racism

‘It’s Above Me Now’ …..

THE FLORIDA STAR — In my daily stroll through various media outlets, I came across a video of a young man named Craig Brooks. As I continued to scroll through social media, I found one meme after the other titled ‘It’s Above Me Now’. Mr. Brooks, an African American young man, who was on his job working at a hotel when a Caucasian woman called him n *gger while he was attempting to check her in for her stay at the hotel.

Published

5 years ago

June 28, 2019

Oakland Post

By Dr. Sheila D. Williams

In my daily stroll through various media outlets, I came across a video of a young man named Craig Brooks. As I continued to scroll through social media, I found one meme after the other titled ‘It’s Above Me Now’. Mr. Brooks, an African American young man, who was on his job working at a hotel when a Caucasian woman called him n *gger while he was attempting to check her in for her stay at the hotel. I reviewed the video of Mr. Brooks several times and realized there were so many levels to what occurred. I commend Mr. Brooks on his ability to maintain his composure in such a stressful situation. I can only imagine how he felt as he appeared to only be trying to do his job and carry out his job-related responsibilities. He didn’t yell, he didn’t scream, he didn’t become violent or argumentative, he didn’t even curse or raise his voice. He simply repeated to her, ‘it’s above me now’ and offered her the option of choosing the Best Western next door for her stay. Okay I laughed when he offered the Best Western, I admit it. But on a more serious not, the level of stress and the ability to restrain from lashing out in this type of scenario is perhaps unimaginable to many. I can only envision myself in that situation, blood pressure elevated, palms sweating, perhaps even biting my tongue and saying a silent prayer, in order to keep the peace and to keep my job. So, I ask, if you were in this scenario, what would you have done?

We can only speculate what Mr. Brooks meant when he said repeatedly ‘It’s above me now’. I presume he meant either that if she had an issue or complaint, she needed to address it with a supervisor OR he had simply ‘released’ her negativity and racist remarks to a higher being. How we handle stress is imperative to our overall health and well-being. As an African American woman, I’ve encountered many challenges in my life. I’ve experienced so many situations that were blatantly discriminatory and many that were subtle. In each situation, I can’t say I was as composed as Mr. Brooks. I’ve learned, and continue to learn, how to deal with stress daily.

Because of societal pressure to ‘fit in’, coupled with work, family, financial responsibilities we are all dealing with some form of stress. Did you know that seventy-five percent to 90% of all doctor’s office visits are for stress-related ailments and complaints? The reality is, stress can play a part in problems such as headaches, high blood pressure, heart problems, diabetes, skin conditions, asthma, arthritis, depression, and anxiety. Research indicates that emotional stress is a major contributing factor to the six leading causes of death in the United States: cancer, coronary heart disease, accidental injuries, respiratory disorders, cirrhosis of the liver and suicide. ALARMING to say the least.

In a society in which everything we say and do is scrutinized, it can often be difficult to ‘release’ and let go of those things that are out of our control. It is often difficult to remain calm in stressful situations and to find work-life balance. Through prayer, meditation, supportive family and friends as well as travel and participation in social activities I’ve learned to manage my stress. Perhaps Mr. Brooks has learned to successfully manage stress and his ability release and deflect the negative energy that she attempted to place upon him is by far, one that we can all learn a lesson from. As a Mental Health Advocate, I encourage others to advocate for their overall well-being. Learn to say ‘no’, to walk away and to be intentional about you, your well-being and the well-being of those you love. Let’s all learn to release and let go – it’s okay to hold your head high and say, ‘It’s Above Me Now’ and walk away!!

www.DrSheilaDWilliams.com

It’s Above Me is a statement said by hotel reservationist Craig L. Brooks Jr. in a Twitter viral video in which he confronts the woman who called him a n*gger over the phone by politely refusing her service.

This article originally appeared in The Florida Star.

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Activism

Los Angeles Hosts Annual ‘Stop the Hate’ Campaign Amidst Growing Reports

Los Angeles County hosted its seventh annual United Against Hate Week with community partners to rally against the growing hate incidents that are occurring across the country. United Against Hate Week (UAHW) is used as a call for local civic action to stop hate, discrimination, and implicit biases that negatively impact our diverse communities across the state.

Published

2 weeks ago

October 22, 2024

Oakland Post

While hate crime reporting is still very underreported, mainly due to fear from victims, Toma said the LA vs Hate reporting line has changed the way people view reporting crimes because victims are now given the option to receive resources, such as counseling, to help get them through their trauma. Before the reporting line existed, victims felt ignored by police because often no action was taken from the report.

By Magaly Muñoz

Los Angeles County hosted its seventh annual United Against Hate Week with community partners to rally against the growing hate incidents that are occurring across the country.

United Against Hate Week (UAHW) is used as a call for local civic action to stop hate, discrimination, and implicit biases that negatively impact our diverse communities across the state.

Los Angeles County Human Relations Commission Executive Director Robin Toma said the event is usually held in November, but they decided to move the event up to September because of the fall election and the negative rhetoric it has brought to certain groups.

“We knew that with this special election year there would be a lot of things said that would foment hate, foment division, foment hostility and scapegoating of others,” Toma said.

Following the presidential debate between Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Donald Trump, where Trump spread misinformation about Haitian immigrants eating animals, hate crimes against Haitians grew in Springfield, Ohio.

Although the group will not publicly endorse a candidate, Toma encouraged everyone to “vote against hate” because who and what people vote for can contribute to whether hate continues to rise or not.

LA County District Attorney George Gascón, who has served as San Francisco District Attorney and Police Chief, said the DA’s office is taking two major actions against hate crimes.

The first action is prosecution where the case calls for it, but Gascón said this is not the sole approach he wants to rely on.

The DA’s office also prioritizes education and restorative justice programs for hate crimes to offenders who qualify. This could involve offenders visiting the communities where they committed their crime so that they may learn the severity of committing these hateful acts.

“In a county as diverse as Los Angeles, my office is extremely proud of our partnership with this important community coalition to take strong action against hate crimes, and to encourage acceptance and understanding among Angelenos,” Gascón said.

LA County recently had a reported spike in hate crimes by 18% from 790 to 929 reported crimes in 2022. Gascón said the county has the highest prosecution rate for hate crimes in all counties across California.

Hate crime victim Frankie Aguirre also spoke at the United Against Hate event, sharing his experience as a gay man in Los Angeles.

Aguirre was the victim of harassment by his neighbors for six years because of his sexuality. He often felt he could not invite family and friends to his home for fear that residents in his building would bully them too.

Aguirre said he decided to call the 211 LA Hate hotline number to report the harassment he’d been receiving. After calling, he was connected to a care coordinator that connected him to services and resources, which he said he wouldn’t be here without.

The team at LA vs Hate helped him get out of his toxic living situation and he urged others in a similar place to contact the team to receive help.

LA vs Hate has received more than 2,700 reports of hate, over 800 during the last year, according to the organization. Nearly 90% of callers have requested personal assistance through case management.

This resource was supported in whole or in part by funding provided by the State of California, administered by the California State Library via California Black Media as part of the Stop the Hate program. The program is supported by partnership with the California Department of Social Services and the California Commission on Asian and Pacific Islander American Affairs. To report a hate incident or hate crime and get support, go to https://www.cavshate.org/

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Antonio‌ ‌Ray‌ ‌Harvey‌

NAACP Denounces L.A. City Councilmember Kevin de León; Cites Racist Rhetoric

Two years after racist comments in a leaked recording of Los Angeles City Council members emerged, members of Los Angeles branches of the National Advancement Association of Color People (NAACP) on Oct. 7 gave councilmember Kevin de León’s a “failing” grade for his performance in office. The announcement was made on the south lawn of the Los Angeles City Hall by leaders of the NAACP branches of Los Angeles, San Fernando Valley, Watts, Beverly Hills-Hollywood, Santa Monica-Venice, and San Pedro-Wilmington.

Published

2 weeks ago

October 21, 2024

Oakland Post

Kevin de León. Courtesy of Kevin de León (Facebook).

By Antonio Ray Harvey, California Black Media

The announcement was made on the south lawn of the Los Angeles City Hall by leaders of the NAACP branches of Los Angeles, San Fernando Valley, Watts, Beverly Hills-Hollywood, Santa Monica-Venice, and San Pedro-Wilmington.

De León was on a conference call with other council members who made racial comments about Indigenous people and one of their colleague’s son, who is Black.

The leaked audio led to Council President Nury Martinez’s resignation on Oct. 12, 2022, former Councilmember Gil Cedillo’s ouster, and Ron Herrera stepping away on Oct. 11, 2022, as president of a powerful Southern California labor organization.

The branches and CA/HI State Conference of the NAACP President Rick Callender first asked all persons involved to resign from their positions in October 2022. The civil rights leader expressed concern that that the disparaging remarks coming from top city officials could impact hiring and other decisions of the City Council.

“We will not sit idly by and allow our elected representatives to engage in these kinds of disgusting and racist behaviors,” stated Latricia Mitchell, President of the Los Angeles Branch of the NAACP.

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Community

Los Angeles Hosts Annual ‘Stop the Hate’ Campaign Amidst Growing Reports

Published

1 month ago

October 2, 2024

Oakland Post

By Magaly Muñoz

Los Angeles County hosted its seventh annual United Against Hate Week with community partners to rally against the growing hate incidents that are occurring across the country.

United Against Hate Week (UAHW) is used as a call for local civic action to stop hate, discrimination, and implicit biases that negatively impact our diverse communities across the state.

“We knew that with this special election year there would be a lot of things said that would foment hate, foment division, foment hostility and scapegoating of others,” Toma said.

LA County District Attorney George Gascón, who has served as San Francisco District Attorney and Police Chief, said the DA’s office is taking two major actions against hate crimes.

The first action is prosecution where the case calls for it, but Gascón said this is not the sole approach he wants to rely on.

Hate crime victim Frankie Aguirre also spoke at the United Against Hate event, sharing his experience as a gay man in Los Angeles.

The team at LA vs Hate helped him get out of his toxic living situation and he urged others in a similar place to contact the team to receive help.