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Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsTenn. cotton gin boss caught on tape: We ‘hang’ blacks for drinking ‘white people only’ water
By David Edwards
Tuesday, June 3, 2014 10:10 EDT
A cotton gin in Memphis, Tennessee is facing a federal discrimination complaint after one of its supervisors was caught on a cell phone recording making racist remarks to black employees.
African-American workers at the Atkinson Cotton Warehouse this week described to WREG treatment that evoked cottons historic connections to racism and slavery.
According to Antonio Harris and Marrio Mangrum, their boss at the cotton gin longed for the days of Jim Crow, when white men could hang black men for drinking from the wrong water fountain.
He would be like, You need to think like a white man, Mangrum recalled.
He pulled his pants down in front of us and told us to kiss his white tail, Harris explained.
After enduring months of racist comments, Harris decided to use his cell phone to record an attempt to drink from a water fountain in the warehouse.
I need to put a sign here that says white people only, the supervisor says in the recording.
When Harris tries to use the microwave, the boss tells him he is not allowed to use it because you are not white.
As a white man, we dont even let Larry use it, the boss notes in reference to a black employee who had worked at the cotton gin for over 10 years.
The supervisor goes on to lament that that blacks and whites are no longer kept separate in the United States through segregation.
Back then, nobody thought anything about it, he opines. Now everybody is made to where to think its bad.
Put your sign on the wall then, because I am feeling to drink it, Harris asks. What would they do when they catch me drinking your water?
Thats when we hang you, the supervisor warns.
Harris said that he thought about the racist treatment every day of my life.
The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) was working to mediate a settlement with the Atkinson Cotton Warehouse after Harris and Mangrum filed a discrimination complaint.
An employee of the cotton gin told WREG that the supervisor had been on vacation in recent days, but he had not been fired.
Watch the video below from WREG, broadcast June 2, 2014.
http://www.rawstory.com/rs/2014/06/03/tenn-cotton-gin-boss-caught-on-tape-we-hang-blacks-for-drinking-white-people-only-water/
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Posted with permission.
dixiegrrrrl
(60,010 posts)Call the Southern Poverty Law Center and sue their assess off.
You KNOW they have to be discriminating in pay, also.
Not to mention the mental and emotional pain of having to go to work every day with those racisists.
msanthrope
(37,549 posts)equitable solution for all workers there. I say this as an attorney--litigation is brutal.
1StrongBlackMan
(31,849 posts)Even with these recorded comments, the pendulum has swung so far to the right that the plaintiffs would have to show tangible harm, i.e., an adverse employment action, (which is being defined in economic terms).
You're right litigation is brutal.
Generic Other
(28,979 posts)My god! I feel like I passed through the 21st century right back to the 19th century. I don't see how this kind of behavior isn't considered cut and dry evidence of wrongdoing. he should be forced to pay a HUGE settlement for causing emotional pain and suffering as well as denying someone their civil rights both as an employee and as a person of color.
You really think you couldn't win a case like this? That's crazy! If anyone could, I would think you could.
msanthrope
(37,549 posts)Part of being a good attorney is knowing when you can get more out of the mediation.
Generic Other
(28,979 posts)It seems so shocking in this day and age. I hope the mediation includes a monetary award.
AlinPA
(15,071 posts)emboldened by the GOP.
1StrongBlackMan
(31,849 posts)but the question goes to the liability of the employer and the affirmative defenses that are available.
Court, in setting forth the new employer liability rubric, attempted to
give definitive meaning to the term, announcing that a tangible
employment action is a significant change in employment status,
such as hiring, firing, failing to promote, reassignment with
significantly different responsibilities, or a decision causing a
significant change in benefits.41.
http://www.wcl.american.edu/journal/genderlaw/14/bradshaw2.pdf
Tragically, these two employees would have had a stronger (more winnable) case, if they had quit the job, as there would have been a clear adverse employment action ... But no attorney of good conscience would advise an employee to quit a job, on the hope of prevailing in court.
joshcryer
(62,270 posts)Not a penny less.
msanthrope
(37,549 posts)jobs.
joshcryer
(62,270 posts)So mediation is probably the best approach. But I'd like to see some serious repercussions from this crap. At minimum the racist manager felt they could get away with their BS and it sounds like they had a higher up position. So it could well go deep into the company.
Just ridiculous all around. That this shit still exists, I guess shouldn't surprise me, but it's been a fucking long time since the civil rights act was passed. Just disappointing I guess.
EEOC stats: http://www.eeoc.gov/eeoc/statistics/enforcement/litigation.cfm
951-Riverside
(7,234 posts)Gee! All of this seems very reasonable.
...
And the media won't even name the business or the supervisor.
msanthrope
(37,549 posts)Richardo
(38,391 posts)But yeah, why protect the racist's identity? Presumably he's over 18 years old.
SunSeeker
(51,550 posts)leftyohiolib
(5,917 posts)Ikonoklast
(23,973 posts)History will not be kind to this court.
lark
(23,097 posts)The most politically motivated court ever, their actions in stating that corporations are persons and that there is a personal RIGHT to all Americans to own guns are just ludicrous and in a sane world will be overturned for judicial activism and ignoring precedent, the actual language of the law as well as common sense.
tomm2thumbs
(13,297 posts)he's already achieved partial status today... and continues to work it
lark
(23,097 posts)Scalia, Allito, Thomas are 100% paid supporters of the 1% and exist only to squelch the 99%. Kennedy is only a fraction better and that fraction is social issues. On economic issues, he's solidy in the crazy right wingers category along with the other 4.
mainly referring to how the courts are referred to in history - the Robert's Court, etc... but definitely it takes a village
uponit7771
(90,335 posts)SMH
PumpkinAle
(1,210 posts)so the racist pos is being protected by other racist pos.
Sadly, racism is worse than ever because it is not overt and we have such as the turd Roberts saying no discrimination exists. Well it does and the small minded pricks that think they are superior because of their skin color are feeling emboldened by such as the tea party and Fox.
Dustlawyer
(10,495 posts)I wish that they had made the allegations of what he said and then let the supervisor lie and say he did not say that, then roll that beautiful bean footage!
msanthrope
(37,549 posts)1StrongBlackMan
(31,849 posts)and the Complainants have nothing/little to lose by going the ADR route.
uponit7771
(90,335 posts)... the company wont know what hit them under Grant law
Omaha Steve
(99,618 posts)Some militant black panthers. End of problem!!!!
See how fast I get caught by the caver's on this. The jury would be messing with fire.
OS
Enrique
(27,461 posts)but is that really true? Do/did Black Panthers beat up racist people?
Omaha Steve
(99,618 posts)Yes. And with good reason. Ask this white guy what I would do to Mark David Chapman.
1StrongBlackMan
(31,849 posts)In real life or in the romanticized version of history.
Most Chapters of the Panthers would not/did not beat up racist people ... except in self-defense, or defense of another.
Bonx
(2,053 posts)Awful.
KansDem
(28,498 posts)Is that the kind of water that was provided by Freedom Industries to 300,000 West Virginians earlier this year?
freshwest
(53,661 posts)Initech
(100,068 posts)AlinPA
(15,071 posts)RainDog
(28,784 posts)Lee-Lee
(6,324 posts)Is doing, and going to do more for the fight for justice than anything else has.
Exposing the truth and preserving it.
Be it bad cops, corrupt politicians, or thug racist employers. The camera only records reality.
Spitfire of ATJ
(32,723 posts)barbtries
(28,789 posts)that we cannot move beyond racism. prediction: he won't have his job for long. i hope the plaintiffs make lots and lots of money.
dawg
(10,624 posts)I can only imagine what that man has had to endure.
Cha
(297,184 posts)were able to get recordings of their monstrous boss who is in such a position of power over them. Shine some like on this racist from hell.
Seems like his name is being withheld for whatever reason.
Dorian Gray
(13,493 posts)egregious hate. Unless I read about this happening, I'd have a hard time believing it. (I guess I'm too optimistic that people aren't hatefilled shitbags.)
Obviously this supervisor needs to be fired and sued himself. The company should settle. For LOTS of money.
valerief
(53,235 posts)smallcat88
(426 posts)own words prove he's an idiot. 'Back then' (Jim Crow days) nobody thought anything about it? If that were true, nothing would have ever changed! A lot of people fought and died to change that monstrous injustice. Truly sad that we still need to fight against these racist jackasses. Also sad that we have a supremely dysfunctional court under Roberts pretending that these morons don't exist. Makes the fight that much harder.
cynzke
(1,254 posts)Will be lamenting the days he had a job and the company lamenting they ever hired him.
TBF
(32,056 posts)That "vacation" of his better be permanent.
Also I believe FAUX news should be called on the carpet here. Along with certain radio talk show hosts they have created such a hostile environment in this country. Not that the racism wasn't just under the seams, because it always has been in this young country, but they have really fanned the flames the past few years and made this type of behavior acceptable in some circles. It's ridiculous.