Justice

NAACP Puts American Airlines On The 'No Black People Fly' List

The NAACP literally issues a 'travel advisory' warning black people about American Airlines

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(Photo by Scott Olson/Getty Images)

I knew denying a black Harvard Law student the stroller for her four-month-old would go badly for American Airlines, but I didn’t imagine it would go this badly this quickly.

The NAACP has issued a “travel advisory” for people flying American Airlines. It warns that people of color should worry about their safety when flying American, because of various seemingly racially motivated incidents that have taken place. From NBC News:

In the case of American Airlines, “the growing list of incidents suggesting racial bias reflects an unacceptable corporate culture and involves behavior that cannot be dismissed as normal or random,” newly installed NAACP President Derrick Johnson said in a statement, adding that he wants a meeting with the airline’s leadership.

The NAACP had previously issued a travel advisory for the entire state of Missouri, but to be honest that felt more like a stunt to me. I mean, if your cousin dies in St. Louis, what are you going to do, not go to the funeral because there might be some “racism” when you get there? People of color cannot live their lives in avoidance of discrimination. State sponsored racism is just a cross minorities have to bear.

But this… you could totally go to the funeral without flying on American Airlines. You can totally say “American Airlines is hazardous to my health, I’m taking the bereavement fare on JetBlue.”

I like this move by the NAACP because it acknowledges that racism is a threat to the health and safety of minorities, and it’s a threat law enforcement evidently does not give a flying f**k about. It doesn’t make the racism okay, but it does give the community an opportunity to protect itself. I mean, if you are a white person traveling to North Korea, the State Department will warn you that it could be dangerous. Similarly, if you are a black person looking for a competitive airfare, you should be warned that certain carriers might try to humiliate you or have you arrested.

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Air travel is not safe for anybody of any race these days. For some reason, the airline industry has decided that the occasional assault of their customers is an acceptable business practice. But travel is particularly dangerous for minorities. If the NAACP is going to tell me that American Airlines is more dangerous for me and my family than the average air carrier, I’m gong to listen.

Maybe one day we’ll have a Justice Department that can do more than warn black people that their rights might be jettisoned at 30,000 feet?

NAACP Issues Travel Advisory Against American Airlines, Warns Black Travelers [NBC News]

Elie Mystal is the Executive Editor of Above the Law and the Legal Editor for More Perfect. He can be reached @ElieNYC on Twitter, or at elie@abovethelaw.com. He will resist.

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Earlier:

American Airlines Messes With The Wrong Black Person

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