by Joanna (JuJuBe)
Gregory Seabrook, an electrician for almost 20 years with the FDNY found a nasty surprise waiting for him at his work locker last week - a three foot long noose. It seems like some of his racist co-workers were perturbed by a discrimination complaint Seabrook filed in December. And of course, nothing disproves a discrimination complaint like a good ole fashioned noose, right??
"There's an ominous message behind it," lawyer Stephen Jackson said of the nearly 3-foot-long noose, which he plans to display at a press conference today and then hand over to authorities.Source
The noose is "elaborately constructed" and tied in a "monkey knot," Seabrook's lawyers say.
"That was a type of weapon used as a flogging knot to beat slaves," Jackson said. "It's very thick and very hard and it's designed to cause injuries."
Seabrook, who is black, and four other minority electricians filed complaints with the New York State Division of Human Rights, charging the Fire Department overlooks minority electricians for overtime opportunities and promotions.
Four electricians filed complaints in October, while Seabrook filed in December, the lawyers say.
An FDNY spokesperson said he had no knowledge of the noose incident or the discrimination complaints, which he said are kept private while under investigation.
Seriously, what kind of idiots believe that threatening a man with a symbol of their racism is an effective method of getting a discrimination lawsuit dropped? Did they really think that Mr. Seabrook would see the noose and decide that his discrimination complaint was not worth pursuing? After almost twenty years, this man finally decided to speak up and seek compensation for the discrimination he has been experiencing on the job, a move that, despite its correctness, is bound to make him less popular with his co-workers. That shows bravery. So, did these bigots really think they could threaten him into silence?
Of course, as expected, the comments that follow the original article give us a glimpse into the racist mindset of the average American. The accusations that this man planted the noose himself came right on cue. He is called a crybaby. One commenter basically said that people "play around" at work, and that "hijinks occur", as if a noose is just a fun joke. And of course, there were the comments about how Mr. Seabrook "played the race card" by filing his suit against the FDNY. Oh, and the pièce de résistance... one enlightened soul wrote "HE IS LUCKY HE WASN'T IN THE NOOSE !!"
You know all of these "white anti-racists", like my favorite (eye roll), Tim Wise, want to make claims that white people simply do not realize that racism and white supremacy exist. That they are simply so used to the status quo that they do not even recognize that Black (and other "nonwhite") people are mistreated on a regular basis. Stories like this prove that the "white anti-racists" are TALKING OUT OF THEIR ASSES. Yes, all of these so called "white anti-racists" make excuses for bigotry. They say how awful racism is, that it needs to be ended, but then seem to believe that the average white person is not actually INVESTED in racism, that they are simply ignorant of the truth, that they just need to be exposed to the reality of racism so that they can be inspired to combat it. They act as if white people just do not understand or comprehend that racism is out there and is a huge issue. They seem to be real forgiving of the white folks who vehemently deny the existence of a system of white supremacy.
Sorry, the argument that white people are simply clueless about racism does not hold water. The evidence is everywhere, yet the majority of white people choose to deny and explain away what is as plain as the nose on their face. As soon as they hear about an incident of blatant racism, they are quick to shift blame to the victim. They are heavily invested in "proving" that racism is not real, that Black people are just "playing the race card" and failing to "pull themselves up by the bootstraps." Instead of listening to a story like this one and proclaiming how awful it is, they want to believe that it didn't really happen, that the victim made it all up, is imagining things, or is "blowing things out of proportion".
It is amazing how many white people hear stories such as Mr. Seabrook's and want to close their eyes and imagine that it is not real. After all, if it hasn't happened to THEM or their loved ones than it is all a big old lie, right?
