On Friday, a tape was released, which allegedly features Los Angeles Clippers Owner Donald Sterling telling his girlfriend he doesn’t want her to bring black people to Clippers games or “broadcast her associations”with black people on Instagram.
Sterling’s shocking history of racism is well documented. In response, the nation’s largest online civil rights group, ColorOfChange.org, launched a petition calling on corporate sponsors to drop the Clippers and its overtly racist owner.
“Donald Sterling has expressed incredibly disturbing and racist remarks, and he should not be allowed to continue profiting from the achievements of some of the world’s most exceptional black athletes.” Rashad Robinson, executive director of ColorOfChange.org, said, “Major corporations that rely on business from black folks shouldn’t be lining the pockets of an NBA owner who doesn’t want us at the games. Stripping the Clippers of their corporate sponsorships is an important first step toward removing Sterling as their owner.”
“The NBA is a league with a distinctly black identity. Someone with such vile views towards black people and a wretched past of racial discrimination should not be allowed to profit in a professional league in which more than 75 percent of players are black.”
“ColorOfChange.org has never taken money from big corporations that don’t share our values and as a result we have a history of working to hold corporations and their leaders accountable since their resources don’t fuel our model for progress.”
Letter from Kayla Keller, Senior director of media relations, Fitzgibbon Media.