Dear President Salovey and Dean Holloway,
As Yale alums, we have watched recent events in New Haven with concern and dismay. The current student protests may have been provoked by a controversy over Halloween costumes, but they have much deeper roots in Yale's history and culture, and they have made it clear to us that institutional racism continues to be a powerful force at Yale, as it was when we were students.
We are writing to you to express our support for the students and faculty, particularly students and faculty of color, who are speaking up and urging action to combat racism at Yale. We encourage you to work with them to move the university forward so it can become the truly welcoming, inclusive, and vibrant intellectual community we hope with all our hearts it can be....
Lifestyle
Dear Person that decided to dress up as an Indian for Halloween,
I was going to write you an eloquent and well-reasoned post today about all the reasons why it’s not ok to dress up as a Native person for Halloween–talk about the history of “playing Indian” in our country, point to the dangers of stereotyping and placing of Native peoples as mythical, historical creatures, give you some articles to read, hope that I could change your mind by dazzling you with my wit and reason–but I can’t. I can’t, because I know you won’t listen, and I’m getting so tired of trying to get through to you.
I just read the comments on this post at Bitch Magazine, a conversation replicated all over the internet when people of color are trying to make a plea to not dress up as racist characters on...
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Dear Sheriff Smith:
We recently saw an online video in which you tell the Rev. Hannah Adair Bonner, leader of demonstrations about Sandra Bland's death, to "go back to that church of Satan that you run." Since it seems you have misunderstood Rev. Bonner's affiliation, we thought we'd offer you some more information.
Rev. Bonner is an ordained clergywoman in The United Methodist Church, a denomination of some 11 million members worldwide. She is assigned to St. John's United Methodist Church, a predominantly African American congregation in inner-city Houston, southeast of your town of Hempstead.
According to church records, Hempstead lies in the West District in our regional unit known as the Texas Annual Conference. The Texas Annual Conference journal says there are three United...
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Dear Players of Orlando City,
It has been a tumultuous season. The Orlando City faithful have been with you through it all. There was the outpouring of support in the first game on March 8, and that support has carried through this season. Through the exciting wins and heartbreaking losses, the fans have been through it all step by step with you. Now, with the past month, these same fans have suffered through the drought of goals and loss after loss that have come with August.
Crunch time is upon you. Only seven games remain of your season. After that, you could be in one of two places. Either in the playoffs, or relaxing on the beach. I would think most fans would prefer the former of you. However, with your recent performances, the hope that was once there about making the...
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Dear Hackney Cycling Campaign Committee
We are a group of people who ride bikes in Hackney, who have come together with a common goal of seeing protected space for cycling on main roads and major junctions in Hackney. While acknowledging the previous successes of HCC, including 20mph limits, modal filtering and park access, we are convinced that without separation from motor vehicles on main roads and at junctions,we will never see mass cycling in Hackney, including children, the elderly and those with disabilities.
Several of us have actively avoided joining LCC and HCC due to the local group’s well-known opposition to protected cycle lanes. In addition, some of us have come close to resigning LCC membership due to this, and others have actually done so.
We would like to seek...
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Dear Elizabeth,
I've been hearing a lot about you lately. Don't worry, I assure you, none of it's good. I've been hearing about the fact that you've decided to bring several lawsuits against a little kid who hit you with a ball at a Little League game. People feel very strongly about this fact and I've come to realize the general consensus is that everyone thinks you're a piece of shit.
Wow. What do you think of that? Do you think the public is being too harsh on your behavior? I don't know. So far, I haven't found out much about you. All I know is that you chose to sit at a picnic table near a bullpen, got hit in the face, may or may not (depending on the account) required surgery to fix your face and then you thought it was a good idea to sue a child for $500,000. Yeah...
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Hello everyone.
Over the past week, certain revelations have come to light about awful, subhuman behavior on the part of a number of members of our community, some of whom I know personally.
The worst of this is certainly the work of some truly reprehensible individuals who seem to think that they have the right to destroy the dignity and innocence of others in the pathetic service of their own desires. Some of them will hopefully bear the full brunt of the justice system’s penalty for the atrocities they have committed. Others may not be liable to judgment at the hands of the courts, but should in no way be excused for their own disgusting acts both past and recent.
Somewhat less grievous, but still staggering in its absurd level of insensitivity, cultish wagon circling, and...
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The above matter has reference.
There are reports that the security forces have been brutalising the people of Marikana since Government imposed an undeclared state of emergency on that area. It is alleged that the security forces randomly shot people with rubber bullets during raids on miners’ hostels. This is apparently what led to the death of Councillor Pauline Masutlhe, who worked tirelessly to ensure a speedy resolution of the Lonmin Mine labour dispute.
There are also reports that yesterday the police fired tear gas and rubber bullets to disperse striking Anglo American Platinum mineworkers.
This use of excessive force by the security forces is a serious civil rights violation and runs the risk of turning South Africa into a police state.
We, therefore, request you to...
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Your Excellency,
We have been engaged in working for a society free of xenophobia and all forms of discrimination since 2008. At our level, with little resources, we have managed to reach out to communities in Alexandra, Orange Farm, Katlehong, Diepsloot, Thokoza, Primrose, etc. to appease the violence and build cohesive societies.
Today, we are deeply worried about the current course of violence across the country and the lack of effective response from the government to deal with xenophobia. The cost of the violence has been estimated to many losses of lives, millions of Rands lost during the looting and thousands of displacements since 2008. Moreover, the reputation of South Africa as a united and rainbow nation is now questionable.
Between 2008-2014, we have registered dozens...
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I am writing this letter to you with the hope that you will be able to assist me with my issue. I recently applied for a work visa (after having been offered a permanent job) and it was rejected as the Department of Labour cited that my company can still find a South African to do the role that I was recruited for.
I am a 30 year old from Zimbabwe; I have been in Cape Town since 2010. I finished my high school in 2004 but could not proceed with my education due to financial difficulties. After a few years, I managed to get a job in a book shop but had to eventually leave it as I was not earning enough to even last me through the whole month of travelling. In 2008, I lost my mother (my father died when I was 12). I moved in with my eldest sister, who (after a while) had to resign from...
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