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FDNY Captain: Fire Department Is Filled With Racism

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Testimony during a special bench trial to determine methods to improve minority recruiting at the FDNY has detailed numerous instances of racism, one occurring a short time after the events of September 11. Captain Paul Washington testified yesterday that several months after the attacks, a bulletin for a memorial service for fallen black firefighters was posted at the Ladder 131 station in Red Hook. The flyer was defaced with the words "What about the white guys?" and the names of black celebrities such as "Gary Coleman, Fat Albert, Tupac Shakur," and "Buckwheat," the Daily News reports.

Washington, a 23-year-veteran and former president of the Vulcan Society, said the man responsible stepped forward but was disciplined "in an unofficial manner." During the mid-'90s, Washington testified that firefighters in an all-white firehouse would "use the N-word to describe whoever was assigned to do that day's menial tasks." According to the Post, he also heard of an incident in which a white firefighter put on a Ku Klux Klan hood while with a black colleague, and noted that a Confederate flag was on prominent display in one firehouse.

Complaining of the racist behavior to superiors would make a firefighter "effectively ostracized," according to Washington. "You're going to be shunned. Things like this can be very hurtful to your career." While blacks make up 26% of the city's population, only 3% of firefighters are black. Earlier this year a black FDNY electrician found a noose in his locker after filing a complaint with the New York State Division of Human Rights. Signs of institutional racism have continued to plague the FDNY despite rulings against the department's biased entry exams.

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  • christopherFDNY

    I remember when the Vulcan Society had their service for the Black Bravest who were killed on 9/11. I remember being offended, because no one in their right mind was separating the dead by race or religion. There were no Catholic-only services, or Italian-only services, or Hispanic-nly. Only the Vulcans chose to do something so crass. The pipes and drums played for all the funerals. We went to as many services as we could and no one gave a damn what the guys race or religion or orientation was. Except the Vulcans. The hell with them.

  • As someone who's worked with many firefighters, I totally believe this. A few years ago, the FDNY was statistically 89% white. Doubt it's changed much.

  • FredTT

    We can`t have white people being Politically Incorrect or Mommy Professor will lose her job,her undeserved prestige,and any remaining social standing she still has with the white population.

    She would be forced to discuss the taboo subject of white geNOcide,which she supports but currently allows no discussion of.

    Anti-racist is a code word for anti-white.

  • D Genseric

    Uh-oh! Weee-ooooo Weee-ooooo. The Diversity police are on their way! The Fire Department must be majority White in a majority White neighborhood. Oh no!

    No one says a neighborhood or a fire department that is 100% Black needs more diversity.

    No one says a neighborhood or a fire department that is 100% Asian needs more diversity.

    No one says a neighborhood or a fire department that is 100% Mexican needs more diversity.

    Of course not! They are already 100% diverse.

    All White neighborhoods and fire departments and ONLY White neighborhoods and fire departments always need to be More Diverse. White neighborhoods and fire departments only stop needing to be More Diverse when there are NO MORE White people left.

    Diversity is doublespeak for White genocide.

    These people who promote this crap claim they are anti-racist. What they are is anti-White.

    Anti-racist is a codeword for anti-White.

  • Everybody says there is this RACE problem. Everybody says this RACE problem will be solved when the third world pours into EVERY white country and ONLY into white countries.

    The Netherlands and Belgium are just as crowded as Japan or Taiwan, but nobody says Japan or Taiwan will solve this RACE problem by bringing in millions of third worlders and quote assimilating unquote with them.

    Everybody says the final solution to this RACE problem is for EVERY white country and ONLY white countries to “assimilate,” i.e., intermarry, with all those non-whites.

    What if I said there was this RACE problem and this RACE problem would be solved only if hundreds of millions of non-blacks were brought into EVERY black country and ONLY into black countries?

    How long would it take anyone to realize I’m not talking about a RACE problem. I am talking about the final solution to the BLACK problem?

    And how long would it take any sane black man to notice this and what kind of psycho black man wouldn’t object to this?

    But if I tell that obvious truth about the ongoing program of genocide against my race, the white race, Liberals and respectable conservatives agree that I am a naziwhowantstokillsixmillionjews.

    They say they are anti-racist. What they are is anti-white.

    Anti-racist is a code word for anti-white.

  • felixthecat
  • DietSodas

    The test isn't even administered by the FDNY.

    http://meritmattersusa.blogspo...

  • LICnative

    It's a competitive, civil service exam. Sign up, pass the tests, wait to get hired. Hope that the city still has money to hire when your "turn' comes up.

    Ain't shit "daddy" can do for you if you aren't on the list. When you can prove that black men have been stopped from taking the exam, I'll believe the hype. Till then, I'll pass on the victimization talk.

  • Nos, you are misled by the media.  The city produces a test (after you pass the written you take a physical), if you pass the test you go on a list with a hiring list number.  The higher you score on the test, the higher your list number.  Paul Washington and the vulcans is preventing smart minorities from becoming fire fighters.  Does the Department of Correction also have  "who's your daddy" hiring standards?  Because they are 70% black.    
    See the below link for the test in question:
    http://documents.nytimes.com/n... The city offers plenty of help to minority applicants...I know because i am on of them that was on the last list.  Paul Washington and this silly lawsuit ruined it for me.  

  • felixthecat

    Recent article of firefighters candidates who were fast tracked by the board bc of their fathers' connection

  • The FDNY always had "affirmative action" in hiring.  It's called, "Who's your daddy?"  Most of these guys get hired through the old boy network.  It's not just discrimination against blacks, it's discrimination against anyone who isn't connected.

  • felixthecat

    True

  • Rocknrope

    In other news, fire trucks are red.

  • Anijake

    I guess separate but equal is ok after all......

  • Roger_the_Shrubber

    "...several months after the attacks, a bulletin for a memorial service for fallen black firefighters was posted at the Ladder 131 station in Red Hook."

    Why would they need a separate memorial? They should be included in any and every memorial to fallen firefighters of that day. Why segregate the memorials?

  • Oh, I don't know, maybe because NY has a little trouble hiring and supporting black firefighters as evidenced by this article maybe?

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