Page 20 - Florida Sentinel 11-22-19

National
Black Facebook Staff
Syracuse University Suspends Fraternity's Activities After Alleged Racist Incidents
Describe Workplace Racism
In Anonymous Letter
A fraternity’s social activi- ties at Syracuse University have been suspended for the rest of the semester after al- leged racist incidents.
In one incident, an African American female student was allegedly subjected to a verbal, racial epithet from a group of students and visitors to the campus, according to a public safety information notice posted on the school’s website. The female student "reported being verbally harassed by a large group of individuals who reportedly were yelling the 'N- word' as she walked by. There was no physical altercation," the notice states.
School officials say this is the "latest incident of several against Jews, Asians and African Americans."
Some individuals involved
One year after a former Face- book manager accused the com- pany of having “a black people problem” – failing its black em- ployees by allowing the prolifer- ation of a hostile workplace culture — an anonymous group of tech workers at the social media giant have penned a let- ter in which they argue that the problem has only metastasized.
“Racism, discrimination, bias, and aggression do not come from the big moments,” they write. “It’s in the small actions that mount up over time and build into a culture where we are only meant to be seen as quotas, but never heard, never acknowledged, never recog- nized, and never accepted.”
The memo, published last week on Medium, includes de- scriptions of discrimination and hostility that 12 current and for- mer employees of color, includ- ing black and Latinx workers, said they’ve experienced at the company. The writers say the al- leged incidents all had witnesses and corroboration.
One Facebook program manager said they were told by two white employees to clean up after their breakfast mess and that when the employee raised the issue their supervisor only said the worker should “dress more professionally”. Other writers said supervisors and col- leagues called them aggressive and arrogant for sharing opin- ions in ways similar to their white colleagues.
“[W]e are sad. Angry. Op-
FACEBOOK
pressed. Depressed. And treated every day through the micro and macro aggressions as if we do not belong here,” employees write in the memo.
The employees further alleged they were brushed aside by human resources staff when they asked that the aggressions be addressed.
Facebook did not immedi- ately respond to an email from the Guardian, but in a statement sent to reporters on Friday, Bertie Thomson, Facebook’s vice-president of corporate communications, apologized.
“No one at Facebook, or any- where, should have to put up with this behavior,” Thomson wrote. “We are sorry. It goes against everything that we stand for as a company. We’re listen- ing and working hard to do bet- ter.”The memo on Medium included screenshots of an app that allows Facebook employees to comment anonymously on is- sues and colleagues at the site.
Student protesters have been staging a sit-in at Syracuse Uni- versity since Wednesday.
in these incidents are mem- bers and guests of a fraternity at the school, the university said. As a result, that fraternity has been suspended pending the outcome of the investiga- tion. Also, all social activities
for all frats have been sus- pended, chancellor Kent Syverud said in a statement. Racist graffiti was also found inside a residence hall earlier this month, The Associated Press reported.
Investigation Launched After
Six days after Brianna Williams reported her 5- year-old daughter, Taylor Rose Williams, missing, she’s been charged with child neglect and giving false infor- mation to investigators, CNN reports.
Jacksonville Sheriff Mike Williams told re- porters Tuesday (Nov. 12) evening that Williams was charged at a Florida hospital after an “overdose of some sort.” She is currently in seri- ous condition, CNN reports.
Florida’s First Coast News reports that relatives said Williams is on life support, and investigators confirmed she’s currently in a medically induced coma.
“The suspect has been ab- sentee booked at a local hos- pital after being admitted today due to an apparent overdose of some sort,” Sheriff Williams said, adding it was unclear whether the 27-year-old woman had attempted sui- cide, CNN reports.
“Only she knows that,” he said. “I know there was what appears to be an overdose or she’s ingested something. We
Video of Arizona Deputy Viciously
Attacking, Threatening 15-Year-
Old Amputee Surfaces
BRIANNA WILLIAMS AND TAYLOR ROSE
A shocking video has surfaced of a 15-year-old amputee being violent
In the disturbing eight-minute video, the teen is wrestled and pinned to the ground, before being threatened by the Pima County deputy. The deputy then goes on to threaten and arrest the 16-year-old who recorded the incident.
“Imagine you were this boy with no limbs who just got tack- led by this large man with a badge and gun and this man is now screaming in your face and he’s now threatening your friend who’s recording this whole incident,” Joel Fein- man, the Pima County Public Defender, told KOLD. “Ab- solutely, that’s egregious.”
Both teens were arrested on disorderly conduct charges.
The Pima County Sheriff’s
VIDEO OF ATTACK
Department claimed that it had no knowledge of the incident until KOLD brought it to their attention. But after being made privy to what transpired, it began an internal investigation.
“Men with badges should not be acting this way,” Fein- man said. “Men and women who do act this way should not have badges and guns.”
don’t know as of yet.” Earlier on Tuesday (Nov.
12), investigators from Jack- sonville, Florida, who ex- panded the search for Taylor to her mother’s home state of Alabama, dis- covered human remains in a wooded area in Demopolis on County Road 55 off High- way 28 in Marengo County.
The evidence is currently being processed.
“This is obviously not the outcome any of us had hoped to reach,” Melissa Nelson, state attorney for the 4th Ju- dicial Circuit in Florida said during Tuesday’s news con- ference, CNN reports. “This investigation has led to what
we believe to be the remains of Taylor Rose.”
Nelson added, “many questions still loom and our office’s work is just begin- ning.”
The Demopolis Police De- partment confirmed the de- tails in a Facebook post on Tuesday (Nov. 12).
“The multi-agency inves- tigative team involved in the search for missing Taylor Rose Williams confirmed that the search teams uncov- ered human remains in a wooded area between the cities of Linden and De- mopolis, Alabama,” the post states. “Victim identification is pending.”
Mother Of Missing Florida Girl Taylor
Rose Williams Charged After Human
Remains Found In Alabama
PAGE 20 FLORIDA SENTINEL BULLETIN PUBLISHED EVERY TUESDAY AND FRIDAY TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 19, 2019