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Flames of Racism Continue to Blaze at the Houston Fire Department
- By Deric Muhammad
- Published 07/14/2009
- Editorial and Opinion
- Unrated
Deric Muhammad
Deric Muhammad is a Houston-based community activist who blogs at http://www.askbroderic.blogspot.com.
By the time this edition of African-American News&Issues hits the streets there is no telling what else will have taken place at the Houston Fire Department.It appears that since the infamous noose finding in January created a marquee-sized question mark about whether overt racism is tolerated within the department, incidents keep happening that are slowly turning that question mark into an exclamation point. The latest incidents involve threatening racial epithets found by two female firefighters the morning of July 7 at Intercontinental Airport’s Fire Station #54.
The women, one Black, the other White, arrived at work to find graffiti on the wall of the women’s dormitory. “Die ni----, Die bi---” were among other offensive remarks emblazoned across the wall. The sick perpetrator also wrote “dead” on a memorial photo of one of the women’s deceased daughter.
The two had recently complained to higher-ups about working conditions, harassment and mistreatment at the station. To add insult to injury, the following morning someone commandeered the Houston Fire Departments Tactical 2 Radio channel and let off an 8-second tirade saying “(expletive) all you ni----- at HFD.” These two recent incidents come on the heels of the recent firing of a cadet who openly stated that he did not work at a Black or Hispanic fire station, another racially offensive conversation held on HFD radio that was broadcasts via every single station, and the written punishment of Firefighter Al Bennett who was reprimanded for breaking the chain of command when reporting the noose incident.
When community activists, The Houston Black Firefighters Association and others, including this newspaper, showed concern surrounding the noose incident many sharply accused us of over-exaggeration, opportunism and sensationalism. When City Councilman Ronald Green jokingly asked if I was going to hold an “I told you so” press conference, I told him no. The White supremacists element in the Houston Fire Department is doing a fine job of that.
However, I am fully convinced that if Capt. Keith Smith were not allowed to keep his rank as captain and his job as a firefighter after being caught with the noose these other individuals may not have felt so comfortable in executing the senseless acts that followed. Allowing Smith to get away with what he did was like leaving a bottle of Jack Daniels in an alcohol rehab facility. Sooner or later somebody is going to get drunk.
Mayor Bill White failed to use the moral authority of his office to strongly intervene in the matter and now things have gotten out of control. President Barack Obama, addressing the uprisings in Iran, recently stated that “those who stand up for justice are always on the right side of history.” Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. often quoted the philosopher Danté who insisted that “the hottest places in hell are reserved for those who in a period of moral crisis maintain their neutrality.”
The City of Houston is in a period of moral crisis and still so many are opting to maintain their neutrality. Question: What side of history will you be on? With respect to these and other principles of justice, organizers have called for a Tuesday, July 28, 2009 massive rally at City Hall protesting the racist, discriminatory culture at the Houston Fire Department and the leadership’s apathetic attitudes in investigating and prosecuting individuals who display hatred.
The rally, which organizers will also use as an opportunity to feed Houston’s homeless, will be held at 12 noon. We are demanding the swift implementation of a zero tolerance policy for racism, symbols of hate and discrimination and we are asking the public to come by and sign a petition speaking to that effect. We are aware that discrimination not only affects Black people, but Hispanics, Jews, Asians and other ethnic groups as well.
Women, such as the two firefighters that found the graffiti at station #54, are targets of discrimination on a daily basis and the city of Houston must sharpen its teeth to protect the work environment, especially in city departments. Many Black contractors (see Publisher’s News Analysis, this issue) are also complaining about the discriminatory practices surrounding city contracts, as well. What would you do if you reported for work and found a hangman’s noose, swastika, or threatening graffiti written on the wall?
Wouldn’t you want a zero tolerance policy to help ensure a dignified work environment for you and your co-workers? More importantly, if you were the victim of such an act of hate, wouldn’t you want someone to stand with you to represent what is right? If so, then we expect to see you at this very important rally to support the victims of these racially charged work environments.
We are inviting all unions, churches, organizations, sororities and fraternities of all races, creeds and colors to bring your banners and join this coalition for justice and equal treatment. President Obama stated during one of his campaign speeches, that “if you elect me to be the next president of the United States of America yet go home and do nothing, then nothing is going to change.” This is a time where we must dig deep into ourselves and find the “jewel of character” that God has placed in every human being.
It is not about “Black and White,” it is about “wrong and right.” This is not the time to do what is politically expedient or financially profitable. It is a time of moral crisis.
God willing, I’ll see you on the right side of history. And God willing, I will see you at high noon on July 28th. “A change is gon’ come.” I believe that. What about you?
Deric Muhammad is a Houston-based community activist who blogs at www.askbroderic.blogspot.com.
The women, one Black, the other White, arrived at work to find graffiti on the wall of the women’s dormitory. “Die ni----, Die bi---” were among other offensive remarks emblazoned across the wall. The sick perpetrator also wrote “dead” on a memorial photo of one of the women’s deceased daughter.
The two had recently complained to higher-ups about working conditions, harassment and mistreatment at the station. To add insult to injury, the following morning someone commandeered the Houston Fire Departments Tactical 2 Radio channel and let off an 8-second tirade saying “(expletive) all you ni----- at HFD.” These two recent incidents come on the heels of the recent firing of a cadet who openly stated that he did not work at a Black or Hispanic fire station, another racially offensive conversation held on HFD radio that was broadcasts via every single station, and the written punishment of Firefighter Al Bennett who was reprimanded for breaking the chain of command when reporting the noose incident.
When community activists, The Houston Black Firefighters Association and others, including this newspaper, showed concern surrounding the noose incident many sharply accused us of over-exaggeration, opportunism and sensationalism. When City Councilman Ronald Green jokingly asked if I was going to hold an “I told you so” press conference, I told him no. The White supremacists element in the Houston Fire Department is doing a fine job of that.
However, I am fully convinced that if Capt. Keith Smith were not allowed to keep his rank as captain and his job as a firefighter after being caught with the noose these other individuals may not have felt so comfortable in executing the senseless acts that followed. Allowing Smith to get away with what he did was like leaving a bottle of Jack Daniels in an alcohol rehab facility. Sooner or later somebody is going to get drunk.
Mayor Bill White failed to use the moral authority of his office to strongly intervene in the matter and now things have gotten out of control. President Barack Obama, addressing the uprisings in Iran, recently stated that “those who stand up for justice are always on the right side of history.” Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. often quoted the philosopher Danté who insisted that “the hottest places in hell are reserved for those who in a period of moral crisis maintain their neutrality.”
The City of Houston is in a period of moral crisis and still so many are opting to maintain their neutrality. Question: What side of history will you be on? With respect to these and other principles of justice, organizers have called for a Tuesday, July 28, 2009 massive rally at City Hall protesting the racist, discriminatory culture at the Houston Fire Department and the leadership’s apathetic attitudes in investigating and prosecuting individuals who display hatred.
The rally, which organizers will also use as an opportunity to feed Houston’s homeless, will be held at 12 noon. We are demanding the swift implementation of a zero tolerance policy for racism, symbols of hate and discrimination and we are asking the public to come by and sign a petition speaking to that effect. We are aware that discrimination not only affects Black people, but Hispanics, Jews, Asians and other ethnic groups as well.
Women, such as the two firefighters that found the graffiti at station #54, are targets of discrimination on a daily basis and the city of Houston must sharpen its teeth to protect the work environment, especially in city departments. Many Black contractors (see Publisher’s News Analysis, this issue) are also complaining about the discriminatory practices surrounding city contracts, as well. What would you do if you reported for work and found a hangman’s noose, swastika, or threatening graffiti written on the wall?
Wouldn’t you want a zero tolerance policy to help ensure a dignified work environment for you and your co-workers? More importantly, if you were the victim of such an act of hate, wouldn’t you want someone to stand with you to represent what is right? If so, then we expect to see you at this very important rally to support the victims of these racially charged work environments.
We are inviting all unions, churches, organizations, sororities and fraternities of all races, creeds and colors to bring your banners and join this coalition for justice and equal treatment. President Obama stated during one of his campaign speeches, that “if you elect me to be the next president of the United States of America yet go home and do nothing, then nothing is going to change.” This is a time where we must dig deep into ourselves and find the “jewel of character” that God has placed in every human being.
It is not about “Black and White,” it is about “wrong and right.” This is not the time to do what is politically expedient or financially profitable. It is a time of moral crisis.
God willing, I’ll see you on the right side of history. And God willing, I will see you at high noon on July 28th. “A change is gon’ come.” I believe that. What about you?
Deric Muhammad is a Houston-based community activist who blogs at www.askbroderic.blogspot.com.