A few days ago, I wrote about Lyft’s shameless kowtowing to the current racial status quo. Sure enough, Uber has now followed suit. Uber just sent out this memo:
I wish that the lives of George Floyd, Ahmaud Arbery, Breonna Taylor, and countless others weren’t so violently cut short. I wish that institutional racism, and the police violence it gives rise to, didn’t cause their deaths. I wish that all members of our Black community felt safe enough to move around their cities without fear. I wish that I didn’t have to try to find the words to explain all of this to my two young sons.Before I say anything else, please allow me to say to you clearly and unequivocally: Black Lives Matter. Many of the people who work on Uber’s platform in America are Black, and some have faced racist harassment, including from law enforcement, when simply trying to work. I know that many of you face racial injustice every day…
This week has given me hope that change is possible, and I want Uber to be part of that change. That is why we’re making a number of commitments that we will uphold not just this week, but for years to come:
We are committed to driving lasting change through criminal justice reform. On Sunday, we announced a $1 million donation to the Equal Justice Initiative and Center for Policing Equity to support their important work in making racial justice in America more than just a promise. We are committed to supporting the Black community. As a starting point, we will use Uber Eats to promote Black-owned restaurants. And in the coming weeks, we will cover the cost to provide discounted rides to Black-owned small businesses, who have been hit hard by COVID-19, to help in their recovery. We are committed to building a community that treats everyone equally and respectfully…
So, what Uber is saying is:
- We will “treat everyone equally” but, at the same time, if a white-owned small business applies for Uber’s aid, it will be told that…
- The aid is earmarked for “black-owned small businesses, not white ones.”
Somehow, this is what qualifies as “equal treatment.” How Orwellian is that?
I couldn’t help but notice that Uber has adopted the Seattle Times’ policy of capitalizing the word “black.” Good to know that Uber considers whites to be more diverse than blacks.
By announcing its “commitment to the black community,” what Uber is actually saying is that down-and-out blacks are more worthy than down-and-out whites. Otherwise, why specify “the black community?” People of all backgrounds suffer from hard times.
The mass hysteria that has gripped America sickens me, and I wish I could simply not read “The News” to avoid it. Unfortunately, every time I go out, I see brainwashed white drones holding ridiculous signs showing their support for the black community – as if something bad has happened to the blacks here in Portland.
Nothing bad has happened to the blacks in the Portland area; they’re coddled, worshiped and privileged.
A couple of years ago, Hotep Jesus demonstrated his black privilege, and mocked white guilt. Here’s the video (hat tip to Diversity Chronicle):
Good work Hotep! There can be little doubt that here in Portland, many blacks have gotten free coffee, and other free items and services in recent days.
It’s summer, and I’m getting darker. Perhaps I should try something like this. What do y’all think?
I guess it all depends on who your perceived allies are.
In ” The Los Angeles Pogrom That No Jewish Organization Will Talk About”, Daniel Greenfield notes:
“One small business owner described a “late Saturday night with people driving down the Fairfax district streets screaming, ‘effing Jews'”.
At the latest count, at least 5 synagogues in the area were vandalized, as were three Jewish schools.
One would think that the hateful vandalism of 8 Jewish institutions and a mob screaming slurs after trashing Jewish businesses would lead to some sort of meaningful response. But that would be the optimistic perspective of people who haven’t experienced the unmitigated level of cowardice and appeasement that comprises Jewish institutional life at virtually every level.”
Thanks for commenting, but I’m having trouble understanding your point in relation to this post. Could you explain it better? I’m not aware of anyone targeting blacks for such abuse or harassment.
That is a great idea, get a tan and then get your free coffee. I suppose you can do that daily. You can also sit inside Starbucks coffee all day long, out of racial sensitivity.
I wonder why hundreds of thousands of real Blacks do not use Starbuck’s generous offers.
Race is a social construct, anyway. In Brazil, lili white people gain black quota seats in medical school. But careful, blacks might object to your social appropriation of Starbucks reparation.
I hope you are careful regarding your street actions and street interviews. I think that it might be trouble to insist on your right for peaceful protest with signs or T-shirts reading:
I am Trayvon
All Lives Matter
or
White Lives matter.
Police, and president Trump certainly will defend your right to peacefully protest for an entire week.