WebProNews

Tag: Racism

  • Nothing to See Here: Google Glosses Over AI Troubles With New Lead

    Nothing to See Here: Google Glosses Over AI Troubles With New Lead

    Google has appointed a new head of its responsible AI research in the wake of the high-profile firing of Dr. Timnit Gebru and action against Margaret Mitchell.

    Google has went from one bad decision to another with its AI team. Things started when the company fired Dr. Timnit Gebru, all the while claiming she resigned. At the heart of the issue was the company taking exception with a research paper Gebru had co-authored that was critical of some of the AI Google uses.

    Gebru’s firing was met with condemnation, both form inside and outside the company. CEO Sundar Pichai sent an email to Google employees that was widely criticized as being tone-deaf and failing to address the underlying issues.

    The company then took action against Margaret Mitchell, locking out her access. Mitchell had been a vocal supporter of Gebru and voiced her own criticism of Google’s actions. Multiple engineers have since quit, citing the company’s dealings with Gebru Mitchell as the reason.

    Google seems eager to put the whole fiasco behind it, and has appointed Dr. Marian Croak to lead its responsible AI research division. Unfortunately for the company, Croak’s appointment is being seen as another example of being tone-deaf. Since Croak is a Black woman, her appointment is being taken as a transparent way to dismiss accusations of misogyny and racism…by putting a Black woman in charge of Gebru’s team.

    Gebru also voiced her frustration that a Black woman was participating in the legitimization of Google’s actions.

    In our initial coverage of this situation we said: “It goes without saying that Google is providing a case study in how not to handle this kind of situation.”

    It’s amazing that, two and a half months later, the company is continuing to demonstrate what not to do.

  • Yelp Will Label Businesses That Engage in Overtly Racist Behavior

    Yelp has announced it will start labeling businesses that engage in overtly racist behavior.

    At a time when racial equality and social justice are front-and-center, many businesses are looking for ways to be a positive force for change. This has included donating to charities, improving company diversity and putting a moratorium on the sale of technologies that can be abused.

    Yelp is implementing a solution that it hopes will help customers make informed choices about where they choose to dine and what businesses they choose to support. The company says it will rely on news articles to determine if a company warrants its new Business Accused of Racist Behavior Alert.

    The new Business Accused of Racist Behavior Alert is an extension of our Public Attention Alert that we introduced in response to a rise in social activism surrounding the Black Lives Matter movement. If someone associated with a business is accused of, or the target of, racist behavior, we will place a Public Attention Alert on the business page to warn consumers that the business may be receiving an influx of reviews as a result of increased attention. For businesses accused of overtly racist actions, where we can link to a news article, we will escalate our warning with the Business Accused of Racist Behavior Alert.

    Only time will tell if Yelp’s latest initiative meets with success.

  • High-Profile Companies Join Facebook Advertising Boycott

    High-Profile Companies Join Facebook Advertising Boycott

    Multiple high-profile companies have joined the ranks of those boycotting Facebook advertising over racist and violent content.

    Facebook has been under increasing pressure over what many perceive as a tolerance for racist and violent posts and groups, which Facebook says fall under free speech. In the wake of George Floyd’s death, and the renewed focus on equality, Facebook’s policy of non-interference isn’t flying with other companies.

    The movement comes following the Anti-Defamation League (ADL) calling out Facebook for tolerating posts and groups that promote racism and violence. A quick search by ADL researchers showed major companies’ ads side-by-side with content many would deem offensive.

    “Facebook has been claiming that it is effectively addressing hate on its platforms. ADL and others, however, have continued to expose egregious examples of online hate, misinformation and extremism across the company’s products, particularly on Facebook and Instagram,” reads the ADL’s open letter. “Whether or not these posts technically violate Facebook’s complicated guidelines around hate speech, as a result of the platform’s casual placement of ads, paid advertisements run a risk of being placed next to divisive (and sometimes blatantly hateful) content. Indeed, even a cursory investigation conducted by ADL’s analysts immediately surfaced examples of prominent brands’ advertising displayed on newsfeeds next to hateful and conspiratorial content. Although we have not spoken to these companies, we can assume that their intentions when buying advertising on Facebook did not include being displayed alongside such content.”

    As a result of the ADL’s open letter, company after company has pulled their advertising from Facebook and Instagram. Coca-Cola, The Hershey Company, Levi Strauss & Co, Verizon, Mozilla, Upwork, REI, Patagonia, Ben & Jerry’s, The North Face and Eddie Bauer are just a few of the organizations that have joined the boycott.

    The lost revenue appears to be having an impact, as Facebook has started announcing changes to their policies in response. Whether these changes will go far enough remains to be seen.

  • Thandie Newton Calls Out Starbucks over Distasteful Statue

    Thandie Newton Calls Out Starbucks over Distasteful Statue

    Actress Thandie Newton slammed coffee giant Starbucks this week over a figurine she saw in one of their stores.

    The figure, which Newtown posted on Twitter, is of a black figure in a loin cloth and safari hat holding coffee beans.

    “Seriously @Starbucks? At the counter – Loin cloth and Safari hat on a black child. Happy New Year circa 19th century,” the actress wrote on Twitter.

    Starbucks’ customer service account was quick to apologize. The company says the statue has been removed.

    “We are very concerned to learn of this incident & we can’t apologise enough. We have removed the figure & are investigating,” the company tweeted to Newton.

    Reaction to Newton has been mixed.

    What do you think?

  • Sandra Bullock Has Already Warned Her 5-Year-Old Son About Racism

    Sandra Bullock is not the first white person to adopt a black baby, not by a long shot. But her public discussion of a difficulty she has with her son says a lot about how far we have to go in this country to be rid of the scourge of racism.

    Sandra Bullock is famous, wealthy, and can pretty much do anything she wants. But she still has to have a conversation with her son about the racism he will inevitably face as he grows up.

    “It’s an open conversation we have. He fully understands what that means,” Bullock says. “He doesn’t understand why people judge each other based on color of the skin, but he knows they do.”

    Of course, racism isn’t the only fact of life that Bullock talks to her son about.

    “He also knows that there’s sexism, he knows that there’s homophobia – he knows a lot for a 5¾-year-old, but I think if you don’t start the conversation very early on, you’re doing them a disservice,” Bullock says. “I want him to know the truth, but I also want him to know the good in the world as well, but those are hard conversations to have.”

    Sandra Bullock sees it as her responsibility to let her son know what he might face as he grows up.

    “It’s not a conversation any parent wants to have with their child, that you’ll be judged by the color of your skin rather than the content of your character, but it exists and I want him to be safe and I want him to be aware,” she says. “I want to know that I did the best I could as his mom to educate him on the ugliness in the world and also the beauty.”

  • Facebook Isn’t Great at Policing Racism, Says German Minister

    Facebook Isn’t Great at Policing Racism, Says German Minister

    Facebook isn’t doing enough to rid the site of hateful, racist rhetoric, according to German Justice Minister Heiko Maas.

    Maas sent a letter to Facebook saying its action on such issues were “urgent.” The letter was obtained by Der Tagesspiegel, as well as Bloomberg.

    According to Maas, Facebook is not complying with users’ reporting of racist content, often being told the content doesn’t actually violate community standards.

    “Facebook users are, in particular, complaining increasingly that your company is not effectively stopping racist ‘posts’ and comments despite their pointing out concrete examples,” read the letter.

    Mass called it “incomprehensible” that “photos of certain body parts are automatically deleted because of moral concerns, yet racist and xenophobic statements aren’t immediately removed.”

    “There must be no mistaken tolerance for users that offensively preach xenophobia and racism,” he said.

    Facebook’s terms of service bans any content that “is hate speech, threatening, or pornographic; incites violence; or contains nudity or graphic or gratuitous violence.” Facebook defines “hate speech” as content that directly attacks people based on their race, ethnicity, national origin, religious affiliation, sexual orientation, sex, gender, or gender identity, or serious disabilities or diseases.”

    “People can use Facebook to challenge ideas, institutions, and practices. Such discussion can promote debate and greater understanding. Sometimes people share content containing someone else’s hate speech for the purpose of raising awareness or educating others about that hate speech. When this is the case, we expect people to clearly indicate their purpose, which helps us better understand why they shared that content,” says the company. “We allow humor, satire, or social commentary related to these topics.”

    So there is some wiggle room, in cases of satire and commentary.

    “There is no room for racism on Facebook,” a Facebook spokesperson told Reuters. “That kind of content violates our community standards and we appeal to people not to use our platform for the spread of hatred … We work hard every day to protect people on Facebook from abuse, hatred and bullying.”

    Whether Facebook is doing enough, or at least all it can in good faith, to remove racist content is debatable. What’s not is Facebook’s fear of the human body.

  • Donald Trump Mocks Asian Negotiators By Speaking In Broken English

    Business mogul and Republican presidential front-runner, Donald Trump, made another racist remark in a speech he delivered during a campaign rally in Iowa on Tuesday. This time Trump made fun of the negotiating skills of Asian business negotiators in broken English.

    “When these people walk into the room, they don’t say, ‘Oh hello, how’s the weather? It’s so beautiful outside. How are the Yankees doing? They’re doing wonderful, that’s great,” the presidential candidate said. “They say, ‘We want deal!’” which made the audience laugh at Trump’s offending joke. Trump who is known for his remarkable negotiating skills, is consistent on his stand on the economic relationship between China and the U.S. On his Twitter he said the Chinese market and the whole Asian market are “taking the U.S. market down.”

    He  also made insensitive remarks about Mexican immigrants at the beginning of his campaign. Besides Trump, another candidate made insensitive remark about Asians. Former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush and Trump’s rival, used “anchor babies” to refer to children of undocumented immigrants. “Frankly, it’s more Asian people,” Bush said. Trump picked on Bush’s failed effort to choose a more politically correct term to refer to Hispanics and linking “anchor babies” to Asians. He called his effort “a mess” on Twitter.

    The Congressional Asia-Pacific American Caucus has already addressed Bush’s comments but has not yet given their comments on Trump’s racial remarks.

    “All that is accomplished through talk of anchor-babies — be they from Latin America, Asia, Europe or Africa — is to use xenophobic fears to further isolate immigrants. It’s time for our country to return to a substantive discussion on immigration,” said U.S. Rep Judy Chu of Pasadena, California, leader of the caucus.

    Chu believes that what the country needs is an actionable plan to “integrate” the illegal immigrants in the country.

  • Confederate Emblem On Mississippi Flag Needs To Be Removed, Celebrities Co-Sign For Change

    Prominent and influential celebrities are making an effort to change the flag of Mississippi. The group is asking the state to remove the emblem of the Confederate Battle Flag.

    As part of their effort to raise awareness on the particular political issue, the group calling for the change, published a full-page advertisement in the Mississippi Clarion Ledger on Sunday.

    The advertisement bears the following letter:

    “It is simply not fair, or honorable, to ask black Mississippians to attend schools, compete in athletic events, work in the public sector, serve in the National Guard, and go about their normal lives with a state flag that glorifies a war fought to keep their ancestors enslaved,” reads the letter. “It’s time for Mississippi to fly a flag for all its people.”

    It was signed by John Grisham, Morgan Freeman, Jimmy Buffet and Archie Manning. Some 60 other people are joining the group including business and cultural personalities.

    Aside from celebrities, bikers from the whole Mississippi came together in the state’s capital, Jackson, on Sunday, supporting the cause.

    The call to remove the Confederate emblem has gained support from Mississipi politicians. House Speaker Philip Gunn expressed support for the anti-Confederate flag advocates. The great-great-grandson of Confederate President Jefferson Davis also deemed it important to remove the symbol.

    Also expressing support are Mississippi’s U.S. Senators Thad Cochran and Roger Wicker, author Kathryn Stockett and Hollywood producer Glen Ballard.

    Other states have already removed the confederate emblem since the killing of nine black church members in South Carolina. The accused, Dylan Roof had appeared in photos showing the confederate flag. The incident caused the lawmakers in South Carolina to permanently remove the Confederate flag from the Statehouse.

    Back in 2001, removing the Confederate symbol from the flag was a major challenge. Today, the letter proved that time changed the people and the meaning behind the flag.

  • Salma Hayek Thinks Donald Trump’s Insensitive Comments About Mexicans Are A Good Thing

    Salma Hayek is not bothered by Donald Trump’s seemingly anti-Mexican comments. In fact, the comment is almost a good indicator of the kind of politics the US have.

    In a statement she made in an interview with Jorge Ramos of Fusion, she said, “The good thing about what Trump did is that [his comments] shone a light to the level of the problem of racism. The minute he attacked the Mexicans, his numbers went up.”

    Donald Trump has made negative comments concerning Mexican immigrants. The 48-year-old actress said that Trump is “uninformed” when it comes to such issues. In another interview with Good Morning America dated August 5, Salma shared her opinion, “Immigrants are an important force of work in the United States.” She added, “Anybody who is informed knows this.”

    According to her, politicians should stop using these kinds of issues to get people’s attention. Statements like the ones made by Trump might be taken seriously by people.

    She admitted in LA Times that she is not insulted by such stupidity. The actress went on to say that everybody is entitled to be dumb, referring to the baseless statement the presidential candidate had made.

    Salma Hayek concluded that people should be vigilant so as not to be “manipulated” by words coming from powerful people including politicians, “That is that the educated people or the people with great human values have to wake up, because they are under the illusion that most of this country is like them and sometimes they don’t even go to vote.”

    Meanwhile, Donald Trump’s negative statements about undocumented immigrants caused objection from the public. Other Mexican and Latino stars that slammed Trump’s racist comments include Ricky Martin and Shakira to name a few.

  • Brooke Hogan in Jail With Hulk When N-Word Gets Recorded? [Pics]

    Brooke Hogan has already come to her dad’s defense over his use of the “n-word” during that unfortunate pillow talk recording. Brooke herself was the topic of that particular conversation that has now gotten Hulk Hogan fired from the WWE, nearly all trace of his career scrubbed from their websites.

    But is Brooke Hogan now in the middle of Hulk’s next scandal chapter?

    Brooke Hogan and her boyfriend at the time were on Hulk’s mind on a sex tape recording when he said:

    “I’d rather if she was going to f– some n–er, I’d rather have her marry an 8-foot-tall n–er worth a hundred million dollars! Like a basketball player! I guess we’re all a little racist. F–king n—-r.”

    After Hogan’s statements were made public, the WWE tossed him out on his ear.

    But another tape as surfaced, this one recorded in a jail as Brooke’s brother Nick served an eight-month sentence for a drunken driving crash that left his best friend with brain damage. Hulk Hogan is heard on the tape using the n-word yet again, this time with Nick. But photos from jail security show a woman with him that may be Brook Hogan.

    Bay News 9 turned up the conversation between Nick and Hulk Hogan.

    Hulk Hogan: “You and me been sitting on some serious phone, phone dialogue here n***a.”
    Nick Bollea: “Yeah, nibb-ah.”
    Hogan: “N***a, n***a, that means, that means you (are) my best friend.”
    Hogan: “You know that God gave you this vibe and this, this, energy that you and I are going to live forever, bro. I just hope we don’t come back as a couple, I don’t want to say it, blizz-ack gizz-uys, you know what I’m saying?”
    Bollea: “Brutal” [They both laugh]
    Bollea: “It’s down in St. Pete and it’s mixed-race and we get along with everybody, so that’s fine.”
    Hogan: “Your mom went there and said it was mainly blizz, you know what I’m sizz-aying?”
    Bollea: “Mm-hm.”
    Hogan: “And that some of the ladies there that, you know, run the school are nice blizz lizz-adies, you know?”
    Bollea: “Mm-hm…. I would go down there, I would make friends with all those kids down there. I guarantee it. Because you know how all the blizz pizz love us.”

    While Brooke may have defended her dad’s slip-up in private, telling the world that’s not what her dad is really like, was she there herself on this occasion?

  • Nick Hogan Jailhouse Tape Has Hulk Using N-Word Again [Audio]

    Nick Hogan was in jail back in 2008. The son of pro wrestler Hulk Hogan was doing an eight-month stretch over a car crash that happened when he was drinking and driving. Nick Hogan’s best friend was left with permanent brain damage as a result of the crash.

    While Nick sat in jail, he was visited regularly by his dad, Hulk Hogan. When you visit someone in jail, talking on the telephone handset through the glass, your conversations are recorded. In the wake of Hulk Hogan’s recent racist comment scandal that got him fired from the WWE, tabloids and other outlets have been digging.

    Nick Hogan probably thought his debt to society was paid, and that no one would listen through his jailhouse conversations. But when your dad is famous, no stone is left unturned.

    Bay News 9 turned up the conversation between Nick and Hulk Hogan.

    Hulk Hogan: “You and me been sitting on some serious phone, phone dialogue here n***a.”
    Nick Bollea: “Yeah, nibb-ah.”
    Hogan: “N***a, n***a, that means, that means you (are) my best friend.”
    Hogan: “You know that God gave you this vibe and this, this, energy that you and I are going to live forever, bro. I just hope we don’t come back as a couple, I don’t want to say it, blizz-ack gizz-uys, you know what I’m saying?”
    Bollea: “Brutal” [They both laugh]
    Bollea: “It’s down in St. Pete and it’s mixed-race and we get along with everybody, so that’s fine.”
    Hogan: “Your mom went there and said it was mainly blizz, you know what I’m sizz-aying?”
    Bollea: “Mm-hm.”
    Hogan: “And that some of the ladies there that, you know, run the school are nice blizz lizz-adies, you know?”
    Bollea: “Mm-hm…. I would go down there, I would make friends with all those kids down there. I guarantee it. Because you know how all the blizz pizz love us.”

    Hulk Hogan has apologized for his use of the N-word in pillow talk conversation from years ago. In the recording, now part of a litigious battle over a sex tape, Hogan is heard to say of his daughter Brooke, Nick’s sister:

    “I’d rather if she was going to f– some n–er, I’d rather have her marry an 8-foot-tall n–er worth a hundred million dollars! Like a basketball player! I guess we’re all a little racist. F–king n—-r.”

    After Hogan’s statements were made public, the WWE tossed him out on his ear.

    “WWE terminated its contract with Terry Bollea (aka Hulk Hogan),” the company said in a statement Friday morning. “WWE is committed to embracing and celebrating individuals from all backgrounds as demonstrated by the diversity of our employees, performers and fans worldwide.”

    Hulk Hogan’s apology was heartfelt.

    “Eight years ago I used offensive language during a conversation. It was unacceptable for me to have used that offensive language; there is no excuse for it; and I apologize for having done it.”

    “This is not who I am,” the statement continues. “I believe very strongly that every person in the world is important and should not be treated differently based on race, gender, orientation, religious beliefs or otherwise. I am disappointed with myself that I used language that is offensive and inconsistent with my own beliefs.”

    But in this age of digital media and recordings, old ghosts can be dragged out of closets. Nick Hogan old jailhouse tapes have been sitting there, waiting for his dad to fall from grace.

  • Brooke Hogan: How Does She Feel About Hulk’s Slurs About Her Boyfriend?

    Brooke Hogan has come out in support of her father, WWE legend Hulk Hogan, after his contract was terminated over a string of racial slurs.

    Brooke Hogan herself was as the center of the now-infamous conversation in which her dad was caught on tape saying, “I’d rather if she was going to f– some n–er, I’d rather have her marry an 8-foot-tall n–er worth a hundred million dollars! Like a basketball player! I guess we’re all a little racist. F–king n—-r.”

    After Hogan’s statements were made public, the WWE tossed him out on his ear.

    “WWE terminated its contract with Terry Bollea (aka Hulk Hogan),” the company said in a statement Friday morning. “WWE is committed to embracing and celebrating individuals from all backgrounds as demonstrated by the diversity of our employees, performers and fans worldwide.”

    Hulk Hogan himself apologized.

    “Eight years ago I used offensive language during a conversation. It was unacceptable for me to have used that offensive language; there is no excuse for it; and I apologize for having done it.”

    “This is not who I am,” the statement continues. “I believe very strongly that every person in the world is important and should not be treated differently based on race, gender, orientation, religious beliefs or otherwise. I am disappointed with myself that I used language that is offensive and inconsistent with my own beliefs.”

    While Brooke Hogan has come to her father’s defense, how does she personally feel about his slurs? The recording is eight years old, and Brooke has since been engaged to and broken up with Dallas Cowboys center Phil Costa (who is white). Brooke Hogan’s poem about her dad, which she posted on Facebook, may offer some clues.

    “If you knew the dad I knew, you’d know his tender heart,” Brooke insists. “Cause If you knew the dad I knew, you’d know he raised me well. He taught me folks are so much more than shades could ever tell.”

    “It makes me sad to see my dad defeated and so tired,” Brooke admits. “Because I know my father,
    I can promise this — Just like you and I, things we don’t mean can sometimes slip.”

  • Brooke Hogan Defends Hulk After His Racist Rant Goes Public

    Brooke Hogan has posted a poem in defense of and in support of her father, Hulk Hogan, after his racist rant went public.

    Brooke Hogan was actually referred to in her father’s sex tape rant, which was exposed when muckraking specialists National Enquirer and Radar Online transcribed excerpts from a sex tape Hulk is currently in litigation over.

    “I’d rather if she was going to f– some n–er,” Hogan is heard saying on the tape, referring to Brooke, “I’d rather have her marry an 8-foot-tall n–er worth a hundred million dollars! Like a basketball player!

    When the news hit, the WWE cut ties with Hulk Hogan, scrubbing him from their website and issuing a statement.

    “WWE terminated its contract with Terry Bollea (aka Hulk Hogan),” the company said. “WWE is committed to embracing and celebrating individuals from all backgrounds as demonstrated by the diversity of our employees, performers and fans worldwide.”

    Hulk Hogan issued his own apology even before Brooke responded.

    “Eight years ago I used offensive language during a conversation. It was unacceptable for me to have used that offensive language; there is no excuse for it; and I apologize for having done it. This is not who I am. I believe very strongly that every person in the world is important and should not be treated differently based on race, gender, orientation, religious beliefs or otherwise. I am disappointed with myself that I used language that is offensive and inconsistent with my own beliefs.”

    Brooke Hogan posted a poem about her dad to Facebook. She refers to his work over the years, bringing smiles to people “light, medium, and dark.” Presumably she means wrestling, not Hulk Hogan’s later years as a barista.

    Brooke Hogan also reminds all us sinners that, “The lord says to forgive them, don’t be the one to stone…”

    “We all can make mistakes and carry ugly scars,” Brooke says, “… things we don’t mean can sometimes slip.”

    Here is Brooke Hogan’s poem:

    ~If You Knew My Father~
    By Brooke Bollea

    If you knew the dad I knew,
    you’d know his tender heart.

    He’d never want to hurt his fans,
    or family from the start.

    If you knew my father,
    you would know how hard he fought…

    and the way it brought a smile to people light, medium and dark.

    We always fight a battle
    that people never see,

    and sometimes when you’re hurting, you don’t think logically.

    Human isn’t perfect,
    and perfect is not he,

    but I can tell you one thing, it’s just not what it seems.

    Cause If you knew the dad I knew,
    you’d know he raised me well.

    He taught me folks are so much more
    than shades could ever tell.

    And If you knew my father,
    you would know he’s down to earth.

    He may have slammed the giant,
    but remembers life’s true worth.

    If you knew my father,
    if you just walked in his shoes…

    then you would know that microscope that comes with yellow boots.

    If you knew my father,
    you would see your own in mine.

    And if he was your father, you could never find divide.

    Cause me- I bet your father
    or someone that you love

    Maybe regrets something
    they wish they’d never done.

    So if you know my father,
    remember he’s a man,

    and you would crave relief if people judged everything you did.

    The lord says to forgive them,
    don’t be the one to stone…

    so please remember his strong arms when you were all alone.

    The lives he’s changed, the friends he’s made,
    the people he’s inspired…

    It makes me sad to see my dad
    defeated and so tired.

    If you knew my father,
    you would know just how he’s hurting…

    For he loves every one of you, regardless of your story.

    And if you met my father,
    I know he’d give you love!

    He’d lift you up, apologize and give you all a hug.

    For those who think you know my father,
    remember who you are.

    We all can make mistakes and carry ugly scars.

    Because I know my father,
    I can promise this-

    Just like you and I, things we don’t mean can sometimes slip.

    We all continue learning.
    This life can be so rough…

    So if you know my father, please try not to be tough.

    My father has a daughter,
    and I have feelings too.

    And if I knew your father, I would do the same for you.

    ~If You Knew My Father~By Brooke BolleaIf you knew the dad I knew,you'd know his tender heart.He'd never want to…

    Posted by Brooke Hogan on Friday, July 24, 2015

  • Nikki Haley ‘Hate Speech’ Statement Supported by New Dylann Roof Website Discovery?

    Nikki Haley, Governor of South Carolina, has called for Dylann Roof to be given the death penalty. The 21-year-old Roof allegedly shot and killed nine people in Emanuel AME Church in Charleston last week, throwing fuel on already heated nationwide discussions about race.

    “This is an absolute hate crime,” Governor Nikki Haley said on the Today show. “And when I’ve been talking with investigators as we’ve been going through the interviews, they said they looked pure evil in the eye yesterday. Without question this is hate.”

    “We absolutely will want him to have the death penalty,” Nikki Haley continued. “This is the worst hate that I’ve seen and that the country has seen in a long time.”

    Now comes the discovery of a website allegedly maintained by Dylann Roof before his alleged action in that South Carolina church. It is called Last Rhodesian, and is no longer up. But some excerpts from the site are available in various media sources.

    If these are truly Roof’s words, is Nikki Haley right about this being a hate crime, and therefore meriting the death penalty?

    Roof said:

    “I have no choice. I am not in the position to, alone, go into the ghetto and fight. I chose Charleston because it is most historic city in my state, and at one time had the highest ratio of blacks to Whites in the country. We have no skinheads, no real KKK, no one doing anything but talking on the internet.

    “Well someone has to have the bravery to take it to the real world, and I guess that has to be me.”

    Roof says that he was sparked by the Trayvon Martin case.

    “I was not raised in a racist home or environment. The event that truly awakened me was the Trayvon Martin case. I kept hearing and seeing his name, and eventually I decided to look him up. I read the Wikipedia article and right away I was unable to understand what the big deal was. It was obvious that Zimmerman was in the right.”

    Further underscoring Nikki Haley’s claim of racism in his motivation for the crime, Dylan Roof wrote:

    “Segregation was not a bad thing. It was a defensive measure. Segregation did not exist to hold back negroes. It existed to protect us from them,” the writer says.

  • Google Maps’ Racist Results To Get the Googlebomb Fix

    This post contains language some may find offensive.

    Google says it screwed up and is sorry for pointing people toward the White House, historically black colleges, and other locations when shockingly racist search terms were entered into Google Maps.

    “We were deeply upset by this issue, and we are fixing it now. We apologize this has taken some time to resolve, and want to share more about what we are doing to correct the problem,” says Google.

    “At Google, we work hard to bring people the information they are looking for, including information about the physical world through Google Maps. Our ranking systems are designed to return results that match a person’s query. For Maps, this means using content about businesses and other public places from across the web. But this week, we heard about a failure in our system—loud and clear. Certain offensive search terms were triggering unexpected maps results, typically because people had used the offensive term in online discussions of the place. This surfaced inappropriate results that users likely weren’t looking for.”

    (GIF via the Washington Post)

    Long story short, Google’s practice of pulling in data from all across the web and using it to categorize and label places inside Maps kind of bit them in the ass.

    Danny Sullivan at Search Engine Land has a nice description of how Maps searches for ‘nigger house’, ‘nigger king’ wound up directing people toward the Presidential residence:

    To understand more, say Google knows about a local sporting goods store. The owner of that store might explain in the description it provides to Google Maps that it sells baseball, football and hockey equipment. It also sells other sporting equipment, but if these things aren’t also listed in its description or on its associated web site, the store might not be deemed relevant for those things.

    With the Pigeon Update, Google sought to correct this. Imagine that some customer of the site wrote a blog post saying that the store was a great place to get skiing equipment. Google, seeing the business named in that post, might effectively add this information to the business listing, making it relevant for skiing equipment. To our understanding, there doesn’t even have to be a link to the business site or listing in Google Maps. Using a business name alone might be enough to create the connection.

    Ok, so how is Google planning on fixing this?

    The same way they fixed another issue many years ago, apparently.

    “Our team has been working hard to fix this issue. Building upon a key algorithmic change we developed for Google Search, we’ve started to update our ranking system to address the majority of these searches—this will gradually roll out globally and we’ll continue to refine our systems over time. Simply put, you shouldn’t see these kinds of results in Google Maps, and we’re taking steps to make sure you don’t,” says Google.

    That “key algorithmic change” involved tackling Googlebombs – the practice many pranksters used to make sites rank for certain, often derogatory searches by linking to the site behind “obscure or meaningless queries.” If enough people link to George W. Bush’s page using the phrase “miserable failure”, then his page will pop up at the top of searches for the term “miserable failure”. That actually happened by the way.

    But Google made some algorithmic changes so that it doesn’t really work like that anymore. That’s surely what they hope to do with this whole Maps fiasco. Google is likely tweaking its algorithms to make sure the words and phrases associated with map listings actually appear on the location’s description and official pages.

    In other, depressing news, it’s 2015 and there are still a bunch of people calling The White House ‘nigger house’ online.

    Image via Cezary p, Wikimedia Commons

  • Racist Google Maps Searches Pointed Users at the White House

    This post contains language some may find offensive.

    I guess it’s the trendy thing to mess with Google Maps these days.

    Google has apologized and fixed what appears to be some third-party shenanigans that pointed users to the White House when racist searches were made.

    According to the Washington Post, if you typed “nigger house” or “nigger king” into the search function on Google Maps, Google would point you in the direction of the White House.

    As soon as Google was notified of this, it sprung into action.

    “Some inappropriate results are surfacing in Google Maps that should not be, and we apologize for any offense this may have caused. Our teams are working to fix this issue quickly,” said the company in a statement.

    Google has since fixed the issues, but this GIF from the Washington Post shows what happened when you searched a phrase like “nigger king”:

    Last week, Google temporarily suspended Map Maker due to a series of “pranks” executed on the platform.

    “We are temporarily disabling editing on Map Maker starting today, while we continue to work towards making the moderation system more robust. We thank each one of you who responded to us with your support and thoughtful suggestions on how to resolve this situation. We are considering all options that will help us turn on editing as soon as possible, and we will keep you posted on the progress we make,” said Map Maker Product Manager Pavithra Kanakarajan.

    Last month, pranksters put “Edwards Snow Den” inside the White House. Before that, someone put an Android robot pissing on an Apple logo near Pakistan.

    Of course, unlike this most recent “prank” involving the White House, those enjoy the benefit of actually being funny.

    Image via Cezary p, Wikimedia Commons

  • Saida Grundy: Boston University Professor In Hot Water Over Racially Charged Tweets

    Incoming BostonUniversity professor Saida Grundy has already polarized students even before coming to campus.

    Dr. Grundy is set to work as an assistant professor of sociology and African-American studies. But her seemingly anti-white tweets have certain groups up in arms and students questioning her capability to teach a diverse classroom that would include white males.

    In one tweet, Grundy asked “why is white America so reluctant to identify white college males as a problem population?” before tweeting that “white masculinity isn’t a problem for America’s colleges, white masculinity is THE problem for America’s colleges.”

    Grundy also weighed in on several issues like the riot in Baltimore and Ben Affleck’s effort to hide a slave owning ancestor.

    “dear white people: u are all ben affleck. those euphemisms for ur ancestors like “farmers” and “pioneers” means owned humans and killed natives,” she tweeted last month.

    The vitriolic tweets were first noticed by University of Massachusetts Amherst student Nick Pappas and compiled them on his website SoCawlege.com.

    The student also raised questions on Grundy’s qualification to grade her white male students work “as you clearly demonstrate some kind of special bias against them.”

    Grundy’s new employer initially took up the cudgels for the new professor. BU spokesman Colin Riley clarified that Grundy was using her personal Twitter account and that she was “exercising her right to free speech and we respect her right to do so.”

    But the school has since backtracked and amended its statement, especially after receiving complaints from students and emails from furious alumni threatening to pull financial support from the school.

    “While we recognize that Dr. Grundy has the right to hold and express personal opinions, BU does not condone racism or bigotry in any form, and we are offended by such statements,” Riley stated in an interview.

    The “feminist sociologist of race & ethnicity” has since made her Twitter account private. There’s also no indication whether or not Grundy would receive any disciplinary action for her tweets.

  • Miss Japan Ariana Miyamoto Says She Was Called A N*gger By Her Peers

    Miss Japan Ariana Miyamoto wants to prove the world is changing. But it’s not changing fast enough in Japan.

    In an interview, Miyamoto expressed her surprise when she bagged the Miss Universe Japan crown at a pageant held March 12. Despite her striking figure, bronze skin and height, Miyamoto thought she wouldn’t win because of her mixed-race origins.

    The daughter of a Japanese mother and an African-American father, the 5’7” Miyamoto was born and raised in Japan, can speak perfect Japanese and has a 5th degree mastery in calligraphy. Despite all that, she still experienced racial abuse growing up.

    Posted by MISS Universe Japan on Wednesday, March 11, 2015
    Miyamoto, who uses her mother’s maiden name, described her experience growing up. “I was called a n****r by some of my peers,” she said. They also hated her wavy hair and refused to touch her for fear that her color would rub off on them. “Some of them threw trash and even a blackboard duster at me.” Miyamoto added. It’s a situation that a lot of multiracial Japanese experience in a land that prides itself on its racial purity. The Japanese think their society is unique, with a lot of people living with the mindset that there are no real foreign populations in Japan. This disturbing way of thinking has led to regular discrimination that’s almost bordering on apartheid. And this prejudice was clearly seen after Miyamoto was crowned when she received a firestorm of negative comments on her right to represent Japan.
    Posted by MISS Universe Japan on Thursday, March 12, 2015
    “That big mouth, that gaudy face. This is Miss Japan?” one commenter wrote on social media. But Miyamoto is determined to change this attitude. The beauty queen initially had no plans to join the pageant but the suicide of a biracial friend prompted her to change her mind. “He always felt unaccepted by Japanese…and that made him unable to accept himself,” she shared. “I thought that, for my friend’s sake, if there was something I could do to change Japan, I should.” There is hope though as Miyamoto’s sentiment is echoed by other people as well, especially among the younger generations who are more accepting of the idea that people of different colors and looks can still live well in Japanese society.

  • Benedict Cumberbatch Apologizes for Calling Black Actors ‘Colored’

    Benedict Cumberbatch would have a really hard time making anyone hate him. Now, Benedict Cumberbatch’s rabid fans, that’s another story — some call them Cumberbitches. But Mr. Sherlock himself is pretty much universally loved.

    So how did Benedict Cumberbatch end up pissing off people of color recently?

    Oddly enough, the whole thing happened when Benedict Cumberbatch was actually bemoaning what he saw as a bad situation in his home country vis a vis actors of color getting work. He spoke with Tavis Smiley about it.

    Benedict Cumberbatch told Smiley: “I think as far as colored actors go, it gets really difficult in the UK, and I think a lot of my friends have had more opportunities here [in the U.S.] than in the UK, and that’s something that needs to change.”

    And it was that “colored actors” line that started the blowback, which is 50 shades of ironic.

    Tavis Smiley ran to Benedict Cumberbatch’s defense.

    “Those who saw Benedict Cumberbatch on @PBS, know he feels persons of color are underrepresented in #Hollywood.” – Tavis Smiley

    Others back Smiley up.

    And what Benedict Cumberbatch had to say, in context, certainly does not sound racist.

    “Something’s gone wrong — we’re not being representative enough in our culture of different races, and that really does need to step up a pace,” Cumberbatch said. “It’s clear when you see certain migratory patterns that there are more opportunities here than there are in the UK.”

    Nonetheless, Benedict Cumberbatch heard the outcry and responded like a gentleman. He did not plead ignorance based on being from a different country and culture, as some might have. He manned up and delivered an apology that could never be described as cursory. He nearly groveled.

    “I’m devastated to have caused offense by using this outmoded terminology. I offer my sincere apologies. I make no excuse for my being an idiot and know the damage is done.

    “I can only hope this incident will highlight the need for correct usage of terminology that is accurate and inoffensive. The most shaming aspect of this for me is that I was talking about racial inequality in the performing arts in the U.K. and the need for rapid improvements in our industry when I used the term.

    “I feel the complete fool I am and while I am sorry to have offended people and to learn from my mistakes in such a public manner please be assured I have. I apologize again to anyone who I offended for this thoughtless use of inappropriate language about an issue which affects friends of mine and which I care about deeply.”

  • Amber Rose Has Racist Family Members; They Don’t Like Black People

    Just last year, model Amber Rose filed for divorce from her husband Wiz Khalifa citing irreconcilable differences. The two got married in a beautiful wedding ceremony back in 2013. However, Rose recently revealed that her family didn’t attend their wedding because of racial prejudice. Rose was interviewed by the Oprah Winfrey Network for a show called Light Girls which is set to premiere on January 19. In the interview, Rose talked about her family’s heritage and why they never bothered to show up at her wedding.

    According to Rose, “With my family, they feel like they’re more superior or better than an African American because we’re Creole and we have culture and that’s something I battle with most of my life. It’s more of the older people in my family.” Amber, who is the mother of 22-month-old Sebastian Taylor Thomaz, said that she’s angry at her family. “It’s such a sensitive subject that it’s hard to explain yourself without sounding mean or bitter or angry, but I am,” Rose said.

    A photo posted by Amber Rose (@amberrose) on

    Rose added, “I’m angry that my family is like that and they want to pass so bad that they raise my mom and my uncles and my aunts to not fully know their culture. Our younger generation, we’ve embraced it so much and I feel like that’s why my father is white.”

    Amber Rose was born on October 21, 1983 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Her father, Michael Levonchuck, is Irish and Italian. Levonchuck served in the military for 20 years. Rose’s mother, Shauna Soares, is from Cape Verde and has Scottish blood on her mother’s side. Rose made a name for herself when she was spotted by Kanye West in Ludacris’ music video for “What Them Girls Like”. Rose and West started dating from 2008 to 2010.

    It was around this time that Rose became serious with her modeling career, signing with Ford Models back in 2009. In 2011, Rose started dating rapper Wiz Khalifa.

  • Charles Barkley: Ferguson Looters Are Not Black, They’re Scumbags

    Charles Barkley is sick of the way black people are portrayed in the media. He is particularly concerned that the people who were looting in Ferguson after the controversial grand jury decision last week will be seen as representative of black people in general.

    “Them jackasses who are looting,” Barkley said in an interview last week, “those aren’t real black people, those are scumbags. The real black people, they’re not out there looting. I just watched a on CNN where a bunch of folks, really amazing folks wouldn’t let them burn down an establishment. it was a great story. I was in Philly this summer when I saw four black kids who left money in a store when there was nobody in the store. … We only put the negative black people on television. We don’t put the good, hard-working black people.”

    Barkley’s refrain that some black people ruin it for the rest is not new for him.

    “There’s a perception among some black people that if you’re not a thug or hood rat or if you don’t wear your pants around by your ass, you’re not black enough. They’re always holding us back, plain and simple.”

    Barkley’s comments about race were lauded by conservative commentators, particularly when he declared that he had no problem with the grand jury’s decision because he believes that they considered facts that the public didn’t hear before making a decision.

    “The true story came out from the grand jury testimony,” Barkley said. “I can’t believe anything I hear on television anymore. And, that’s why I don’t like talking about race issues with the media anymore, because they [the media] love this stuff, and lead people to jump to conclusions. The media shouldn’t do that. They never do that when black people kill each other.”

    One Fox News host said that he thought Barkley was right, but that Barkley should not be the one saying it.

    “Let me say something about Charles Barkley: He has not seen a poor neighborhood in 20 years!” Bob Beckel said. “He’s running as a Republican for the Senate. … I thought his message was good … I just think other people than Charles Barkley should say it. . . . There’s something about Charles Barkley, every time I see him talking about this stuff, starting [to] talk black, that bothers me.”