racism - The African Mirror

Apr

17

2022

South Africa’s ‘wild west’ WhatsApp groups fuel racism, surveillance

NEWS

KIM HARRISBERG WHEN South African content manager Happiness Kisten chased her family's escaped puppy up the road in the early hours of the morning in her Durban suburb, she did not realise she was being watched. But when Kisten, a Black South African adopted by Indian parents, arrived home puppy in tow, her mother showed her a message on the neighbourhood WhatsApp group that warned residents about a Black woman seen running after a dog. "At first I laughed, but afterwards I was like, that's very problematic. It left me with an ugly feeling in my gut," said Kisten, 29,…

Sep

28

2020

By The African Mirror

Ellen DeGeneres issues apology, vows ‘new chapter’ after on-set turmoil

LGBT+

LISA RICHWINE ELLEN DeGeneres has opened the new season of her popular television talk show by apologizing to staff after reports of a toxic work environment on her set and saying changes had been made to start "a new chapter." Three top producers on the "The Ellen DeGeneres Show" exited the show, producer Warner Bros. said in August after an internal investigation into complaints of bullying, racism and sexual misconduct against them. "I learned that things happen here that never should have happened," DeGeneres, 62, said in the opening monologue for the premiere of her show's 18th season. "I take…

Mar

08

2021

By The African Mirror

Racist royals pushed me to brink of suicide – Meghan

WORLD

MICHAEL HOLDEN and GUY FAULCONBRIDGE MEGHAN, the wife of Prince Harry, accused the British royal family of racism, lying and pushing her to the brink of suicide, in an explosive televised interview that looks set to shake the monarchy to its core. The 39-year-old, whose mother is Black and father is white, said she had been naive before she married into the family in 2018, but that she ended up having suicidal thoughts and considering self harm after pleading for help but getting none. She added that her son Archie, now aged one, had been denied the title of prince…

Jul

20

2020

By The African Mirror

‘This can’t go on’: U.S. workers plan nationwide strike to protest racial injustice

WORLD

NELLIE PEYTON FAST-FOOD, nursing home, airport and other frontline workers across the United States are planning a mass strike on Monday to protest systemic racism and inadequate protections for Black people against coronavirus. The Strike for Black Lives is expected to draw tens of thousands of workers in over 25 U.S. cities, according to a coalition of national labor unions and social justice groups that have organized it. Some workers will strike all day and others will walk off their jobs for 8 minutes and 46 seconds, the amount of time that a white police officer knelt on the neck…

Sep

27

2020

By The African Mirror

INTERVIEW-Women must be kept safe online to meet global gender goals, activist says

WORLD

GOVERNMENTS must do more to keep women safe online in order to meet global goals on gender inequality, a British Nigerian activist has warned, as the coronavirus pandemic causes a surge in racism and gender-based abuse on the internet. Women's rights campaigners worldwide have warned of an increase in online abuse such as revenge porn as COVID-19 continues to keep many people at home in front of a screen, but Seyi Akiwowo said information on how to stay safe was lacking. "I'm still not confident that global leaders are understanding the impact lockdown has on the online space and putting…

Sep

15

2020

By The African Mirror

Top Italian designer takes on racism in fashion

BEAUTY AND FASHION

SOPHIE DAVIES STELLA Jean, the Haitian-Italian designer who has just announced a boycott of Milan Fashion Week, says she has suffered racism all her life. But it was only when the 41-year-old encountered it in Italy's mainly white fashion industry that she realised just how unwilling people were to talk about it. Now Jean, whose brightly-coloured skirts and dresses are worn by celebrities including Beyonce and Rihanna, says she can no longer remain silent in the face of what she sees as a rise in racially-charged incidents in Italian fashion. The former model, a protege of Giorgio Armani and the…

Sep

05

2020

By The African Mirror

Black Lives Matter forces South African sport to face past demons

NEWS

NICK SAID THE Black Lives Matter movement has forced South African sport to reflect on its post-Apartheid history and created fissures between former team mates in a country still trying to come to terms with its racist past. The BLM movement has put a spotlight on the way societies treat people of colour around the world and in South Africa the debate has centred on sport. The discussion has focussed on how opportunities were scarce for Black players across some sporting codes even after the fall of Apartheid, the system of racial segregation that existed in the country from 1948…

Oct

31

2020

By The African Mirror

EXCLUSIVE-Half aid workers report racism at work in past year – poll

NEWS

SONIA ELKS HALF of aid workers have experienced racism at work in the past year, with staff and activists saying agencies are failing to combat discrimination in their ranks, a global survey by the Thomson Reuters Foundation and aid consultancy Aid Works found. An online survey of 286 aid workers in 63 countries found 143 people had experienced racism at work in the past year, ranging from having contributions overlooked, to pay disparities and overt racist comments, but fewer than half reported it. The findings come as aid agencies face closer scrutiny, with sexual abuse scandals tarnishing a $30 billion…

Dec

10

2020

By The African Mirror

PSG and Istanbul Basaksehir players wear ‘no to racism’ t-shirts ahead of rescheduled game

SPORT

JULIEN PRETOT PARIS St Germain and Istanbul Basaksehir players wore 'No to racism' t-shirts before their rescheduled Champions League game, which was suspended on Tuesday when the teams walked off in protest after the Turkish club accused a match official of racism. UEFA said on Wednesday that it had appointed an Ethics and Disciplinary Inspector to "conduct a disciplinary investigation regarding the incident". The incident was sparked when Basaksehir's assistant coach Pierre Webo was shown a red card for protesting against a refereeing decision and the Turkish side then alleged that the Romanian fourth official Sebastian Coltescu used a racist…

Jun

10

2021

By The African Mirror

Fans booing players taking a knee show racism still a problem -Henderson

SPORT

ENGLAND midfielder Jordan Henderson said fans who booed players for taking a knee before matches proved racism was still an issue and that the team will continue to take a stand during the European Championship. There were jeers from a small section of spectators at the Riverside Stadium in Middlesbrough when players took the knee before England's friendly wins over Austria and Romania last weekend. "It shows that if there are still people booing because we're standing together against racism, then there still is a problem and we've still got to fight it and stand together," Henderson said before Sunday's…