Racism in the USA

[Jay Mysteri0]

I had no idea where to put this, but hey...



😏

 

[pachyderm]

It’s alive, some might say it thrives in certain parts of the country. This from some people who hold, maybe now held Country Government positions in Oklahoma.

Oklahoma officials accused of speaking about killing journalists and using racist language

The sheriff's office at the center of the firestorm says a secretly-made recording involved appears to have been altered. Oklahoma's governor is calling for the resignations of four officials.

www.cbsnews.com

The McCurtain Gazette-News released portions of an audio recording following a March 6 county commission meeting in which Clardy, Manning and Jennings appear to discuss reporters Bruce and Chris Willingham. Jennings tells Clardy and Manning "I know where two deep holes are dug if you ever need them," and the sheriff responded, "I've got an excavator."

Jennings also said he's known "two or three hit men" in Louisiana, adding "they're very quiet guys."

In the recording, Jennings also appears to complain about not being able to hang Black people, saying: "They got more rights than we got."

IF anyone is still wondering do a news search for Nov. 5th, 2024 ... that should answer a lot of questions...

 

[pachyderm]

I had no idea where to put this, but hey...



😏

Did any of you guys watch VEEP? That is straight out of one of their story lines.
And Selina Meyer was frump before frump was frump... lol

 

[SouprMatt]

Did any of you guys watch VEEP? That is straight out of one of their story lines.
And Selina Meyer was frump before frump was frump... lol

I should give that a re-watch soon. Hilarious show

 

[Jay Mysteri0]

This has become the new fascinating observation of things. All involving Caitlin Clark who rightfully got a lot of attention for her abilities, but because of who / what she is in a field dominated by PoC, was co opted to be a champion for a specific subset. We've covered her before.

J

Post in thread 'The issue with not being able to "see" color or race'

Apr 3, 2023

A week ago this was considered cute & got a shout out from John Cena

This week a new picture and it's classless




Twitter has questions why? 🤔

• Jay Mysteri0

• 
• 

J

Post in thread 'The issue with not being able to "see" color or race'

Apr 4, 2023

To return briefly to Angel Reese & Caitlin Clark

There's an old bit from the now ancient Woody Woodpecker cartoons, that has become a meme

Mrs. Biden, this is your moment




There's another famous phrase, that perhaps Mrs. Biden should heed

• Jay Mysteri0

• 
• 

This young woman has caused none of this drama. Yes she benefitted from it, got better deals, but she is a good player & seemingly a good person trying to live her life. But she's starting to learn it isn't her life, when you get co opted by the... "non woke" mob?






The key line is there at the end, "Because I hear the language". It's about what that White guy hears, not about what anyone has actually said. And this woman is taking the heat from people that never cared about women's basketball before, until she came along. Hmmm... I wonder why? She didn't ask for any of this.

 

[SouprMatt]

This has become the new fascinating observation of things. All involving Caitlin Clark who rightfully got a lot of attention for her abilities, but because of who / what she is in a field dominated by PoC, was co opted to be a champion for a specific subset. We've covered her before.




This young woman has caused none of this drama. Yes she benefitted from it, got better deals, but she is a good player & seemingly a good person trying to live her life. But she's starting to learn it isn't her life, when you get co opted by the... "non woke" mob?






The key line is there at the end, "Because I hear the language". It's about what that White guy hears, not about what anyone has actually said. And this woman is taking the heat from people that never cared about women's basketball before, until she came along. Hmmm... I wonder why? She didn't ask for any of this.

I never watch that kind of show. I was quite flabbergasted by how PROUD that man was about being a racist. Like, really glowing with joy that he gets the chance to spout racist lies on CNN. Of course, a Bush administration ghoul too…

 

[Jay Mysteri0]

Racists gotta racist to feel better about themselves.

 

[SouprMatt]

Racists gotta racist to feel better about themselves.

Pete Hegseth is the same level of racist as these trolls. And he could easily become the Secretary of Defense. They want to set us all back 100 years at least.

 

[Jay Mysteri0]

Sigh.

Racists gotta racist



Are we really still doing this shit after all this time?

George Floyd’s autopsy report is not new, does not say he died of an overdose

False. Social media users are sharing a page from the 20-page autopsy report that was publicly released by the Hennepin County Medical Examiner’s office in full on June 3, 2020.

apnews.com

🤬

Sometimes it's hard to grasp how much BLM & George Floyd's death triggered some bitches.

 

[Jay Mysteri0]

There's an awful lot that has happened in the first week, way too much. Turns out we are just finding about some stuff we didn't know still. While all of this is happening, companies are adjusting to a new reality. One where the unthinkable has happened & the guy who claims he never lost, was voted back into office. Why was it once unthinkable? The guy is a raging asshole who has no problem in trading in racism. Racism is not something that others get to get away with, and make a profit. But...

If you cater to it, maybe there's some profit in it. So all that lip work from the BLM / George Floyd days is suddenly going away. Not that there's any documentation that it hurt anyone, but maybe it's the right time for it not to be. After all, everything's all good right?

There's just one little problem. One group kind of took these companies at their word ( not really ), and now that companies want to roll all of that back, are not happy.



One quick reminder is how Target itself was a flashpoint in Minn, during the days of George Floyd's death, and needed an image rehab.

A Woke Mural and Black Dolls: How Target Hides Its Racism - Left Voice

Target used empty antiracist gestures in reopening its East Lake Street store in Minneapolis, which was damaged during the George Floyd uprising. But featuring a woke mural and selling Black dolls will not hide its role in violent racist policing.

www.leftvoice.org

Target’s History of Policing Black People​

Target’s role in policing has been chronicled in detail by Marjaan Sirdar’s investigative series “21st Century Jim Crow in the North Star City.” Target’s partnership with law enforcement dates back to the early 2000s, when it wanted to build more stores in the downtown areas. Target executives feared, however, that customers would not shop there unless the experience was “more like Disney World and less like a flea market,” as described by Brad Brekke, then the vice president of assets protection.

This led to the creation of the SafeZone Collaborative (a nonprofit formed by the Minneapolis Police Department) as a public-private surveillance initiative. In 2004 Target donated $300,000 to the city of Minneapolis to purchase cameras that were placed strategically in the Downtown area. In 2009, SafeZone (now known as Vibrant and Safe Downtown) became a subsidiary of the Downtown Improvement District (DID), an association of business owners, residents, and leaders who agreed to be taxed at a higher rate in exchange for increased security and surveillance cameras in the downtown area. A derivative of DID was Downtown 100 initiative, which was a collaboration between the SafeZone initiative, cops, city and county attorneys, and local shelters to remove the “top offenders” from the Downtown area. This list of “top offenders” provided by the Minneapolis Police Department consisted of people with a history of being charged with misdemeanor crimes, such as drug offenses, trespassing, disorderly conduct and theft, all offenses with which people of color are disproportionately charged. Since the creation of SafeZone in 2004, Target has started similar law-enforcement programs in at least 20 other cities.

Target is also known as the worst store to shoplift from. Using facial-recognition technology and coordinating with other stores, it lets shoplifters get away, all the while building an incremental case until there is evidence to charge someone with a felony.

On a broader scale, Target has two state-of-the-art forensic labs in Minneapolis and Las Vegas that sometimes collaborate with law enforcement. Target has helped law enforcement conduct undercover operations and trained law enforcement. Target has described its partnerships with local police departments as “charitable giving.” Through these philanthropic “charitable contributions” to nonprofits set up by local police, Target can wield influence over how the money is spent while protecting itself from accusations of impropriety.

Target’s History of Worker Exploitation​

Target also brought its policing tactics into its hiring practices. In 2018 Target agreed to settle a lawsuit by paying $3.74 million in damages for disqualifying job applicants for convictions unrelated to the position they were applying for. In 2019 Target announced an increase in minimum wage. To compensate for that, it simultaneously reduced work hours and increased workloads. On May 1, 2020 (International Workers Day), Target employees joined others for a “sick-out” to protest unsafe working conditions, poor benefits, and slashing of hours during the pandemic. In an interview from March 2020, 50 Target employees shared “stories of having to decide between keeping their jobs and risking their health and the health of their customers, or leaving the store, unpaid but safer from Covid-19.”

So no one should be shocked by this pivot, unless it's shock wondering why it didn't happen earlier during all the Pride rage from a small group of privileged shoppers.

What I do find interesting is the activism that is growing, I imagine from seeing a failure with the dem party that's always depended on the Black community. Now there's a feeling of accountability.



But that is a lot of accountability. If carried out, it won't go unnoticed. There will be some blowback on that. A community using it's dollars to speak on their behalf, that will upset another community that got into their own tears over a trans person being gifted their own cans of beer just for themselves. An act of inclusivity that was unacceptable for some, and I'm sure if another community boycotts to demonstrate their displeasure, that too will be unacceptable. It's going to become this untenable circle of divisiveness that will grow & grow.

Not worry though, for others this is happy time. While companies still want the dollars of Black people while they show their true selves after BLM, some are all too happy that scales are falling off.



Some people are very warm & toasty in their hate, and that their allowed to show it freely now. Except of course that not everyone is actually on board the hate train yet...

Some others have gotten themselves caught up & gassed up because of one guy, so that must mean it's time to show their true selves



Two words for ya honey. "Too soon". What until year 3, for when that shit is an everyday thing & you're greeting your friends on the street that way in public happily.

Of course forgetting how the 1st Amendment has always worked & continues to work for now... You're free to say what you want, you aren't free of the consequences of what you say.

Towamencin supervisor resigns from Knights for Life, Montgomery County library board in wake of TikTok video controversy [UPDATE] | NorthPennNow

Supervisor Laura Smith resigned from her library post on Saturday.

northpennnow.com

Let's be real though. We know these people. Nothing is ever their fault. They are only sorry when they are caught up in their own shit, not because of their own shit, but because they got caught. How f'n clueless do you have to be to go so completely asshole, and not think there will be blowback? You don't. You just have to think you are that privileged, even after crying about how you don't believe there's such a thing as White privilege. Wait your turn. While economics may not trickle down, the acceptance / normalcy of hate will. I just wouldn't recommend visiting most places outside of the country when it does go full magat.

Bonus: While we discussed Laura S., let's throw this in with the FAFO crew



_
R.I.P. Mac Miller

 

[ronntaylor]

A Target boycott is a double-edged sword. It will so the power of the Black dollar. But it will also give reason to get rid of smaller Black brands that are barely holding on within Target. Some have reversed calls for a Boycott, instead having a wait & see attitude. The DEI branding being dropped doesn't automatically mean that the Black brands will be dropped. Some believe it's to avoid lawsuits. Time will tell.

 

[Jay Mysteri0]

A Target boycott is a double-edged sword. It will so the power of the Black dollar. But it will also give reason to get rid of smaller Black brands that are barely holding on within Target. Some have reversed calls for a Boycott, instead having a wait & see attitude. The DEI branding being dropped doesn't automatically mean that the Black brands will be dropped. Some believe it's to avoid lawsuits. Time will tell.

I did see that call out, especially from Tabitha in her videos. My personal issue with that is two part. One, it's a wait & see with Target, which I think historically is not smart. We already saw Target cave on Pride product placements, in the name of protecting their associates when bigots decided to wild out in their stores. How easy is it to find Black products in Target? If one isn't actively aware of the brands ( which I think is the reason for the listing ) how often is anyone purchasing those products? I'm sure those companies are seeing an increase as they have a major retailer to allow physical access, but it's dependent on awareness. It's Target's investment in those brands ( like Amazon & Ulta ) that is of real importance, but that investment isn't guaranteed. Especially not if Target's overall health continues to fall in the eyes of the almighty stockholders / wall street as it has in the last 2 years. That investment could suddenly go away to appease shareholders as well adjust to the prevailing political winds. Counting on Target I just don't believe is wise, especially if you are ( which is why posted about Target's place in Minn ) the Black community.

Of course, this is easy for me to say as I don't have products sold in Target. I just know as a retailer Target has done more to piss me off lately, especially with their reliance on self checkout ( if you've ever done retail you know the sad truth, customers are idiots ), and MAYBE having one human or two at register that is at least 12 customer's deep. It doesn't take much for me not to want to deal with Target. Matter of fact I only deal with Target, because I won't deal with Wal Mart when I need something at that moment. The shopping experience at Target just keeps getting worse.

My second issue is something I've come to realize with the new regime. The man is going to cause widespread carnage, and I don't mean directly. Indirectly 45 is going to fuck up some shit for people he never considered, because he's too damn selfish to consider the 'law of unintended consequences'. Der fuhrer & friends are going to make life harder for so many, because they can for profit or pettiness. I really do think if you are a small retailer, especially one that is minority owned, you need to start thinking of alternatives for your existence & growth.

To digress, the comic book industry has been in a bit of a bind. It's a niche product that is high cost selling to a dwindling ( if not literally dying ) base. It's an industry that's dependent on niche independent stores selling product from a company that became a de facto monopoly. Well things were tough before. Then 45 swooped in announcing tariffs, which would increase the price of paper, which would raise the prices of books, which are already reaching the prices of movie matinee tickets. Now that monopoly found itself a victim of it's own hubris when DC Comics used a clause that activated from the pandemic to get out of their contract. Starting a spiral ( Marvel already bailed ) they couldn't prevent, and forcing them to announce bankruptcy this month. Shocking everyone in the industry. Possibly completely disrupting the fragile house of cards they set up as their own system, that made retailers beholden to them. Stores have to now consider alternatives for their own survival, as if things weren't already rough for them. On another front, that same monopoly made things very difficult for small independent comic companies, if they go belly up, that's those small indies line ( kind of how I am tying Black companies to Target ) to retailers is gone. Small independents are going to need a new way ( further pushing digital, working out a direct line which is a PITA, or creating their own distribution platform ) to get their product out there in a sea of products.

Which was my long winded way of saying that counting on the good will of any larger corporation is a dangerous thing. In today's climate where there's a growing call for community, it maybe the best time for Black owned businesses to tie themselves more closely to that sense of community. Because we know from history that if Black owned businesses to do too well, someone is coming from them for being Black centric. I cynically think not considering a boycott of Target could make things worse. Perhaps like the Dem party, it might be good to remind retailers how much they need / want support from the Black community.

 

[ronntaylor]

Of course, this is easy for me to say as I don't have products sold in Target.

That is the gist of my issue with the Boycott only folk. They don't know the details of what Black creatives/companies have to deal with. Tabitha Brown's 2nd video was more than ten minutes, yet folk appeared to only hear five seconds of her recommending shoppers continue to buy Black brands at Target. They wrongly say she's looking out just for herself, when she is calling for continued support of other Black brands. She specifically said she has deals with Amazon and Walmart. She won't be hurt. At least not completely. She appears to have been blindsided by Target's announcement. Unfortunately, she and at least a few other well-known Black brands have a year or more under contract. They can't just leave Target. And for many of these small-ish Black brands, it would be suicide.

So many are saying they'll shop directly with the Black brands via their own website. Not all of the brands have that option available. And most of those that do see a small fraction of sales directly from customers. They would lose most of their revenue. Customers would have to pay a lot more in shipping and per unit. Why would they want to do that when they can buy several Black brands in one shopping trip.

I perused the list that's circulating. A few of the brands are technically no longer Black owned (IIRC, Bevel is 50/50 although the founder Tristan Walker continues as CEO of the independent company within P&G). They're labeled as "Black founded." Not all of the brands under Target's DEI initiative are Black. It includes Latine, Asian, LGBTQ and women-led brands. Their DEI initiative was launched in 2001, with the latest campaign (2020?) intended to purchase $2B by the end of 2025. While numbers haven't been released, it's believed Target already exceeded that number. They are probably cutting the program to avoid costly litigation that has seen nonprofits and small businesses go under due to anti-DEI lawsuits.

Talk is cheap. Customers can say they'll buy directly from Black brands. But those brands may not have the infrastructure, nor the cash flow to implement the systems to replace Target. If they can even breakaway from Target. Tabitha herself said she doesn't have the wherewithal to warehouse and directly sell her merchandise. That she's legally obliged to sell via Target for at least one more year. She's a massively successful brand and if she can't go independent, there's no way most/any of those other Black brands can do so.

Comparisons to the Montgomery Bus Boycott of decades ago is shortsighted. The Black community then compromised ~80% of riders. The campaign was in one smaller community, while Target is a national behemoth. They also aren't totally abandoning Black brands. From my perspective, they will continue to shelve most of the brands, just won't label them as part of a DEI initiative. Given their recent financial troubles, it's probably should have been expected. The announcement and lack of empathy was just wrong footed and jarring. But we saw that with their earlier caving in to homophobes as you rightly reminded us.

 

[Jay Mysteri0]

That is the gist of my issue with the Boycott only folk. They don't know the details of what Black creatives/companies have to deal with. Tabitha Brown's 2nd video was more than ten minutes, yet folk appeared to only hear five seconds of her recommending shoppers continue to buy Black brands at Target. They wrongly say she's looking out just for herself, when she is calling for continued support of other Black brands. She specifically said she has deals with Amazon and Walmart. She won't be hurt. At least not completely. She appears to have been blindsided by Target's announcement. Unfortunately, she and at least a few other well-known Black brands have a year or more under contract. They can't just leave Target. And for many of these small-ish Black brands, it would be suicide.

Just to be clear, I do understand the arguments behind not boycotting, trying another way, or even strategic boycotts. But I also believe if you Tabitha was blindsided once by Target, she can expect to be blindsided again. When Target set up those contracts, you better believe they made sure they could get out without major harm to themselves, but intentionally didn't make it the other way around. There's the old story about what effect Walmart had on Huffy Bicycles in America, what was seen as a great opportunity at first turned into them eventually becoming a Chinese company. Every time a comic book company gets a deal to publish a brand's IP, I wince. There are nightmares of having to deal with Lucasfilm, even though having Star Wars seems like a no brainer as a product. But I am digressing. I'm not concerned about Tabitha's position in all of this. I just believe that boycotts should be option considered and not dismissed.

So many are saying they'll shop directly with the Black brands via their own website. Not all of the brands have that option available. And most of those that do see a small fraction of sales directly from customers. They would lose most of their revenue. Customers would have to pay a lot more in shipping and per unit. Why would they want to do that when they can buy several Black brands in one shopping trip.

Which helps make my point. Times will be changing fast, and these companies need to adapt... fast. This is not an option. This regime is going to force change on many of these companies, intentionally or accidentally. You can't have yourself majorly beholden to an outside source( why I shared the story about the comic book industry at the moment ), especially when that outside source's interest at some point may come into conflict with yours. NOW is the time to broaden your reach, seek out new avenues, jump on board this push for community & be a part of it. There are ways to streamline your shipping, consider on demand ordering so you aren't stuck with inventory. I'm sure these are things that have been considered, but now is the time to re consider even if they weren't viable before. What do we call it? "Future proofing". Now that's more important than ever.

I perused the list that's circulating. A few of the brands are technically no longer Black owned (IIRC, Bevel is 50/50 although the founder Tristan Walker continues as CEO of the independent company within P&G). They're labeled as "Black founded." Not all of the brands under Target's DEI initiative are Black. It includes Latine, Asian, LGBTQ and women-led brands. Their DEI initiative was launched in 2001, with the latest campaign (2020?) intended to purchase $2B by the end of 2025. While numbers haven't been released, it's believed Target already exceeded that number. They are probably cutting the program to avoid costly litigation that has seen nonprofits and small businesses go under due to anti-DEI lawsuits.

Talk is cheap. Customers can say they'll buy directly from Black brands. But those brands may not have the infrastructure, nor the cash flow to implement the systems to replace Target. If they can even breakaway from Target. Tabitha herself said she doesn't have the wherewithal to warehouse and directly sell her merchandise. That she's legally obliged to sell via Target for at least one more year. She's a massively successful brand and if she can't go independent, there's no way most/any of those other Black brands can do so.

Comparisons to the Montgomery Bus Boycott of decades ago is shortsighted. The Black community then compromised ~80% of riders. The campaign was in one smaller community, while Target is a national behemoth. They also aren't totally abandoning Black brands. From my perspective, they will continue to shelve most of the brands, just won't label them as part of a DEI initiative. Given their recent financial troubles, it's probably should have been expected. The announcement and lack of empathy was just wrong footed and jarring. But we saw that with their earlier caving in to homophobes as you rightly reminded us.

Bottom line I believe is that as long as the deals large companies make with smaller ones, there will never be a good time to boycott. Then again, is there ever? Like is there ever a convenient time for a strike? I like the idea of specific boycotts, under specific circumstances, because we all know large companies always choose to weather out anything. Letting anyone else suffer. I do think though there needs to be a reminder of some kind, that a company will notice.

 

[SouprMatt]

This is a long thread laying out many of the racist policies in the United States. It was originally posted last year, during February - which may or may not still be Black History Month in the US.

 

[Jay Mysteri0]

This is a long thread laying out many of the racist policies in the United States. It was originally posted last year, during February - which may or may not still be Black History Month in the US.

The response involving homelessness was dead ass on target.



That is some mind blowing Pavlovian training that the right has taken to Jedi mind trick levels, and emphasizes how stupid humans can be if you play to their feelings.

 

[SouprMatt]

10 months ago, Sade Robinson, a 19-year-old woman was murdered in a park in Wisconsin. It was a horrendous crime, and people in the area, working with the victim’s mother, planned to create a memorial for her.

Death of Sade Robinson - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

The park has a fund of $5 million and this would only cost $7,000. And yet some members of the board didn’t want to spend the money, claiming it was purely a financial decision.

Well… the decision was due to come publicly before a council, but is now being cancelled due to numerous racist threats. The teenage victim… was black.

Sade Robinson: Memorial for Black woman dismembered on date canceled due to racist threats - BLKNewsNow.com

MILWAUKEE COUNTY, Wisc. -- A "flurry" of racist threats has reportedly led to several Milwaukee County Board of supervisors agreeing to cancel a memorial planned for Sade Robinson, who was killed and dismembered after going out on a date last year. Supervisors made a request to withdraw the...

blknewsnow.com

We really have a lot of truly evil people in America. Not just the murderer in this case, but the racists who resort to violent threats to prevent memorializing the victim.

 

[Jay Mysteri0]

So, I did NOT see this coming

Target sued for defrauding shareholders about DEI

Target has been sued for allegedly concealing the risks of its diversity initiatives, leading to a backlash that caused the stock price to plummet.

www.usatoday.com

Target TGT.N has been sued for allegedly concealing the risks of its diversity and social initiatives, leading to a backlash that caused customers to flee and the stock price of the Minneapolis-based retailer to plummet.

In a proposed class action on Friday, shareholders led by the City of Riviera Beach Police Pension Fund in Florida said Target defrauded them into paying inflated prices for its stock and unknowingly supporting management's "misuse of investor funds to serve political and social goals."

The lawsuit said the retailer, CEO Brian Cornell and other officials failed to disclose the risk of consumer boycotts stemming from Target's Environmental, Social and Governance and Diversity, Equity and Inclusion initiatives.

It also said Target concealed backlash from its May 2023 Pride Month campaign, which led the retailer to remove some LGBTQ-themed merchandise after in-store confrontations led some employees to fear for their safety.

Target's share price fell 22% on Nov. 20, 2024, wiping out about $15.7 billion of market value, after it forecast disappointing profit and holiday sales.

Shareholders said Target's underperformance stood "in stark contrast" to results at rival Walmart WMT.N, and reflected "continued backlash from its campaigns."

Target did not immediately respond on Monday to requests for comment.

The lawsuit in the Fort Myers, Florida federal court seeks damages for Target shareholders from Aug. 26, 2022 to Nov. 19, 2024.

It was filed after Target said on Jan. 24 it would end DEI initiatives this year, including a program to support Black-owned businesses that it adopted following the 2020 murder of George Floyd by a Minneapolis police officer.

Target joined Walmart, Amazon.com AMZN.O and some other prominent companies to scale back such initiatives, which have been attacked by many conservatives including U.S. President Donald Trump.

The case is City of Riviera Beach Police Pension Fund v Target Corp et al, U.S. District Court, Middle District of Florida, No. 25-00085.

 

[Huntn]

Brought over from Mad About Politics

Law be damned, Trump asserts unilateral control over executive branch, federal service

Following the Project 2025 playbook, in the last week, Trump and his newly installed loyalists have moved to (1) dismiss federal officials deemed unreliable to do his bidding (including 17 inspectors general) - many of which have protections from arbitrary dismissal, (2) freeze all science and...

madaboutpolitics.com

My Reply:
So attacking DEI is the NEO Racist Trump Doctrine. And the people are just going to allow this to happen? Actually, that remains to be seen.

The bottom line, if you are not lilly white, but a lowly minority you will receive no accolades, no recognition, your faces will be covered. See the new directive to wear a bag over your head when you report to work? 🤬 THIS IS SO forkED

FORT MEADE, Md. — Late last week, a national museum literally papered over history.

Responding to President Trump's order that terminated diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) initiatives across the federal government, the National Cryptologic Museum taped sheets of paper over plaques that celebrate women and people of color who had served the National Security Agency, which intercepts overseas conversations and breaks foreign government codes.

The honorees are described as "Trailblazers in U.S. Cryptologic History," and the plaques hang in the museum's Hall of Honor.

When Larry Pfeiffer, who spent two decades at the NSA, saw an image online showing the plaques covered with brown paper, he was stunned.

"My jaw dropped, my eyes bulged," said Pfeiffer, "like one of those Warner Brothers' cartoons."

He reposted the picture, as did retired Gen. Michael Hayden, who had served as NSA director for six years under presidents of both parties.

Many former NSA workers were furious. The museum uncovered the plaques and said Sunday on X that it had made a mistake.

But Pfeiffer and dozens of NSA retirees weren't satisfied. On Monday morning, they went to the museum outside Washington, D.C., to find out what had happened. Rob Johnson, who said he had worked for the agency for more than half a century, told the public relations staff at the museum that he was appalled.

"As much as this administration eschews truth and honesty, it is important that we not allow it to erase history," Johnson said.

Helen Adams was angry, too.

"Didn't somebody say, 'Oh my God, that's wrong?' " she asked.

Adams' late husband, Ralph, was executive director of the NSA. Ralph Adams was also Black. Although his face wasn't among those obscured, Helen Adams took the decision to cover up other NSA honorees personally.

In a phone interview, NSA Executive Director Sheila Thomas — the No. 3 person in the agency — told NPR that papering over the exhibits was a mistake.

"There was absolutely never an intention to cover up parts of our history," said Thomas, who was at the museum to greet the retirees and has worked at the NSA for just over four decades. "As soon as we became aware [of it], we said, 'Oh, that was not what was intended.' "............

NSA museum covered plaques honoring women and people of color, provoking an uproar​

https://www.npr.org/2025/02/05/nx-s1-5286299/nsa-museum-dei-exhibit-women-people-of-color-trump

View attachment 11589

 

[Jay Mysteri0]

People already testing shit, and finding out it's 'too soon'.

Protestors with Nazi flags stop traffic on I-75 overpass

The group had their faces covered.

local12.com

LINCOLN HEIGHTS, Ohio (WKRC) - A group of neo-Nazis was seen on Friday hanging a banner and flags off the overpass between Evendale and Lincoln Heights.

With Lincoln Heights being a historically Black community, their demonstration drew counter-protests. It was shocking for people coming home from work or school to see 13 men dressed in black waving white supremacist flags.

Lincoln Heights residents yelled for them to leave and set fire to one of their flags. They took a stand against white supremacists. While the neo-Nazis were there to spread hate, Jamaal Howard says he had his own message.

"They jumped into U-Haul [and] we pulled up on the bridge and grabbed a flag. As the people here, we burned the flag right over there," said Howard.

Howard was coming home from school and said that he couldn't believe what he was seeing. He's feeling intimidated.

"I'm like, 'Wow, are we still doing that in 2025?'" Howard said. "We just have to have some meetings about it because I'm fearing for my life, like I walk outside all the time, and now I have to be in fear just in case anything could happen."

Other local leaders received the same reaction from residents.

"This is a historic community as well, and these were people who had marched. Some of them had been with King and had been in that movement, and now they're seniors, and they're like, 'We can't believe that we're back at this point,'" said Hamilton County Commissioner Alicia Reece.

Lincoln Heights Council Member Deronce Daniels said that this protest will be top of mind at the next council meeting.

We're off to an early start, but the effects of emboldening racists have begun again. You can already see where this is going. Where masked assholes are intentionally going places to start shit & hoping something happens. A future group will FAFO the hard way, then claim they were the victims. Claiming they ( in their masks to hide their identities "for health reasons" ) were expressing their first amendment rights ( because then the 1A will matter ), and this new regime will side with them. Further emboldening the assholes.

The cycle of hate is looking to pick up speed.