Weekly Race Review: student exposes racist who asked if she was dressed as Harambe

We’re committed to shining a light on the stories that often go unreported whether these are issues faced by people of colour, or their successes. Each week we’re going to bring you the good and bad from around the world to keep you informed for the week ahead.

Student exposes racist after receiving Tinder messages asking if she’s dressed as King Kong or Harambe

Screenshots helped a second year UCL student expose a racist Tinder match on Twitter.

Nnenna Asubo, tweeted ‘further proof that racism is alive and well in 2018’ with screenshots of her conversation with Declan Hiam, 21, a student at King’s College London.

further proof that racism is alive and well in 2018 pic.twitter.com/NYg36SKsk1

— NIA (@nnenna_asubo) March 22, 2018

In a series of messages on the dating app, Hiam asked Asubo if she would dress as ‘King Kong, ‘Harambe’ and ‘Donkey Kong’, before tastelessly telling her ‘please don’t lynch me’.

Asubo told The Tab, “I was in shock to begin with simply because after all the other incidents happening at other unis I couldn’t believe that he would be stupid enough to use racial slurs that could potentially land him in trouble.

“After the ‘King Kong’ comment, which he followed with ‘Harambe’ and ‘Donkey Kong’ it was just really apparent that the didn’t find anything wrong with what he was saying.

A spokesman at King’s College London said: “We have been made aware of some accusations of racism, mentioned on social media and relating to a student’s personal social media account, and are looking into this matter.”

Facebook faces lawsuit after allowing discriminatory target ads based on race

Facebook is being sued for continuing to allow landlords and real estate brokers the ability to discriminate against people based on race. Last Tuesday, the National Fair Housing Alliance and four other plaintiffs filed a lawsuit in New York.

The complaint alleges that the platform allowed advertisers to exclude users based on specific categories, like users interests relating to English as a second language, between last November to March this year.

Problematic ad-targeting isn’t new for Facebook. In 2016, the social media giant pledged to remove its “multicultural affinity marketing” feature after ProPublica exposed how it let advertisers exclude users from adverts based on race.

Regarding the recent lawsuit, a Facebook spokesman told Motherboard in an email: “We believe this lawsuit is without merit, and we will defend ourselves vigorously.”

Black students at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High raise concern over lack of intersectionality

According to journalist Nadege Green, a group of black students from Marjory Stoneman Douglas High called a press conference to shine a light on the lack of intersectionality on display in the wake of the shooting.

Last Wednesday, Green tweeted that a student named Kai reportedly said he felt uncomfortable at the heightened police presence in the school and that it would be “intimidating and black students will face most of the consequences of an over-militarized predominantly white school“.

A group of Black students from Marjorie Stoneman Douglas High called a press conference today to say they have concerns that may not mirror those of their white peers. And that the media should listen. #MSDStrong pic.twitter.com/f3iy85Szi7

— Nadege C. Green (@NadegeGreen) March 28, 2018

Another student called on the conversation around gun violence to include police violence. This raises questions over whether attendees of recent anti-gun violence rallies will share the same solidarity with victims of police violence. There have been widespread protests against the death of Stephon Clark, a 22-year-old unarmed black man who was shot by police on 18 March.

Social media blast White House for lack of diversity

Another year marks a new cohort of interns to the White House. However, it didn’t take long for people on social media to spot the lack of diversity on show in this year’s spring program.

White House interns sure look less different these days. pic.twitter.com/T72cobobAa

— ian bremmer (@ianbremmer) March 30, 2018

Where’s Waldo?

?Can YOU find the non-white White House intern??#TrumpIsARacist pic.twitter.com/QXO5aB5UeK

— Jon Cooper ? (@joncoopertweets) March 31, 2018

Many took to social media to criticize the almost entirely-white class of interns. Comparing it to previous years where Barack Obama intake was far more diverse.

https://obamawhitehouse.archives.gov/blog/2016/04/11/white-house-internship-program-apply-today

White South African jailed for being racist

For the first time in South African history, a judge has sentenced a white woman to prison for up to three years for the use of racially offensive language.

In February 2016, Vicki Momberg was caught on camera verbally abusing a black police officer in Johannesburg after a smash-and-grab incident. The video went viral and shows her racist rant where she repeatedly said “kaffir” – a racial slur in South Africa.

Momberg was convicted last November for four counts of “crimen injuria” and is the first person to be sentenced for this offence. The ruling sets a strong precedent that racism will not be tolerated.

Petition calls on Adelaide pub, Hotel Longtime, to change name

A petition has been set up calling on a gastropub in Adelaide, Australia, to change its “derogatory” name after upsetting the local Asian community for perpetuating Asian stereotypes.

Hotel Longtime boasts problematic decor including neon signs with phrases such as “long time good time”.

Alice Whittington who created the Change.org petition wrote in The Guardian how the names and decor demean and sexualise, particular for Asian women. She wrote: It is a gateway stereotype that leads to graver long-term consequences, including harassment, abuse, discrimination and an assumption of sexual subservience. The countless experiences of others and myself is proof of that”.

The petition currently has over 1200 signatures.

ICYMI

Heineken has apologised and pulled an advert for its low-calorie beer, after Chance the Rapper tweeted about it’s problematic “sometimes, lighter is better” slogan.
Many people on Twitter are facepalming over CBeebies’ take on jollof rice.