Mayor complains to Human Rights Commission about "Being White in Philly" article
Controversy over that problematic Philadelphia magazine March cover story called "Being White in Philly" continues to simmer. In the latest development, Mayor Michael Nutter has sent a letter to the Philadelphia Commission on Human Relations decrying the "disgusting" tone of the piece.
Mayor complains to Human Rights Commission about "Being White in Philly" article
Jenice Armstrong, Daily News Columnist
Controversy over that problematic Philadelphia magazine March cover story called “Being White in Philly” continues to simmer. In the latest development, Mayor Michael Nutter has sent a letter to the Philadelphia Commission on Human Relations decrying the “disgusting” tone of the piece and accusing the magazine of having “sunk to a new low even for a publication that has long pretended that its suburban readers were the only citizens civically engaged and socially active in the Philadelphia area.” In the piece, based on anonymous interviews, Robert Huber makes the claim that white people are afraid to talk about race for fear of being called racist.
“That the magazine thought a collection of these despicable, over-generalized, mostly anonymous assumptions rose to the level of journalism is unfortunate enough,” the mayor wrote. “Worse, some of the residents of the nation’s fifth-largest city who are quoted in the piece seem to have ignored every positive anecdote they might otherwise have shared about a positive experience with African-Americans in favor of negative stories, many of them not even clearly attributable to African-Americans at all, to allow the author to feed his own misguided perception of African-Americans – notwithstanding his own acknowledged daily experiences on his own block – as an ethnic group that, in its entirety, is lazy, shiftless, irresponsible, and largely criminal.”
Nutter asked that the Human Relations Commission “consider specifically whether Philadelphia magazine and the writer, Bob Huber are appropriate for rebuke by the Commission in light of the potentially inflammatory effect and the reckless endangerment to Philadelphia’s racial relations possibly caused by the essay’s unsubstantiated assertions.”
Commission head Rue Landau has already responded saying, “The Commissioners and I share the concerns of the Mayor regarding the racial insensitivity and perpetuation of harmful stereotypes portrayed in the Philadelphia Magazine piece. We will take up the Mayor’s charge and, as a matter of fact, we are already looking at intergroup relations in the city, particularly in changing communities.”
The commision will take up the topic at their next public meeting which will be in the Fairmount/Brewerytown community, the geographical focus of the Philly mag piece. The meeting, which is open to the public, is scheduled for 6 p.m. April 18 at a location to be announced.
Meanwhile, in a related development, Philadelphia magazine editor Tom McGrath sent me an email on March 15 confirming details about a March 18 panel discussion called “Can We Talk About Race?” McGrath will moderate the discussion at the National Constitution Center which will be followed by a town hall session. Robert Huber, author of “Being White in Philly,” will be on the panel as will writer Solomon Jones, activist Chris Norris and Farah Jiminez , who heads up the People’s Emergency Center.
On March 19, McGrath is scheduled to meet with members of the Philadelphia Association of Black Journalists. Norris, along with some Temple University, has organized a “Being in Philly” gathering for March 20, the first day of spring. There’ll be music and free water ice giveaways. Norris, the founder of Techbook Online, says he wants to show a positive side of black life in Philadelphia. According to Norris, Huber has agreed to attend.
- Cuddles - keep cryin' and proving our point.
And by the way, when the "top tax rate was 91%" there were massive write offs available AND NONE of the other Federal Payroll Taxes (FICA, Medicare/caid, etc...) existed plus the US had a fraction of today's national debt.
And NO "rural didnt love Roosevelt". In fact his Agri. policies bankrupted many family farms resulting in the big corp farms of today.
Make sure you present ALL the facts...not just part of them.— Professor1982 - I have a very long fuse when it comes to bigots like yourself "Professor". but I think you push our limits. Go back to the Day Room and take your medications, please.
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- Tammy the only "bigot" here is you and the rest of the liberals who are nothing but professional victims.
Even Bill Cosby acknowledge such nearly a decade ago...— Professor1982 
The article was worthless dribble and shows how cowardly the racist suburbs are. I am white. I am simply not afraid. I live in the city. Will always live in the city. And Philadelphia magazine will not be renewed this year.— jonline- "the potentially inflammatory effect and the reckless endangerment to Philadelphia’s racial relations"
Are "racial relations" that fragile?
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“Being in Philly”
Does it have to be ANYTHING like 'them' at all?— Cuddles - I wonder if the Mayor will write similar letters to the HRC whenever the Phila. Gay News or the PW writes a hit piece calling Catholics or the Boy Scouts "agents of hate."— everydayguy
- The mayor is afraid to talk about the ugly fact that 70% of Black men walk away from their children and that almost every murder and violent crime in Philadelphia is committed by a Black man. Why pretend these are racist comments?— farley
- ...or how every neighborhood in Philly goes downhill after Blacks take over. Look whats happening in NE Philly thanks to subsidized housing. Section 8 is killing Mayfair, Tacony, etc.
- Ya'know the 'burbs ain't holding up so well either after but a generation of White Flight from an aging housing stock sold literally to the lowest bidder from a time that major urban industries like manufacturing were dying...but a generation ago.
Lawnside, NJ is a more accurate measure, though Yorktown has been in front of your face for 50 years.
But back to your original point there is one institution that thrives in the so-called ghetto (hope I'm allowed to say that): 100% Human Hair Stores.
...Read it as you may.— Cuddles - I'd like to write a Being a Democrat in Philly article that the mayor could read to remind him of who he's supposed to be representing. the working class is who. support the working class Mr. Mayor.— high water
- JOnonline, Wow! You are so impressive unafraid to throw 5% of your income into the black hole of Philadelphia city government How righteous and fierce you are!— gjd741
- I love how all this uproar just proved what the article was about. Everytime some white person talks about a black person, all hell breaks loose. I read the article and I took it for what it is worth, other people's oponion. Since when are oponion worth so much press? I think Mayor Nutter is the absolute WORST mayor ever to walk the streets of Philly, but that won't make the news. How about an article about how there is almost 500 million in uncollected taxes? Even better yet, how about Nutter getting as worked out about those uncollected taxes as he is about this article?— annoyed79
Comment removed.- Its unfortunate that an entire race can be brought down by their own self infatuation with being victims.
Its everyone's fault but their own.
Bill Cosby's speech from a decade or so ago rang hollow.— Professor1982
Read more from Jenice Armstrong at Earth to Philly, the Daily News blog on anything and everything "Green."
Reach Jenice at armstrj@phillynews.com.
