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Politics
COVID-19: State's New Hate Crime Hotline Combats Racism COVID-19: State's New Hate Crime Hotline Combats Racism
Covid-19: State's New Hate Crime Hotline Combats Racism With reports rising regarding anti-Asian harassment and prejudice amid the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak, New York's attorney general has launched a hotline to report hate crimes. Since the COVID-19 outbreak began in Wuhan, China and rapidly spread throughout the globe, there has been a rise in reports of xenophobia and racism tied to fears of the virus. In response, Attorney General Letitia James announced this week that she was launching a crime hotline at 1-800-771-7755. Complaints can also be emailed to civil.rights@ag.ny.gov. “Acts of bigoted and hateful behavior will NOT be …

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by Zak Failla
Lifestyle
Racism Concerns Prompt High School In Westchester To Cancel 'Tarzan' Play Racism Concerns Prompt High School In Westchester To Cancel 'Tarzan' Play
Racism Concerns Prompt High School In Westchester To Cancel 'Tarzan' Play The show will not go on, as a high school in Westchester has canceled a scheduled student play amid concerns of racism. The Elmsford Central School District announced that it will be canceling its planned Disney’s “Tarzan” play, the day before auditions were scheduled for the Alexander Hamilton High School production on Wednesday, Dec. 4. Instead, due to concerns raised by parents, students will instead perform William Shakespeare’s “Twelfth Night.” A pair of parents reportedly brought up concerns that students of color would wind up playing certain characters in the Tarzan musical, which…

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by Zak Failla
News
Some Syracuse University Students Leave Campus Early Due To Security Concerns Some Syracuse University Students Leave Campus Early Due To Security Concerns
Some Syracuse University Students Leave Campus Early Due To Security Concerns Citing safety concerns following a string of racist incidents and hate crimes, some Syracuse University students are leaving campus early before the official start of the Thanksgiving holiday break. This month, there have been at least a dozen incidents reported on campus, including racist graffiti, the shouting of racial slurs, swastikas posted and a white supremacist manifesto that was sent to students’ phones. The Daily Orange reported that some professors opted to cancel some classes this week, while the Department of Public Safety has been on high alert. The student newspaper said that…

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by Zak Failla
Politics
Cuomo Under Fire After Using N-Word During Live Radio Interview Cuomo Under Fire After Using N-Word During Live Radio Interview
Cuomo Under Fire After Using N-Word During Live Radio Interview A live radio interview about racism regarding Italian Americans took a nasty turn for New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo, who used the n-word during the course of the conversation. Cuomo called into WAMC radio on Tuesday, Oct. 15, where he was asked to discuss the purported controversy regarding Indigenous Peoples’ Day, which was celebrated at the same time as Columbus Day. Listen to the radio interview here The conversation took a turn to a weekend New York Times opinion piece that spoke of the treatment of Italian Americans in the past. It was then that he used the racial slur. “They used a…

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by Zak Failla
Politics
State Bill Would Teach Students About Hateful Symbols State Bill Would Teach Students About Hateful Symbols
State Bill Would Teach Students About Hateful Symbols Middle and high school students in New York may soon be taught the meaning of hateful symbols such as the swastika and noose as part of new legislation that has been introduced by state lawmakers. With reports of hate crimes on the rise statewide, including dozens on Long Island and the Hudson Valley, lawmakers are seeking to improve student education on racist and anti-Semitic symbolism. In Nassau County, there have already been 44 reported incidents, more than double at this point last year. Last week, seven swastikas were found drawn on a pavilion at an Oyster Bay park, and nooses have …

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by Zak Failla
Politics
Ocasio-Cortez, Gillibrand Slam NY Times Headline On Trump's White House Address On Racism Ocasio-Cortez, Gillibrand Slam NY Times Headline On Trump's White House Address On Racism
Ocasio-Cortez, Gillibrand Slam NY Times Headline On Trump's White House Address On Racism Freshman New York Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand among the cacophony of voices that forced the New York Times to alter a headline online from its print edition. Following the mass shootings in Dayton, Ohio and El Paso, Texas, which left 31 people dead, The Times' front-page headline on Tuesday, Aug. 6 read “Trump Urges Unity vs. Racism” after President Donald Trump’s address at the White House. Leading up to Trump's remarks on Monday, Aug. 5 in the Diplomatic Room of the White House, the president’s rhetoric in rallies and on Twitter was widely criticized…

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by Zak Failla
Politics
Ocasio-Cortez Hits Back At Trump, Calling Tweet 'Hallmark Language Of White Supremacists' Ocasio-Cortez Hits Back At Trump, Calling Tweet 'Hallmark Language Of White Supremacists'
Ocasio-Cortez Hits Back At Trump, Calling Tweet 'Hallmark Language Of White Supremacists' Freshman Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez’s ongoing feud with President Donald Trump hit a new fever pitch after the commander-in-chief demanded an apology for several representatives’ “horrible and disgusting actions” following his weekend Twitter tirade.  Trump targeted the so-called "Squad" of 2007 Yorktown High School grad Ocasio-Cortez and fellow first-year congresswomen Ilhan Omar, Ayanna Presley, and Rashida Tlaib as the progressive members of Congress followed purported racist tweets from the president. Early on Sunday, July 14, Trump issued a series of tweets targeting t…

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by Zak Failla
Sports
Yankees Suspend Use Of Kate Smith 'God Bless America' Recording Over Racist Allegations Yankees Suspend Use Of Kate Smith 'God Bless America' Recording Over Racist Allegations
Yankees Suspend Use Of Kate Smith 'God Bless America' Recording Over Racist Allegations The New York Yankees have become the latest team to suspend the use of Kate Smith’s recording of “God Bless America” at games amid allegations of racism against the late singer. The Yankees will no longer be using Smith’s rendition of the song during the seventh-inning stretch following claims about the singer’s 1939 song “That’s Why Darkies Were Born.” The move comes after reports of the Philadelphia Flyers banning the song and covering up a statue of the singer. The song originated in a 1930s Broadway play, “George White’s Scandals,” and was considered satire at the time it was debuted. I…

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by Zak Failla
News
Mahopac Lacrosse Players Accused Of Making Racial Slurs In Game Against New Rochelle Mahopac Lacrosse Players Accused Of Making Racial Slurs In Game Against New Rochelle
Mahopac Lacrosse Players Accused Of Making Racial Slurs In Game Against New Rochelle Lacrosse players from New Rochelle were reportedly the victims of racist behavior during a game against Mahopac last week. News 12 reported this week that parents of members of the New Rochelle junior varsity boys lacrosse team stated that their children were the victim of racism, with some students calling players “(expletive) Mexicans,” and others refusing to shake hands with African-American players. The report states that the player accused of using the foul language was taken out of the game, but some parents are calling for further actions, claiming that Mahopac athletes have shown si…

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by Zak Failla
Police & Fire
Man Threatens To Kill Woman In Racial Incident At Park In Northern Westchester, Police Say Man Threatens To Kill Woman In Racial Incident At Park In Northern Westchester, Police Say
Man Threatens To Kill Woman In Racial Incident At Park In Northern Westchester, Police Say A 47-year-old man is behind bars after police say he threatened to kill a woman because of her race at a park in Northern Westchester. The incident occurred on Wednesday, March 27 at Jack DeVito Veterans Memorial Park in Yorktown Heights. Yorktown Police say they received a walk-in aggravated harassment complaint at police headquarters from the woman who had been walking on the track at the park. After an investigation, police say they identified Sidney M. Russ of Yorktown Heights as the suspect. It was alleged by the victim that Russ followed and threatened to kill the woman based on her r…

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by Joe Lombardi
Schools
Minisink Valley School District May Be Sued Over Student's Racist Post Minisink Valley School District May Be Sued Over Student's Racist Post
Minisink Valley School District May Be Sued Over Student's Racist Post An Orange County school district may face a lawsuit due to alleged racism involving a high school student, according to multiple reports. The family of Minisink High School student N’Senga Kinzonzi has taken the first steps toward filing the lawsuit against the district, citing a history of racialism and racism. The lawsuit is reportedly seeking monetary damages, with the case to be decided by a jury. According to reports, Kinzonzi was targeted in a racially insensitive post on social media, when a student took a photo of her and captioned it with a racist comment, saying she should “be lyn…

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by Zak Failla
Politics
Race About Race? Faso Attack Ads Call Rhodes Scholar Delgado 'Big City Rapper' Race About Race? Faso Attack Ads Call Rhodes Scholar Delgado 'Big City Rapper'
Race About Race? Faso Attack Ads Call Rhodes Scholar Delgado 'Big City Rapper' U.S. Rep. John Faso, a Republican representing New York’s 19th Congressional District, which includes the mid-Hudson Valley is seen as vulnerable this year. And now, Faso's campaign has resorted to racist attack ads calling Delgado a "big city rapper," according to multiple reports. The district, encompassing 11 counties including Dutchess, has been represented by Republicans for eight years. However, voter registration is nearly equally split among the GOP, Democrats and unaffiliated voters. Faso’s Democratic challenger is Antonio Delgado of Rhinebeck, a former rapper, Rhodes sc…

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by Jon Craig