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NBC4 Los Angeles
An investigation is underway after a doll with its face painted black was left hanging from a post at Kaiser Hospital in Riverside, Calif., where several African American employees work.
Kaiser Hospital Riverside in Southern California is investigating what appears to be a racist display directed at several African-American employees who work in the hospital’s IT Department.
The staffers said they work in an area that is restricted to employees only, so when Xavier Fields arrived for work, he was shocked to find a doll with a racial slur across its chest hanging from a post near his work station.
This story originally appeared on NBCLosAngeles.com.
"It’s somebody who works within. It’s a locked area. You don’t go back there," Fields said.
The doll had its face painted black and was dangling from a rope around its neck.
"You’re not sure what to think. I got a supervisor and I let them know what’s going on," said colleague Tyree Hale.
The employees said they did not see signs that their complaint launched an immediate investigation.
They gave the doll to a manager and said they were so stunned — even scared — that they didn’t file a police report, but left it to the hospital to handle.
Kaiser issued a statement which read: “We are moving to investigate the matter and will take appropriate action. We do not tolerate any form of discrimination in our workplace and will take all appropriate measures to address the full scope of this situation.”
Officials at a hospital in Riverside, Calif., maintain that they are investigating the display of racist effigy near a black employees desk, despite not filing a police report. KNBC's Craig Fiegener reports.
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Still, the workers say they’re not wholly confident in the investigation.
"I’m not for sure," said Hale. "I went to the boss and let them know what was going on."
Hale said he believes the doll was aimed at him since he is the first of his co-workers to arrive at work in the morning.
Asked why he didn’t file a police report, he said, "Sometimes we just shine it off because we’re just trying to stay working and pay our bills."
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nicebike on pg 16-- Middle Easterners and Indians make up 25% of the world population and blacks make up 15% for a total of 40%. But consider this, I heard a black woman ask an Indian woman something about her being black and the Indian shot back "I am not black!" So while their skin is light to dark brown Indians do not probably align themselves in that brown unity thing. Meztizos are 4% of the world population and you know that Zimmerman was considered "white hispanic".
Whites make up 17% of the world population and then the Asians come in at 31%--2.1 billion. The Chinese and similar are pretty light and appear to have some type of melanin deficiency also. So that's 48% of the world's paler people as opposed to 40 to 44% of the melanistic type. There's another 8% listed as other-I don't know who all they are yet.
Anyway your 92% statistic of the world's population being of "color"--even you had to know that was wrong but I couldn't stop myself from responding--I crave statistics.
When we all become people of color and the 'melanin deficient' are gone then there will be world peace and harmony. So says the Book of "NICEBIKE". I personally think there will be a more violence and chaos in the future years but since i have small children, I hope NICEBIKE is right.
"Post-racial America", my mzungu ass.
Kaiser Hospital Riverside employee Tyree Hale:
Wrong, Tyree. The real reason you guys "just shine it off" is because--but, then again, this is why you all are "trying to stay working and pay (your) bills"--you don't wan't to get in trouble with the guilty party nor want to get fired for being a whistleblower.
This reminds this retired postal worker of a similar incident that took place at my former (in fact, my then-)place of employment, the New Jersey International and Bulk Mail Center (Jersey City, NJ) back in late '93 or early '94. Somebody had a large black baby doll standing upright on a table or a hamper full of mail, I forget which, with a piece of paper made up to look like a marijuana cigarette placed through the doll's fingers. I doubt that whoever was responsible wasn't Caucasian. Never mind that said individual wouldn't have even contemplated doing so with a Caucasian baby doll.
But, Paula, the RNs (and I don't mean registered nurses) that dragged that black man down were not only convicted and put behind bars, but also were found guilty by a mostly-white jury, remember? (This was in the South [specifically--as you said--Texas], so *what* does **that** tell you?)
Here is a little geography lesson for the ignorant headline writer of this article: Riverside is NOT in the "Los Angeles" area. Please look at a California map before you dash off your sensationalist headlines.
One thing we ought to all agree on, whoever did this stunt was a real asterisk.
While doubts have been raised as to who put this doll up and why, the following is safe to say. In the context of a workplace or other public place, whenever someone puts up a painted doll hanging with a noose around its neck, it may actually be a violent racist threat and not just the free artistic expression of a frustrated and childish bully letting off steam. Also, regarding the cops not being called in, sadly, cops tend to be racist, whereas the media often tend to be more sympathetic to those who feel threatened by racists.
I have a "Barney" doll hanging from a noose on my toolbox; does this make me racist against purple dinosaurs? Also, regarding cops and racism; who are you to paint a whole segment of the population with the same brush? Hmmm, alot like the racists.........
How many purple dinosaurs do you see walking around? Damn your dumb!
And you completely missed the point. "Damn your dumb!"
Sadly there are people who think this is cute, and make allusions to it being a hoax. They are the type of people most likely to perpetrate such horrible crimes.
When racism rears it's ugly head against minorities, those type are the first to cry hoax, but are always the first to cry that their rights have been trampled upon.
America is still a cesspool of this type of ignorance and as the nation grows diverse so does the racism. Why be afraid of becoming a minority unless you fear being treated the way you treated others or worse for centuries?
" Jesse and Al " have nothing to do with this, BIGOTS do, but some Bigoted IDIOT will always trot this or the hoax excuse out.
Sounds like the type of person who would be guilty of something like this.
Well!!! So much for the so-called post-racial America!
a lot of white people still hate black people and relly wish they could still terroize the whway their relatives did lynching was common place just a short time ago--white male a very afraid because w the non white vote is strong we got a man of color in the highest office in the usa==obam will defintely be in office another 4 years and after him there will be a hispanic to hold the highest office whitey old ways are dead==the black male worker did not say any thing because all they can do is hang a doll but they can not hang him anymore--hey check out the security camera at kaiser that will tell the story
The low-life thugs running around with their pants on the ground have undone all the work that their Grandparents and all those that stood-up against racism.
I bet MLK is rolling over in his grave. How shameful and disgraceful they are. They are the ones that have set back Civil Rights 70 years. They are why people who help fight the fight are tired and sick of what has become of all the hard work that was done.
Kaiser should create a panel to discuss this and any other incidents that have transpired and lay the law down that termination without benefits will be enforced should someone get caught.
excuse the speeling mistakes my fingers slipped do not think that i am a dumb ni r
Many minorities prosper in this country. Some get to become president, supreme court justice, chairman of the joint chiefs of staff, heads of corporations. Many minorities sneer at and denigrate those folks who've shown the way. Many who don't succeed look for an excuse for their own sub-par performance outside themselves. Many such failures are their own worst enemies. The opportunities are there, but some spurn them.
Relief payment ought to be tied to an index that compares the amount spent at hardware stores as opposed to that spent for booze, smokes and bling.
Most likely placed by a black person to cause problems.
But then again children it is only a doll!!!
@HawkEyes-3154890: If only that were the case. But there's a history of white racism, the biggest example being the most obvious: Slavery. (And I don't give a damn that things looked at differently in those times.) Then, you could go from there. I beleive there are times when the use of the words racism and racist are just "false alarms." But learning from history is a valuable thing, especially since it has establised legacies for the present, with the two obviously connected. Given the racist history, I could understand why African-Americans would at the least heed caution.
I wish msn would just quit publishing these stories, all it serves as an outlet for every keyboard coward racist in the country to name call spout misinformation and feel as if they're supieror somehow.Most of the people on this site are not mature enough to responed rationally.I wish they would stop and think,kids read this stuff and think that it's ok to say this to others,and some read it and have there faith in humanity destroyed.Your not helping your just giving bigots and the ignorant a megaphone.
Blacks do not work as hard as others, that's a well known fact at most of these facilities.. They come in w a bad attitude, can't take any criticism and then complain about not being promoted! Another bs case!!!
Attack racists and racism aggressively. Whenever, where ever it appears scream your lungs out. The media
is a well known muck raker, but in this case right on the mark. Bigotry causes hate and destruction. And I
mean all across the board. Equal rights and responsibility for all. Accountability for selfish self serving hate
mongers.
You expect something like this to happen in say..ARIZONA. But not in California. Not in this part of Cali. But then again, racist are everywhere. With some people unfortunately, the behavior is innate. Some whites in america feel as though We/they are losing ground. But we are not. people of all hues/races/colors are catching hell. Its a sign of the times. Seems like when more of us white people have hard times. We take it out on others. Some of us really do think we are privledged. But we are not. America is and has truly become a melting pot. Get use to it or stay filled with hate. The latter option though will not serve you well. You'll only end up in a trailer park!!!!!!!
That is not discrimination!!! That is an OUT-RIGHT ATTACK on all black-people working in that
hospital, AND it is an attack on the patrons of KAISER PERMANENT HOSPITALS. It is also, an
ATTACK ON ALL THE BLACK-PEOPLE LIVING IN THE SURROUNDING AREA. The picture look like something a
Hispanic PERSON would do to impress his "white or "korean" colleagues. I HAVE SEEN THESE ATTACKS
BEFORE. Furthermore, the supervisor should be fired for not taking the appropriate measure to
remedy these attacks (e.g. the supervisor should have called the police, and sound the alarm for
a security breach.) THESE ATTACKS ARE ANOTHER FORM OF TERRORISM, PERPETRATED BY USA RESIDENTS /
CITIZENS (REMEMBER TIMOTHY MCVEIGH). I smell a LAW SUIT against the supervisor, and AGAINST poor
KAISER PERMANENT HOSPITAL; for hiring idiots (to supervise), and for hiring racist parasite scumbags.
To everyone who has to come on the messageboards and bring up the south any time there is a race issue - go to a search engine and type in "Demographics". If you are confused about it, "demographics" will show you the percentage of people of different races in an area. Maybe you will learn about the racial makeup of the south.
Los Angeles - feel free to keep this race issue about you.
It's just as likely that a black employee put the doll there as "whitey."
A cowardly racist!!!!!!
Well,well, a lot of deflated posts and a few deletions! Afraid of hearing what people are really feeling?
The loudest racist mongers are the one who claim racism against them. What would they do if nobodywas a racist anymore? Make up more lies? Cause more bigotry and hate? Why,yes, they are doing that now, and it is plain to see that it is them who have a agenda to foment public outcry at non-issues.
I now live in Oakland, Ca., and it is not the diverse, community oriented city portrayed in relation to ethnic equality. I cant get a job because I am white. I am a minority that does not qualify for any social assistance, because admissions are rubber stamped by those who only help their own. Everything else is a sham, and ethnicity is shoved in your face at every turn. I'll bet that this person is the one who put up that doll.