By NAN Staff Writer
News Americas, NEW YORK, NY, Tues. Sept. 27, 2016: A Caribbean-American New York politician is responding to racist hate mail by holding a discussion on racial inequality in America.
New York City Councilman Jumaane Williams, whose roots extend to Grenada, has been targeted with racist hate mail since he refused in protest, like NFL Player Colin Kaepernick, to stand for the Pledge of Allegiance in protest of the rise of cases of discrimination in the US including police brutality.
The Brooklyn Democrat got one letter calling him a “f—ing plantation monkey” according to the New York Daily News while another stated: “Plantation owner should have aborted your great-grandmother. You sit during the pledge — well hope you have an accident that causes such physical trauma you will not be able to stand or kneel.”
Another note sent to his office contained an article about his sitting out the pledge with the message “Drop dead you f—” scrawled over it while yet another said the protest “brings attention to how pathetic some if not most Blacks are.”
But on Monday, Williams did not seem terrified instead issuing a statement on Twitter that said that he is “exercising my right as an American to speak out about something I believe in and the hateful responses underscores the need for it.”
“The over-the-top responses shows where we are in this country. There are some who complain about a peaceful protest, so it begs the question what are people really angered by – is it the act of protesting irrespective of what form it takes, or they simply believe there is nothing to protest about. It seems to me that some have a problem with protesting in general whether it’s peaceful prayer, an act of civil disobedience, or in the form of engaging in destructive behavior,” he added.
Williams said he is inviting all New Yorkers to join him at New York City Hall tomorrow, Wednesday, September 28th at noon “to continue the discussion about a practice this is rooted in the best values of America.”
Meanwhile, on Facebook, many Caribbean Americans sending words of support and encouragement to Williams while promoting the hashtag “#IStandWithJumanne.”
