(WASHINGTON D.C., 9/24/2021) – The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), the nation’s largest Muslim civil rights and advocacy organization, today welcomed the firing of a news director at a Little Rock, Ark., ABC affiliate station after several racist incidents.
The firing came after an anchor and a meteorologist at KATV appeared on the air wearing what appeared to be afro wigs in a gag the station said was supposed to “invoke an era of the 70’s” last Thursday. Last weekend, a regional manager for KATV’s parent company Sinclair Broadcasting issued an apology and said he was disappointed because the incident followed a six-week racial sensitivity training session.
In a tweet, National Association of Black Journalists president Dorothy Tucker showed a photo of a Mammy doll that greeted a new Black anchor at KATV. She added that “fake porno pics” of Little Rock’s Black mayor were found on the @WeAreSinclair Slack channel. A Sinclair Broadcasting regional manager said staff would face “significant” disciplinary action.
SEE: News Director at Sinclair’s Little Rock Station Fired After Racist Incidents
“These incidents demonstrate a culture of anti-Black racism at the station requiring appropriate action,” said CAIR National Communications Coordinator Ismail Allison. “We welcome the firing and hope it sends a message to the larger community that bigotry will not be tolerated or excused.”
Allison said the American Muslim community and CAIR stand in solidarity with all those challenging anti-Asian and anti-Black racism, xenophobia, Islamophobia, anti-Semitism, white supremacy, and all other forms of bigotry.
SEE: CAIR Welcomes Washington National Cathedral’s Replacement of Confederate-Themed Stained Glass with Works Dedicated to Racial Justice
CAIR-Kentucky Condemns Racist, Anti-Semitic Flyers Distributed in Paducah
CAIR-Kentucky Condemns Racist, Anti-Semitic Flyers Distributed in Paducah
CAIR’s mission is to protect civil rights, enhance understanding of Islam, promote justice, and empower American Muslims.
La misión de CAIR es proteger las libertades civiles, mejorar la comprensión del Islam, promover la justicia, y empoderar a los musulmanes en los Estados Unidos.
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CONTACT: CAIR National Communications Director Ibrahim Hooper, 202-744-7726, ihooper@cair.com