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Business
Civil Rights Groups Claim Racism Over Verizon's "TechNigga" Partnership
posted on Jul 6, 2008
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| Loren Feldman in "TechNigga" |
Civil
rights activist Najee Ali, executive director of Project Islamic HOPE,
and a coalition of civil rights organizations and media watchdog groups
are calling for Verizon CEO/President, Lowell C. McAdam, to drop
Verizon's contract and distribution deal with Loren Feldman, president
of 1938 media charging the "TechNigga" clip on 1938's website
<http://1938media.blip.tv/file/326972> is racist and demeaning to
Africans Americans and women.
Project Islamic HOPE, the National
Action Network, L.A. Humanity
Foundation and Sister Lee Media Group will hold a press conference at
the Verizon store 3829 S. Crenshaw Blvd. in Los Angeles, CA on Monday,
July 7th at 11:00am asking McAdam demonstrate that Verizon understands
they should
demonstrate corporate responsibility and will not tolerate racism, or
bigotry by rescinding the 1938 distribution deal.
"Verizon CEO Lowell C. McAdam needs to demonstrate
that Verizon understands they should demonstrate corporate
responsibility and will not tolerate racism, or bigotry. The Verizon
distribution deal with Feldman sends a horrible message that Verizon
seeks to partner with racists like Feldman and that Verizon and CEO
McAdam find nothing offensive with 'TechNigga'," Ali said in a statement.
"Feldman
has a history of using the internet to promote racism and demeaning and
negative racial stereotypes against African Americans on his internet
site. He is responsible for and appears in what he calls TechNigga,"
Ali added. Feldman—who is white—hosts and stars in the 3 minute long "TechNigga" skit on the company web site.
The group is asking the community to contact McAdam
<http://aboutus.vzw.com/php/email.php?id=1> and let him know that
you will boycott Verizon unless this distribution with Feldman is
severed. "There are plans for an upcoming national day of protest
against Verizon stores nationwide if our calls for a meeting and our
demands are not met," added Ali.
A national day of protest is in the works if Verizon fails to take action and drop its deal with 1938.
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