Black Briton, Clive Henry, Accuses UPS Ltd of Racial Discrimination in Lawsuit Accepted for Investigation by European Commission of Human Rights

Clive Henry Accuses UPS Ltd of Racial Discrimination, Lawsuit Now Pending Before Court of Appeal in London & the European Human Rights Commission in Belgium.

Clive Henry Accuses UPS of Racial Discrimination

Is "Brown" having a problem with a "Black?" That seems to be what Clive Henry, a black Briton, is saying in his discrimination lawsuit against UPS Ltd. Here is a petition his has put up on Facebook. We have reached out to UPS to get a statement and haven't heard back from them yet. We are still sifting through the lawsuit and will update this post shortly.

Clive Henry Vs UPS Ltd - Race Discrimination Case

I worked at UPS Ltd for 11 years, with 100% attendance for seven years. I had NEVER received any disciplinary action before.

In January 2008 I was asked by Manager A to supervise the merge of all the Lynx Courier accounts in our department.

In July 2008 Manager B who was a director at Lynx couriers became my manager.

In October 2008 I was placed on a Performance Improvement Plan (PIP) which was never authorised by HR.

I hit the £3000 department monthly target. This was raised to £4000 the next month. I was shouted at and given a written warning on failing this target. I was also given a smudged warning letter. I was signed off with occupational stress because of these events.

The warning was revoked after my appeal but I was advised in writing that I would be placed back on the PIP.

I emailed HR to escalate to the corporate office. I was quickly contacted by HR to arrange an emergency meeting at this point. UPS HR and management were trying to cover this up.

In that meeting I was told to ignore being placed back on the Performance Improvement Plan. At this point I raised a grievance. I again asked for the corporate office details but was given a false HR contact.

The Race Discrimination Tribunal hearing was March 23, 2010. I represented myself as I thought it was an open and closed case. I resigned from UPS on March 11, 2010.

I was the only Black male and the ONLY person EVER to be placed on a PIP.

UPS are an official supporter for the 2012 Olympics and an equal opportunities employer.

I am fighting an appeal after the judge dismissed the case in a perverse way by removing vital information in his biased judgment reasons.

The case is now pending a date at the Court of Appeal in London and has been accepted for investigation by The European Commission for Human Rights in Belgium.

For more information:  http://www.gopetition.com/petition/39283.html

Duane Buck, Black Man Set to Be Executed in TX, Asks GOP Presidential Hopeful Rick Perry to Halt Proceeding

GOP presidential hopeful Gov. Rick Perry (R-TX) is being watched very closely on how he will handle the request of Duane Buck, a black man scheduled to be executed, whose lawyers said race played a significant role in his sentencing.

Perry's ally, former Texas Attorney General John Cornyn, who is now a Republican senator, reviewed Duane Buck's case and five others, and recommended that Buck's case needed to be re-opened because of the racially charged statements made during the sentencing phase. According to ABC News, psychologist Walter Quijano, told jurors that black criminals were more likely to pose a future danger to the public if they are released.

Perry signed off on the executions of 235 convicted killers in Texas in his 11 years in office. The real question we should all be asking is what percentage of those prisoners were black, Latino, white and other. His office has only halted four. Why do I bring this up? He said he sleeps well at night knowing that everyone who has been executed under his watch was justifiable beyond the shadow of doubt. How he proceeds with the request from Duane Buck's lawyers, particularly after Sen. Cornyn had recommended the case be opened will either help his presidential aspirations or torpedo any chances he has at being the Republican nominee to face President Obama.

Duane Buck was given the death penalty after he was convicted of fatally shooting his ex-girlfriend Debra Gardner, 32, and Kenneth Butler, 33, July 30, 1995, after he broke up with her. His lawyers are seeking a new sentencing hearing because they allege the jury was unfairly influenced. The Texas Board of Pardons and Paroles, all Perry appointees, denied Buck's request for clemency Wednesday and the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals also denied his appeal. It could come down to Rick Perry if the courts continue to deny his appeals.

UPDATE#1: The U.S. Supreme Court has delayed the scheduled execution of Duane Buck amid questions due to the statements made by psychologist Walter Quijano, who testified that blacks and Hispanics were more likely to commit future crimes. The court wants to review how lower courts handled the case. There may be hope for Troy Davis, the Georgia man set to be executed next Wednesday on death row for the murder of a Savannah police officer.

Kimberly McCallum Sues Billy Graham Evangelistic Association Over Race

Kimberly McCallum has sued the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association, saying she was abruptly fired after she complained that the organization was not reaching out to African-American churches. The organization has since denied the allegations and said that it does extensive outreach and works extensively with African-American and other diverse churches. McCallum said she was the only black employee working in the executive offices in Charlotte, NC, when she started in February 2007. She, in a media interview, that she complained to her superiors later that year when she was asked to recruit congregations to a camp program but discovered that a list of 635 prospective churches had only three memberships that were primarily black.
McCallum said it was apparent that black churches were excluded.

A week after raising her concerns, McCallum said she was told her job with global offices was cut because of downsizing. Her boss never raised concerns about the quality of her work, according to the lawsuit filed in June in a local court, which has since been moved to federal court. McCallum said she tried to get other jobs at the association, based in Minneapolis, but that she was blocked from other positions and had a later job offer revoked.

"Subsequent to her discharge, plaintiff learned that the global offices had not been downsized and that the only job that was eliminated there was the one occupied by the plaintiff," the lawsuit says. She wants a job reinstated, back pay and damages for what she describes as discrimination because of her race.

Billy Graham, 90, founded the association in 1950 and it is now headed by Graham's son, Franklin. Graham began his ministry when segregation was still accepted, but he later integrated his crusades and made efforts to draw diverse crowds to his U.S. rallies. The fact is that many churches in the United States remain segregated, while there some that are very integrated, such as Northpoint Community Church in Atlanta, and led by Andy Stanley.

Controversy at University of Alabama as "Old South" Fraternity Confederate Parade Interrupts Black Sorority Anniversary Ceremony

The "Old South" rears its head on the campus of the University of Alabama in Birmingham. Kappa Alpha Order, a white fraternity that traces its roots to the Civil War and Confederate Gen. Robert E. Lee, is embroiled in another controversy over its antebellum-theme events. The university alumnae are upset after the Kappa Alpha Order's members, decked out in Confederate uniforms and carrying battle flags, paraded past a historically black sorority as the women celebrated their group's 35th anniversary. Why do we constantly go through this mess with the Confederacy? I can fully understand the scourge blacks have towards the notion of glorifying an entity that was an integral part in the denigration of us during a dark period in American history. So, yes, I would be a little ticked off seeing these people parade around in their costumes. The Alpha Kappa Alpha members reportedly said they were shocked to see fraternity members in rebel uniforms and white women from another sorority in hoop skirts. I wouldn't call these people racist, insensitive, most definitely.

A little history on this ridiculous group, Alpha Kappa Order. It was founded in 1865 at Washington & Lee University. The group calls Gen. Lee its "spiritual founder" and has 131 chapters across the United States. The group's "Old South" events have been a fixture on Southern college campuses for many years. These "celebrations" have rightly met resistance at some schools, but others don't care, I guess. The Auburn University chapter ended its annual parades in 1992 after black students confronted white students with Confederate flags. The University of Georgia chapter canceled its "Old South" parade in 2006, due to complaints from residents of a mostly black neighborhood.

I must applaud the group's executive director, Larry Wiese, who offered his apologies for the group's interruption of the sorority's anniversary ceremony. He said that he was sensitive to the needs of the students, faculty and the community. You will recall that the University of Alabama was a hotbed of racial discrimination, with the most prominent incident occurring when then-Governor George C. Wallace staged his "stand in the schoolhouse door" to protest forced racial integration on the campus. So, I fully support the actions of the black students expressing some displeasure with this shenanigan.

New York Police Francis Cole Murders Wife, Elana Cole, Daughter Tried to Intervene, Was Struck in the Face

New York's Finest is in the news again. NYPD Lt. Francis Cole gunned down his wife, Elana, and then killed himself on Monday at their Long Island home. According to the NY Daily News, Cole, 48, who worked out of Brooklyn's 68th Precinct, stabbed his wife in the chest with a kitchen knife before shooting her in the head at their home in Centereach. He then shot himself in the head.

Detective Lt. Jack Fitzpatrick said that Cole's 18-year-old daughter tried to intervene before her parents' fight turned deadly, but was struck in the face. The daughter called 911 at 12:35 p.m. to report her father had shot her mother, Fitzpatrick said. They had been going through a divorce.

Cole and his wife were found in the upstairs bedroom of their two-story house. He was still alive when cops found him and rushed him to the hospital, where he later died. Besides the couple's teenage daughter, Elana Coles's 81-year-old mother was in the house at the time, Fitzpatrick said. The couple is also survived by three sons, all in their 20s.

This cop is no stranger to controversy. According to the NY Daily News, in 2005, he was named in a racial discrimination suit filed by a black female officer in the 68th Precinct. The officer accused Cole of running an "old-boys club" within the NYPD that prevented her from being promoted. He was a ticking time bomb waiting to explode. I hope his daughter will get counselling for witnessing her father shooting her mother. There is always something in the news about New York City's Finest and it seems that they have a penchant for breaking the same law they are supposed to uphold. It is shameful that more psychological counseling isn't being done. They need more sensitivity training, without a doubt.

New York Police Francis Cole Murders Wife, Elana Cole, Daughter Tried to Intervene, Was Struck in the Face

New York's Finest is in the news again. NYPD Lt. Francis Cole gunned down his wife, Elana, and then killed himself on Monday at their Long Island home. According to the NY Daily News, Cole, 48, who worked out of Brooklyn's 68th Precinct, stabbed his wife in the chest with a kitchen knife before shooting her in the head at their home in Centereach. He then shot himself in the head.

Detective Lt. Jack Fitzpatrick said that Cole's 18-year-old daughter tried to intervene before her parents' fight turned deadly, but was struck in the face. The daughter called 911 at 12:35 p.m. to report her father had shot her mother, Fitzpatrick said. They had been going through a divorce.

Cole and his wife were found in the upstairs bedroom of their two-story house. He was still alive when cops found him and rushed him to the hospital, where he later died. Besides the couple's teenage daughter, Elana Coles's 81-year-old mother was in the house at the time, Fitzpatrick said. The couple is also survived by three sons, all in their 20s.

This cop is no stranger to controversy. According to the NY Daily News, in 2005, he was named in a racial discrimination suit filed by a black female officer in the 68th Precinct. The officer accused Cole of running an "old-boys club" within the NYPD that prevented her from being promoted. He was a ticking time bomb waiting to explode. I hope his daughter will get counselling for witnessing her father shooting her mother. There is always something in the news about New York City's Finest and it seems that they have a penchant for breaking the same law they are supposed to uphold. It is shameful that more psychological counseling isn't being done. They need more sensitivity training, without a doubt.

Bob Jones University Apologizes For Racist Policies that Persisted Well into the Early 2000s

This rings very hollow to me, but nonetheless, I applaud Bob Jones University's President Stephen Jones' decision to do so. The fundamentalist Christian University apologized for racist policies including a one-time ban on interracial dating, which was not lifted until nine years ago and let's also not forget the institution's unwillingness to admit black students until 1971. Mr. Jones said that the decision to apologize was also based, in part, on the questions the school continues to receive on its views on race.

Bob Jones University, which was founded in 1927 in South Carolina, said its rules on race were shaped by culture instead of the Bible. The university did not begin admitting black students until nearly 20 years after the U.S. Supreme Court's 1954 Brown v. Board of Education ruling found public segregated schools were unconstitutional. I personally would not consider Bob Jones University as an institution of higher learning for my own children. You see, old habits dies hard. According to a historical snapshot of the school, From 1971 to 1975, BJU admitted only married blacks, although the IRS had already determined in 1970 that "private schools with racially discriminatory admissions policies" were not entitled to federal tax exemption. Late in 1971, BJU filed suit to prevent the IRS from taking its tax exemption, but in 1974, in Bob Jones University v. Simon, the US Supreme Court ruled that the University did not have standing to sue until the IRS actually assessed taxes. Four months later, on May 29, 1975, the University Board of Trustees authorized a change in policy to admit "students of any race," a move that occurred shortly before the announcement of the Supreme Court decision in Runyon v. McCrary, which prohibited racial exclusion in private schools. To read more on BJU racist past, CLICK HERE.

The university issued a formal apology on their website that reads.....

"We failed to accurately represent the Lord and to fulfill the commandment to love others as ourselves. For these failures we are profoundly sorry. Though no known antagonism toward minorities or expressions of racism on a personal level have ever been tolerated on our campus, we allowed institutional policies to remain in place that were racially hurtful," the statement said. The interracial dating ban was lifted in March 2000, not long after the policy became an issue in the Republican presidential primary. Then-candidate George W. Bush was criticized when he spoke at the school during one of his first campaign stops.

Let me echo the sentiments of Lonnie Randolph, the leader of the South Carolina National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, who said:

"It's unfortunate it took them this long — particularly a religious, faith-based institution — to realize that we all are human beings and the rights of all people should be respected and honored."

I completely agree with his statements. I would also caution others not to hold Mr. Jones liable for the decisions made by Bob Jones, his grandfather and his father, also named Bob Jones, against him. I have to wonder, what took Mr. Jones so long to speak out against the policies of the school. A dwindling student population, that lacks diversity, perhaps?

Bob Jones University Apologizes For Racist Policies that Persisted Well into the Early 2000s

This rings very hollow to me, but nonetheless, I applaud Bob Jones University's President Stephen Jones' decision to do so. The fundamentalist Christian University apologized for racist policies including a one-time ban on interracial dating, which was not lifted until nine years ago and let's also not forget the institution's unwillingness to admit black students until 1971. Mr. Jones said that the decision to apologize was also based, in part, on the questions the school continues to receive on its views on race.

Bob Jones University, which was founded in 1927 in South Carolina, said its rules on race were shaped by culture instead of the Bible. The university did not begin admitting black students until nearly 20 years after the U.S. Supreme Court's 1954 Brown v. Board of Education ruling found public segregated schools were unconstitutional. I personally would not consider Bob Jones University as an institution of higher learning for my own children. You see, old habits dies hard. According to a historical snapshot of the school, From 1971 to 1975, BJU admitted only married blacks, although the IRS had already determined in 1970 that "private schools with racially discriminatory admissions policies" were not entitled to federal tax exemption. Late in 1971, BJU filed suit to prevent the IRS from taking its tax exemption, but in 1974, in Bob Jones University v. Simon, the US Supreme Court ruled that the University did not have standing to sue until the IRS actually assessed taxes. Four months later, on May 29, 1975, the University Board of Trustees authorized a change in policy to admit "students of any race," a move that occurred shortly before the announcement of the Supreme Court decision in Runyon v. McCrary, which prohibited racial exclusion in private schools. To read more on BJU racist past, CLICK HERE.

The university issued a formal apology on their website that reads.....

"We failed to accurately represent the Lord and to fulfill the commandment to love others as ourselves. For these failures we are profoundly sorry. Though no known antagonism toward minorities or expressions of racism on a personal level have ever been tolerated on our campus, we allowed institutional policies to remain in place that were racially hurtful," the statement said. The interracial dating ban was lifted in March 2000, not long after the policy became an issue in the Republican presidential primary. Then-candidate George W. Bush was criticized when he spoke at the school during one of his first campaign stops.

Let me echo the sentiments of Lonnie Randolph, the leader of the South Carolina National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, who said:

"It's unfortunate it took them this long — particularly a religious, faith-based institution — to realize that we all are human beings and the rights of all people should be respected and honored."

I completely agree with his statements. I would also caution others not to hold Mr. Jones liable for the decisions made by Bob Jones, his grandfather and his father, also named Bob Jones, against him. I have to wonder, what took Mr. Jones so long to speak out against the policies of the school. A dwindling student population, that lacks diversity, perhaps?