Page 5 - Florida Sentinel 5-7-21

Column Local
Racism In America 2021
hen Senator Tim
Scott (R-South Car- olina) responded to President Joe Biden’s State of the Union speech last week and said, “America is not racist,” he stim- ulated a scream from Black Americans heard around the world. His comment launched conversations that ended with many Black Americans affirm- ing the need for elected officials, community leaders and ac- tivists, and people like Senator Tim Scott, to have an obliga- tion to be informed about issues before they speak and make statements that will be heard by millions who will believe what is
said – true or not.
Because America is a coun-
try (a thing) it is not racist. How- ever, Americans are racist. In fact, had Tim Scott asked the 8,552 victims of hate crimes in 2019 if they thought racism ex- isted in America, they would have told him that 57.6 % of all single bias incidents of hate were based on race/ethnicity/ancestry.
Moreover, if Scott had read the 2019 FBI Hate Crimes Re- port, he would have found that the United States hate crime sta- tistics is the highest in more than a decade. He would have
also found that hate crimes against Asian Americans (mostly women) escalated in 2020 by 169 %. Scott should have also found out that only 88 percent of 18,000 law enforce- ment agencies reported hate in- cident reports, which means the number of cases not reported and the cases, where no com- plaints were filed would make the number greater than that re- ported.
When looking at the hate crimes motivated by race/eth- nicity, would have found 48.4% of the crimes were anti-Black, 15.8% were anti-White, 14.1 % were anti-Hispanic/Latino, 4.3% were anti-Asian, 3.6% were anti multiple races, 2.6% were anti-American Indian or Alaska Native, 2.6% were anti- Arab, .5% anti- Native Hawai- ian/Pacific Islander and 8.2% anti-other race/ethnicity/ances- try.
Had Tim Scott done fur- ther research, he would have found how many Black men were beaten and killed by white males. FBI data also show that there are a least 247 hate/terror- ist groups in America.
Indeed, racism is pervasive and invasive in the psyche and attitudes of Americans and in-
clude some of the following atti- tudes: more Blacks are on wel- fare than any other group (false); Blacks don’t want to work, Black children are not as smart as other children, Blacks lie, steal, cheat more than the other groups, Blacks aren’t as intelligent as other groups along with other mythical attitudes.
There exists an attitude among workers that Blacks get promoted because of their race instead of their skills and quali- fication. In the workplace, Black supervisors are often sabotaged and work with resistance and animosity because of their race. A PEW Study on race in Amer- ica found 65% of Americans be- lieve people are more open to express racist views since Don- ald Trump became president. More than 50% of Americans believe being Black or Hispanic hurts Black and Hispanic peo- ple’s ability to get ahead, while in contrast 59% believe being white helps people get ahead.
When reviewing disparities in wealth, business ownership, home ownership, health, em- ployment, education, criminal justice and economics, Blacks and Hispanics experience lower success rates.
These issues and disparities are lingering results of not being paid for the slave labor of our ancestors, Jim Crow, lack of Civil Rights and lack of genera- tional inheritance of wealth and property-all a result of institu- tional racism in America.
No, Senator Scott, Amer- ica is not racist, but its peo- ple are racists.
Described As ‘Phenomenal,’ Tampa Native Passes
DR. RUBIE SMITH MALONE
After a three-year strug- gle, Dr. Rubie Smith Mal- one lost her bout with cancer on Sunday, April 25, 2021. While getting treatment for breast cancer, this disease metastasized throughout her body and ultimately formed a mass on her brain.
During her treatment, she did gain enough conscious- ness and awareness to be able to communicate with her im- mediate family and with most of her siblings.
Rubie was in New York when she passed; she has resided there since 1961. And during that time, she met and married James A. Malone, a native of Ohio.
Funeral Service is sched-
uled for May 8th in Brooklyn, NY; and there will be a burial service here in Tampa on May 15th at the Rest Haven Memorial Park.
In each instance, services honoring her will respect COVID-19 protocol: a link will be provided for her fu- neral service; at the out-of- doors graveside ceremony, restrictions will be somewhat more relaxed.
Rubie is the oldest of 12 children born to Deacon Eddie James Smith, Sr. and Bernida Verdell Ran- dolph Smith. Rubie grad- uated Class Valedictorian from Middleton Senior High School in 1957. She went on to Clark College in Atlanta, Georgia, where she majored in Mathematics, and in 1958, pledged Delta Sigma Theta. She later earned charter member status with the Tampa Metropolitan Alum- nae Chapter of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Incorporated.
Rubie has always been committed to public service and began her career as a case worker for the Depart- ment of Social Services. Next, she was a counselor and Unit Supervisor at a Methadone Maintenance Drug Research Servicing Center before pursuing her Master of Social Welfare De- gree at Hunter College. After obtaining her MSW degree, she became a faculty member at Brooklyn College.
In 1978, Rubie began an illustrious career at John Jay College of Criminal Justice, City University of New York and completed her Doctoral Degree in Social Welfare at Columbia University. After 32 years at John Jay College and 34 years working for the City University of New York, Rubie retired alongside her husband, both earning the title of Professor Emeritus.
Purchasing a second home here in Tampa, in 1997, the Malones, the consum- mate snowbirds, celebrated their 57th wedding anniver- sary in December 2020!
For additional informa- tion on her services, see fu- neral notices in this edition.
In New York
W
FRIDAY, MAY 7, 2021 FLORIDA SENTINEL BULLETIN PUBLISHED EVERY FRIDAY PAGE 5-A