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Black workers at California Tesla factory allege rampant racism, seek class-action status

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11 months ago

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SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Tesla may face a class-action lawsuit after 240 Black factory workers in California described rampant racism and discrimination at the electric automaker’s San Francisco Bay Area plant, including frequent use of racial slurs and references to the manufacturing site as a plantation or slave ship.

The testimonies filed Monday in Alameda County Superior Court comes from contractors and employees who worked on the production floor of the factory in Fremont, roughly 40 miles (65 kilometers) southeast of San Francisco. The vast majority worked at the site between 2016 to the present. Lawyers suing Tesla, Inc. estimate at least 6,000 workers could be part of the class.

The individual testimonies are part of a 2017 lawsuit brought by Marcus Vaughn, who complained in writing to human resources and to Tesla CEO Elon Musk of a hostile work environment in which he was called slurs by co-workers and supervisors. No investigation was conducted and he was fired for “not having a positive attitude,” according to his lawyers.

The lawsuit is just one of several lawsuits alleging racism, harassment and discrimination at the Fremont plant.

Last year, California regulators sued Tesla in state court, alleging the company turned “a blind eye” to abuses and that Musk told workers to be “thick-skinned” about racial harassment. In April, a federal jury awarded another former Tesla employee $3.2 million for racial abuse he suffered.

Bryan Schwartz, one of Vaughn’s lawyers, said the case has dragged on for years as Tesla sought to force the lawsuit into arbitration. Instead, the California Supreme Court in April allowed Black workers to seek a public injunction in court that would require Tesla to change its work environment.

“To have this scope of egregious harassment right here in Silicon Valley, it’s disgusting,” Schwartz said, adding that it’s shocking that “Tesla has allowed this kind of pervasive harassment to go on as long as it has.”

Attorneys for Tesla did not respond to emailed requests for comment.

All of the declarants said they heard use of one particular racial slur, with more than half saying they heard supervisors and managers use that word, according to a declaration summarizing the statements.

Dozens also said higher-ups direct the racial slur toward them, the summary stated, and nearly half said they experienced or saw other Black workers tasked with more physically laborious work and disciplined more frequently.

Production associate Albert Blakes said in his statement that it was difficult to go to work, knowing he would face racist slurs, references to slavery and offensive graffiti for 12 hours at a time. He said he made a verbal complaint to human resources in late 2021, but never heard back and nothing changed.

“Something needs to be done to hold Tesla accountable for the racism that takes place at the Fremont factory to set an example that this racism is not tolerated in workplaces in California,” he said.

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Black Family Loses Out on Discrimination Lawsuit Over Investment Property 

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2 months ago

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March 8, 2024

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The Houstonian black real estate investors filed the federal lawsuit after they said they were prohibited from buying condos in a community advertised to Asian buyers.

Last Wednesday, the racial discrimination lawsuit filed by three Black real estate investors in Texas was dismissed “without the option to refile.”

“The decision hinged less on whether the family had been discriminated against than whether the Fair Housing Act, which prohibits discriminating in the ‘sale or rental of a dwelling,’ had been violated,” the Houston Chronicle reports.

In 2022, James Ra-Amari and his wife Misty Ra-Amari, and Misty’s sister Rosemary Afful filed a civil lawsuit in federal court against realtor Josie Lin, “Lin’s company, UMRE; Grand West Condominiums; Grand West Residential Condominium Association, Inc.; United Property Management; and RE/MAX and EXP Reality, two real estate brokerages.”

The three investors purported that Lin “refused them the option to purchase three condominiums in a newly constructed community. They say that they were denied the units because of their race.”

The Ra-Amaris and Afful sought “compensatory, special, and punitive damages, economic damages for alleged violation of the Fair Housing Act, and infliction of emotional distress.”

According to the civil lawsuit, the condos’ marketing materials were “advertised as ‘…a new option for a safe and simple Asian life’ and [said], ‘Katy Asian town is within walking distance.’”

In addition, there was allegedly an “information packet [that] marketed the complex as a ‘new option for Chinese and Asian communities.’”

The suit also claimed that Lin told the three real estate investors that “all the current owners were personal friends and knew each other.”

The Black family’s argument: Lin’s comments in concert with the promotional materials explicitly targeting “‘Asian communities’ established discrimination.”

But the judge dismissed many of the defendants from the suit, citing that the Ra-Amaris and Afful failed to establish a business relationship between themselves and Lin or that Lin was an agent “acting on their behalf.”

The defendants filed a motion to dismiss the case in its entirety, arguing semantics, pointing out that “a condo is only a ‘dwelling’ if the buyer planned to occupy it, and the family had identified themselves instead as investors in court documents. Additionally, they argued that the family had never indicated in court documents that they had actually made an offer.”

United States District Judge David Hittner largely sided with the defendant’s assertions that the Black family had failed to demonstrate they even “had a case.”

In a written statement, the plaintiffs’ attorney Justin Moore said “This case highlights the ongoing challenges and importance of the Fair Housing Act.”

“Our stance is that real estate investment has historically been a pathway for many Americans to build wealth, and our clients’ endeavors align with this tradition,” Moore continued. “Property at its essence is an investment…Your home is an investment whether you live in it or not.”

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Empowerment Conference ULTRA 2024 Returns to Houston February 3rd

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3 months ago

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January 28, 2024

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HOUSTON, Texas (January 22nd, 2024) – This coming February, Houstonians are invited to ring in the second month of the year with an empowerment conference that aims to keep attendees on track, accountable, and fully engaged to exceed their personal goals in 2024. The ULTRA Conference 2024 (presented by Ultrashift, Inc., a Houston-area based non-profit organization, and hosted by leadership practitioner and author Dr. Harry Akintola) will take place on Saturday, February 3rd at ACF Center (2204 Sharpview Drive) in west Houston.

As citizens worldwide continue to merge into the new year and prepare for February, their hopes of maintaining new resolutions and goals for career, financial, spiritual, and physical advancement often begin to see signs of inconsistency and shakiness. For Dr. Akinola, that is often the sweet spot and perfect timing to teach individuals and organizations how to master their minds and consciousness to yield prosperity. Since its inception in 2009, ULTRA Conference has impacted the lives of thousands and has hosted this event in many cities around the world, including South Africa (Johannesburg and Cape Town), the United Kingdom (London), Nigeria (Lagos), and Tanzania (Dar es Salaam).

According to event organizers, “Ultra 2024 promises to be an immersive ‘inspiritainment’ experience, driving home the point that the future is not something to be passively anticipated but actively shaped.” All of this year’s conference speakers and panelists are award-winning presenters and specialists from across various industries. Presenters and panelists for this year’s conference include keynote speaker and host Dr. Harry Akinola, JP Morgan Chase Head of CCB Talent Roti Balogun, Zeitios AI/ML Consulting CEO Iyanuoluwa Odebode, Ph.D, Wazobia Market Founder & CEO Tunde Fasina, Hampton HGDS Real Estate Investment Trust CEO Candra Brown, Fairdale Realty & Gazette Mortgage President & CEO Victor Lofinmakin, and Transformational Coach Jimi Tewe.

The conference will be sanctioned into a five-part session each dedicated to a range of topics and interactive activities, including Future-Ready Skills (exploring the critical skills necessary for thriving in tomorrow’s job market and how to acquire them), Embracing AI (a deep dive into practical strategies for integrating artificial intelligence into your business model and career, ensuring you stay ahead of the technological curve), Local & Global Business Strategies (gaining  invaluable insights into Houston’s dynamic business environment as a model for development and learning how to leverage  these strategies on a global scale), Citizenry in Action (learning how civic engagement and personal discipline can become powerful tools for societal change and individual success), Diverse Intelligence (discover how balancing the four intelligences can lead to a more satisfying and successful life), with strategic interactive breakout and networking sessions integrated into all  phases of the conference experience.

As an accomplished corporate executive who has headed up several learning and leadership development organizations in many multinational firms (including Standard Bank, Puma Energy and Chase Bank where he currently serves as Executive Director – Head of Talent, Business Banking), Dr. Akinola hopes that individuals will gain momentum and discipline to follow through on every endeavor set for their lives. “Like a butterfly’s journey from larva to flight, you cannot attain or achieve without first transforming. Ultra 2024 – Re-Imagine Your Future is more than an inspirational and educational conference,” said Dr. Akinola. “It’s an experience, a catalyst for introspection, a reawakening of thought, and a reset of aspirations, guiding you to become, empowering you to do, to have, and to soar towards your envisioned future.” Registration for this year’s conference is now open to the general public. To learn more about the ULTRA Conference 2024 and to register, please visit the official website online at www.theultrashift.org, or follow Dr. Harry Akinola on Instagram at Harry Akinola (@HarryAkinola)

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Oil prices edge higher amid mixed US cues, Red Sea strikes continue

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3 months ago

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January 17, 2024

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Investing.com– Oil prices rose slightly in Asian trade on Thursday as severe cold weather appeared to have spurred some disruptions in U.S. production, while military action in the Middle East raged on.

But gains in crude were limited by industry data showing an unexpected build in U.S. inventories. While the cold weather caused some production stoppages, it also appeared to have dissuaded travel, which is a key driver of U.S. fuel demand.

Strength in the dollar weighed on oil prices, as traders priced in a smaller chance of early interest rate cuts by the Federal Reserve, following stronger-than-expected retail sales data.

Oil prices were also reeling from steep intraday losses on Wednesday, after gross domestic product data from top importer China missed expectations for the fourth quarter. Overall growth in 2023 also barely edged past a government target, indicating sustained economic weakness in the world’s largest oil importer.

Brent oil futures expiring in March rose 0.5% to $78.23 a barrel, while West Texas Intermediate crude futures rose 0.6% to $72.90 a barrel by 20:25 ET (01:25 GMT).

Both contracts were trading largely flat so far in 2024, as markets weighed expectations of worsening demand against fears of tighter Middle Eastern supplies. U.S. and UK forces carried out a fresh wave of strikes against the Iran-aligned, Yemen-based Houthi group this week, as the group continued with its attacks on vessels in the Red Sea.

Oil prices had sharply pared intraday losses on Wednesday after top U.S. oil producing state North Dakota said severely cold weather would see output fall by over 50%- a trend that is likely to dent overall U.S. production, which hit record highs over the past two months.

US oil inventories unexpectedly rise, product stockpiles see sustained builds- API

But severe cold weather in the U.S. appeared to also be eating into demand. Data from the American Petroleum Institute (API) showed an unexpected build in U.S. inventories over the week to January 12.

A particular point of contention was gasoline and distillate inventories logging a third consecutive week of strong gains, highlighting weaker demand in the world’s largest fuel consumer. Cold weather shut down travel across vast swathes of the U.S. over the past two weeks.

The API data usually heralds a similar reading from official inventory data, which is due later on Thursday.

Elsewhere, the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries released its first monthly report for 2024, slightly earlier than usual amid increased market uncertainty.

The cartel maintained its global oil demand forecast for 2024, and said demand will grow by 1.85 million barrels per day in 2025.

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