Essay 1404

A stereotypical MultiCultClassics Monologue…

• A Mississippi adman produced a campaign to battle stereotypes in the state. “Mississippi has more Black elected officials than any other state in the country,” said the campaign creator. “The old stereotype of the short, fat, white, bald men in suits smoking cigars just doesn’t carry weight.” The ads even tap into racial perceptions. “People think that the Klan and white supremacist groups in general are Southern artifacts, but that simply is not the truth,” said the director of the Southern Poverty Law Center’s Intelligence Project, which studies and monitors racist groups. “We see as many hate groups, and certainly as many hate crimes, in Northern and even coastal states. It’s a cliché that has some residual truth, but essentially doesn’t describe the situation as it is anymore.” Nice to know that racism is now available nationwide. Click on the essay title above to learn more about the campaign.

• As reported in Essay 1399, Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa named 31-year veteran Douglas Barry as acting chief of the Los Angeles Fire Department. “I know that we can stop hazing and horseplay,” said Barry. “I know that we can address the department’s history of discrimination and exclusion. … First, we want to create a culture that is respectful of everyone and inclusive of everyone. … We have to have a system in place to deal with those behaviors when they do occur, so the message is sent clear that they will not be tolerated. … I firmly believe that the vast majority of the members of this department do not participate in hazing, do not participate in horseplay, do not discriminate.” Unfortunately, the vast minority of the members who do these things ultimately taint the vast majority — and turn off the minorities.