week from angry citizens decrying his plan to reject desperately needed funds from the federal stimulus bill. More than 600 calls were made to the Governor on Monday by members of ColorOfChange.org, the nation's largest online African American advocacy group, demanding that he accept the full amount of federal stimulus funding intended to buoy his struggling state's economy. The calls continue today.

Sanford's office was put on the defensive, with callers reporting that aides struggled to explain the Governor's decision in light of its likely effect on South Carolina's education system. They seemed unaware that Sanford's rejection of stimulus funds could lead to thousands of teachers losing their jobs.

Have you made the call to Gov. Sanford's office yet?

Online Activism: Call Gov. Mark Sanford’s Office Today

Members of ColorOfChange.org, the nation's largest online African American advocacy group, are scheduled to flood South Carolina Governor Mark Sanford's office with phone calls today demanding that he accept the full amount of federal stimulus funds intended to buoy his struggling state's economy.

The effort is set to launch just days after Sanford announced he may refuse nearly a quarter of the stimulus dollars, including those targeted for education, unemployment benefits and other social programs. The group said it expected to tie up the lines at Sanford's office throughout the day with hundreds of calls to drive home the importance of putting economic recovery -- in South Carolina and throughout the country -- before political posturing.

Villagers know my perspective on Sanford. I think he has 'mad cow disease'.

The callers are among more than 28,000 ColorOfChange.org members who recently signed an open letter to Sanford and five other Republican governors who have threatened to reject federal stimulus funds. The letter urges them to put their constituents' well-being ahead of their desire to build their own national profiles within the Republican party.

Sanford, chair of the Republican Governors Association, has said he would accept a portion of the stimulus funds only if he can use it to pay down debt, a position that ColorOfChange.org Executive Director James Rucker called indefensible.

"As people in South Carolina struggle with this recession, Governor Sanford has decided to stand in the way of the help," said Rucker. "It's obvious even to Republicans in South Carolina that this has nothing to do with what's best for the state -- it's all about scoring political points."

"Schools in South Carolina can’t afford for thousands of teachers to lose their jobs, and neither can America’s economy," Rucker continued. "But it seems like Governor Sanford thinks that currying favor with the far right of his political party is more important than stopping the economic bleeding."

The group noted that Black South Carolinians, nearly a third of the state's population, will be hit particularly hard by Sanford's decision to reject stimulus funds. The Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that Blacks in that state are twice as likely as whites to be unemployed. The state's jobless rate, at 10.4%, is second highest in the country.

Civil Rights Group Rejects 'Apology' from New York Post

ColorOfChange.org rejected the New York Post's statement surrounding the uproar over its 'chimp' cartoon, calling it a "non-apology," because it did not acknowledge a mistake. The group demanded a real apology, as well as the firing of the editor who approved the cartoon. More than 50,000 members of ColorOfChange.org sent emails to New York Post Publisher Paul Carlucci on Thursday with that message. By Friday morning, that number had reached 75,000.

James Rucker, the online civil rights group's executive director, said, "The Post's recent statement about the uproar it has caused with this cartoon insults our intelligence. It acknowledges no mistake while continuing to attack those who are raising serious, legitimate concerns. If The Post thinks they can close the book on this without taking any responsibility, they're wrong."

Momentum around the petition continued to build as the civil rights organization launched online ads and began outreach on social networking sites. The group expected tens of thousands more emails would be sent through its website by the weekend.

The cartoon depicts the recent stimulus bill's "author" as a dead monkey, covered in blood after being shot by police. ColorOfChange.org is circulating an online petition that takes The Post to task for its apparent ignorance of a history of racist symbolism that depicts Black people as apes or monkeys. The organization argues that the image is particularly dangerous at a time when hate crimes are on the rise and threats against President Barack Obama abound.

"The paper's leaders need to be held accountable, and so far we've seen no sign that The Post cares about the thousands of people across the country who are rightly outraged by this cartoon," said James Rucker, the organization's executive director. "The next question we have to ask is whether advertisers feel comfortable being associated with a publication that responds so callously to readers' concerns."

An excerpt of the petition, addressed to Carlucci, reads as follows:

I am writing to ask that you publish an apology. I also ask that whichever editor approved Delonas' cartoon for publication be fired, whether it was Editorial Page Editor Bob McManus, Editor Col Allan, or another senior manager in the newsroom. I ask that you determine who was responsible and hold that person accountable.

I was particularly concerned by the Post's sole response to readers who found the image to have racist undertones. The callous statement Col Allan issued Wednesday denies a historical reality, and for him to claim ignorance of this history raises questions about his ability to effectively lead a daily newspaper geared toward a mainstream and multiracial audience.

Please publish an apology that acknowledges that it was a mistake for the Post to publish this cartoon and fire the person responsible.

With more than a half million members, ColorOfChange.org is the largest African American online political organization in the country.

Soulclap to Gabriel Rey-Goodlatte (Campaign Director, ColorOfChange.org) for being the tip of the spear on this campaign. Methinks that the next step is to identify the advertisers that support the New York Post. Follow the money...

Justice for Oscar Grant: The Fight Continues

We were glad to see Johannes Mehserle, the police officer who killed Oscar Grant on New Year's Eve, has finally been arrested and charged with murder.



Even the District Attorney admitted it was only because of massive public pressure that he moved when he did. The Electronic Village joins with ColorOfChange.org in efforts to keep the pressure on.

As the Mehserle case moves forward, we need to be ready to act to make sure the authorities do their job. It's also time to seek systemic changes that will increase accountability and transparency for police in California and across the country.

I encourage all villagers to sign on for the battle ahead.

Katrina's Hidden Race War

I just learned from ColorOfChange.org that in the weeks following Hurricane Katrina, racist vigilantes in Algiers Point attacked, and according to their own accounts, killed Black men seeking refuge from the floodwaters. I'm outraged to hear that New Orleans law enforcement officials have consistently refused to investigate these crimes, and acted to cover up their own complicity in the violence.






Based on evidence recently presented by A.C. Thompson in The Nation, it appears that while at least 11 Black men were shot or shot at, none of the white vigilantes have been brought to justice. And there's damning evidence that police officers allowed a man to die, and then burned his body to cover it up.

Louisiana-style justice has once again failed to protect and serve the state's Black citizens. State officials such as Gov. Jindal must act immediately to change this. I urge all villagers to push for the identification of victims of these crimes, prosecution of the perpetrators, full cooperation with any federal inquiries, and aggressive investigations into the role of local law enforcement officials in committing and suppressing the exploration of these crimes.

That's my view. What say u?

Justice for the Angola 3

Our friends over at ColorOfChange have been seeking justice for Albert Woodfox and the other two people referred to as the 'Angola 3'. Angola is a prison located deep in Louisiana about 30 miles from the nearest town.

A 23-year old prison guard, Brent Miller, was stabbed to death with a lawnmower blade in 1972. Albert Woodfox and Herman Wallace were convicted of murder. They served the past 36 years in solitary confinement -- It's the longest any inmate has spent in isolation in modern U.S. history. Now, all these years later, the murder seems even more unsettled and elusive than it did then, and there are questions about their guilt.

Despite increasing evidence of Woodfox's innocence, the State of Louisiana is digging in its heels. They've pushed back against a federal judge who has overturned Woodfox's conviction and ordered his release. Many believe that the government is upset with the 'Angola 3' because they were organizing within the prison for better conditions, an end to sexual abuses, and the fair treatment of inmates.

Louisiana governor Bobby Jindal is not saying anything. Petitions have been delivered to him asking for him to take action in this case ... however, he hasn't said a word yet.

Have you been following the story of the Angola 3 over the past weeks and months? If so, what is your take on the situation?

Thousands of Black Online Activists Detail Their Role in Historic Campaign

ColorOfChange.org released an interactive map highlighting the personal stories of thousands of online activists who mobilized support for the Obama campaign. The 450,000 member online civil rights organization collected more than 7,800 stories across the last week as part of the "Election Stories" project, providing a digital snapshot of the impact of Obama's election on Black Americans and their allies, Black online activists' contributions to the campaign, and also their experience at the polls on Election Day.

"Many of our members were active and engaged before the Obama campaign started, but hearing the real stories of those who got involved is emotional, inspiring, and sometimes heart-wrenching," said James Rucker, executive director of ColorOfChange.org. "But what stands out most clearly from the stories comes as no surprise. This year, our members – like other Black Americans from coast to coast – were not only ready for change in Washington—they were ready to stand up and fight for it."

After collecting reactions to the news of Obama's victory, the results were plotted on a Google map, allowing viewers to get an inside look at the election's impact on their next-door neighbors, as well as someone on the other side of the country.

Alongside the emotional reactions to the Obama victory, the Election Stories project also collected key data including whether respondents were first-time voters and if they went to the polls on election day or voted early. In addition, ColorOfChange.org members showed the ways, big and small, they contributed to the campaign – by voting, canvassing, phonebanking, participating in ColorOfChange.org campaigns or simply passing on information to friends.

The contributions were significant:

• 15% of respondents canvassed during the campaign.
• 30% registered voters.
• 42% made a financial contribution.

Voting experiences showed these highly-motivated voters persevered despite problems at the polls on Election Day:

• 523 said they stood in line for 3 hours on Election Day. Another 86 said they waited for 6 hours or more.
• 4% were first-time voters.
• 33% said they voted early.

ColorOfChange.org plans to use the information to keep their members active, even as an extremely popular president takes office.

"Before the campaign, our members were already standing up and winning real change on issues like criminal justice and voting rights," Rucker added. "Obama's victory only reaffirms the necessity of that grassroots movement for change and the important role Black Americans play within it. When enough of us act together – even in small ways – we can write history. That idea is even bigger than putting a Black man in the White House."

Will John McCain Stop Fear-Mongering Tactics?

Do you remember when you were engaged in a verbal debate with a schoolmate back in the day? If your buddy was losing the verbal joust it didn't take long for him to say, 'Yo Mama'!

John McCain and Sarah Palin lost three straight debates. They have lost in the battle of ideas against Barack Obama. So, instead of continuing a losing dialogue about the issues, McCain-Palin campaign launched a strategy relying on fear-mongering, racial divisions, and hate.

White folks rarely yell, 'Yo Mama' ... instead we see McCain/Palin supporters saying "kill him!" "terrorist!" "traitor," and more, at rallies, with the McCain campaign playing dumb in response.

Check out this video to see what I'm talking about:

Villagers, I've signed onto ColorofChange's open-letter calling out McCain and Palin.

McCain and Palin are going down a dangerous path. All of it plays on the much more sinister rumors in anonymous smear emails which claim Obama is Muslim, anti-American, and is somehow connected with terrorists. This strategy is powerful because Obama is Black, and it's designed to make Obama's race a disadvantage without appearing overtly racist.

Villagers, we've seen how Barack Obama's historic candidacy has moved our friends and family to have a more honest conversation about race in this country. It's inspired a lot of people to step out of their comfort zone and confront racism in their own communities, with their friends, neighbors and families.

In the final days of this campaign, we can't let a desperate John McCain and Sarah Palin drag us down. All villagers need to stand united against race-baiting and fear-mongering coming from the McCain-Palin campaign.

What say u? Will you sign the petition?

Bridges: Build, Cross or Burn?

One of the highlights of the Blogging While Brown conference was panel discussion entitled, 'Bridges: Build, Cross or Burn? Can New Media Work With the Old Guard and Old Media?'.

The panel was moderated by Kevin Ross (3 Brothers and A SISTER). Panel members included Gina McCauley (What About Our Daughters), Clarissa Goodlett (ColorOfChange), Tamera Reynolds (GlamMedia) and Necole Bitchie (NicoleBitchie.com).

The premise of the panel discussion was that there may be some friction between the new media and the traditional media. However, the true friction appeared to be between Black bloggers that want to monetize their blogs versus those that thought any movement toward monetization was a mortal sin for Black bloggers.

Sis. Reynolds is a director of the African American Network at GlamMedia. She shared some insights from the perspective of an ad network business. My learning from her was that GlamMedia was more than fashion. She pointed out to us a soon-to-be announced Blacklife section of GlamMedia.

However, the highlight of the session for me was Necole Bitchie. She is one of the few Black bloggers in the nation able to blog fulltime. In fact, the young college graduate shared with us that she signed an agreement with Gorilla Nation earlier this month. I first learned about Necole in Jan 2008 with her debut on the Black Blog Rankings at BBR #124. She became one of the hottest bloggers in America and today NecoleBitchie.com is BBR #16.

Theo Johnson (Now That's What I'm Talking About) live streamed the workshop ... so it is available for your review here.

Many Black bloggers are going to have difficult making any serious money with a blog. We need to focus on growing a loyal readership based on our consistent, high-quality blog posts first. Do you have any thoughts on this subject?