The picture above is a deer head sporting a DCFD cap, an earring, a blunt in its mouth, and a huge metallic dollar-sign necklace that is bolted into the wall of our local firehouse, Engine 30, at 49 and Central Avenue, NE, in a most obscene reminder of the racist atmosphere that our brothers and sisters, African- American firefighters, must endure each day when they go to work. When members of the public come into the firehouse, the “decorations” are removed but replaced once the visitors are gone.
The deer head was bolted to the wall and “decorated”, as part of a pattern of intimidation and exploitation that has included: sex scandals; black firefighters being attacked, hit by plates thrown at their heads by officers, with injuries serious enough to send them to the hospital; firefighters who refused to cooperate with covering-up the attacks are now threatened with termination; subjected to random drug screening with tampered results; medical discrimination; and being victimized by officers violating their own established rules and guidelines.
This atmosphere was created by our former and present Mayors, who could not recognize competence in a black face; who ignored the history and present atmosphere that exists in this country, who ignorantly relaxed their vigilance and abdicated their responsibility to protect us, the citizens, from well-established dangers of racism, discrimination and white privilege. Most, if not all, of our major agencies are run by people who are not African-American.
For more information: erase-racism@hotmail.com
Mayor Fenty has abandoned our black firefighters and left them vulnerable, going into dangerous situations.
This is NOT an indictment of white people – it is only an indictment of racists, who have ignorance as the only basis for their existence.
This tiny bunch of rotten eggs is a scourge on good people who look like them. They have corrupted and poisoned the cadet system that enabled our ambitious local men and women to gain entry into the fire department, in favor of.recruits who are their relatives and other whites from West Virginia, Pennsylvania, Maryland and Virginia.
The community wants to know WHY did Sgt. R. Lehan (white) and Battalion Fire Chief McClafferty (white) try to cover up (white) Lt. Crowe’s unprovoked attack on firefighters Brown (black) and Ashelford (white) by hitting them in the head with plates?? WHY is Sgt. R. Lehan being allowed to keep working and fomenting a hostile work environment while suspending and putting black firefighters on administrative leave for false infractions? WHY have they not been disciplined and removed from their positions to continue to abuse their authority by trying to terminate witnesses? WHAT ever happened in the case of the alleged prostitution ring at Engine 27? WHY is Sgt. R. Lehan being allowed to retaliate and harass our brave black firefighters, stress them out without recourse? WHY do our black firefighters have to put up with racist jokes at work like “What was missing from the Million Man March? An auctioneer!” Our brothers and sisters don’t deserve being subjected to obscene language and verbal abuse from their white officers. WHY haven’t our city officials responded to help those who put their lives on the line for us each day at work?
We remember Emmett Till!! In the name of Malcolm X, Martin Luther King, Jr., Medger Evers, JFK, and John Brown, we call on all righteous-thinking citizens, BLACK AND WHITE, to stand with us!!!
Our community deserves better!! Our city demands more!! We demand respect for our black brother and sister firefighters!
The E.R.A.S.E. (End Racism And Stop Exploitation) Committee
If this situation outrages you, contact Councilmember Mendelson, Chair of the Judiciary Committee, 724-8064 and demand justice for our firefighters! Call and write Fire Chief Rubin (Dennis.Rubin@dc.gov) 673.2221 – demand a real investigation and freedom from racism for ALL our DC firefighters!!
2 comments:
I’m currently in the US visiting friends and finding out more about the country and its history. One of the issues I have been alerted to is the racism prevalent in the DCFD and the action taken – or more accurately the perceived lack of it – to address the situation.
In doing some follow up research I came across a report from October 2007 on FOX 5 News (see: http://video.aol.com/video-detail/allegations-of-racism-in-dc-fire-department/2241717374). It was interesting to hear the Fire & EMS Spokesman, Alan Etters, state “we conduct our business as equitably and fairly as possible”. This is non-committal at best, and smacks of an organisation refusing to take leadership on and responsibility for the issue.
The reporter also mentions that a DCFD spokesperson claimed that the allegations could be from “disgruntled employees”. I am aware that there have been some people who have made spurious allegations out of frustration with their personal predicament in the past but to put this message out at the same time as saying that the allegations will be investigated thoroughly by Chief Rubin seems to reveal the context in which these allegations will be investigated.
That is to say, the exact opposite comment would be thus: “a DCFD spokesperson said these allegations are probably true but we need to carry out an investigation first”. Therefore to make reference to ‘disgruntled employees’ already highlights doubt especially in the minds of DCFD (and by releasing the message an intention to place doubt in the minds of FOX 5 News’s viewers). I guess this is what Etters means when he says ‘fairly as possible’ instead of plain fairly.
In conclusion, D.C. may well be home to a Biracial President in a years time, yet it seems that this will be long before members of its Fire Department are ready to work in a multiracial environment; and based on the comments from DCFD they have offered me no indication that to achieve such an environment is even remotely a priority.
My initial response is a paradox. On one hand I am not surprised. On the other hand, I am thoroughly shocked. I remember a few years ago a training team went in to do diversity training shortly after the person died at the hospital after experiencing cultural stereotypes and mistreatment based upon the fact that he was a cross dresser. Obviously the message did not hit home, nor was it valued by the powers to be. These constant racist messages communicated in the fire station are a reflection on the entire fire department and should not be. Is diversity and valuing of the community a real or simply an espoused value?
The lack of response by our leaders is also a travesty. As Malcom stated, “how can you hate the tree and not hate the roots.” The attack on African Americans and all people of color needs to stop NOW! Is this another case of becoming knowledgeable of a heinous crime, for example the molestation of youth in some of the Catholic churches but the Pope won’t state a strong disapproval for the behavior – but readily acceptable of transferring to a new parish. We cannot continue to watch oppression and say nothing. When the fire department arrives at your home, I think your hope is that you will receive equal services…not minimal treatment because of the color of your skin.
Some say racism is not rampant in the Department. Put your money where your mouth is, follow up on the complaints, take action and communicate what you did so that others will know that something will be done and the perpetrators understand that they can’t get away with racist practices.
I certainly plan to forward this blog site to everyone I know including my associates in other countries including the UK, Canada, Puerto Rico, South Africa, Jamaica and others. We must speak - for the system that continues to institutionalize racism benefits from keeping it that way. If the system tends to only listen to frequency distributions…then know that it is time for you to weigh in.
Post a Comment