BY BRIAN TAYLOR
NEW YORK - New York-area residents, Black politicians and
religious leaders, and others marched in Far Rockaway, New York,
September 12 to protest two New York firefighters and at least
one city cop who rode a racist Labor Day float in Broad Channel,
Queens, September 7. The Council of Black Elected Democrats and
others also held a press conference that day to protest.
Broad Channel is a small island town near Kennedy airport with 1,620 residents, 99 percent of whom are white. According to a 1990 census report, only 23 Latinos reside there, with no Blacks or Asians.
During the event, sponsored by the Broad Channel Volunteer Fire Department and Ambulance Corps, about a dozen men in blackface rode in a float with the banner "Black to the Future, Broad Channel 2098." They chained one man to the back of the float, mocking the Jasper, Texas, lynching of James Byrd in June.
The city administration suspended the two firemen and one cop with no pay. Police officials acknowledged one or two other cops may have also taken part in the incident.
Mayor Rudolph Giuliani quickly condemned the act, receiving critical praise from Black Democrat Alfred Sharpton, Rev. Calvin Butts, and State Senator David Paterson. Lawyers for the suspended city employees are challenging the disciplinary action.
A September 15 New York Post article reported that Gov. George Pataki and Rep. Charles Schumer had joined previous Broad Channel parades, which are infamous for floats insulting Jews, Asians, gays, and others.