Valley Civil Rights Leader, the Rev. Jarrett Maupin calls on Celebrity Theater management and ownership to ban any future Katt Williams performances.

Jarrett Maupin with Al Sharpton. Image: Jeff Newton

Citing the “comedian’s” recent racially insensitive tirade against latinos and complaints from black and brown patrons about the content of the August 20th show, Maupin has written a letter demanding that Katt Williams be banned from Celebrity’s stage.

The Reverend has also approached sponsors, vendors, and advertisers with the theater, including a national hotel chain, to withdraw contract/ad dollars if the theater does not comply.

“Katt Williams’ performance only helps to perpetuate the myth of racial divides and intolerance between the Black and Brown community,” Maupin said.

He continued, “His strange sense of patriotism and need to defend and support the racist views of groups like the Tea Party and other ‘nativist’ movements make him out to be the ultimate house negro and butt of many jokes. No self-respecting black professional, comedian or not, would attack and malign another minority group the way his own people have been attacked and maligned…”

LETTER TO CELEBRITY THEATER LEADERSHIP BELOW

Alycia Klein
General Manager
Celebrity Theater
440 N. 32nd Street
Phoenix, AZ 85008

Ms. Klein,

I am writing to you out of concern about a recent performance at your facility. The history of Celebrity Theater, with its many contributions to local cultural and artistic expression is one of diversity, respect, and community. Unfortunately, the August 20th 2011 “performance” of comedian Katt Williams challenges this history.

Freedom of speech and expression is a fundamental part of what helps our society to function fairly. With those freedoms come great responsibilities. Celebrity Theater owes it to the urban community of Phoenix, black and brown residents in particular, to protect them from becoming victimized by perpetrators of hate-speech. Celebrity Theater owes black and brown residents this courtesy because we are your business partners. No other group of people purchases more tickets to shows, consumes more vendor products, and patronizes your establishment as frequently as our community does. Additionally, the Celebrity Theater physically exists in a neighborhood that, according to U.S. Census data, is 78% Latino.

I urge you to consider the impact of Mr. Williams’ latest performance. In a now infamous and viral video clip, attributed on several news sources to the promotion company UrbanAZ, Mr. Williams is seen in your facility (and in the name of “comedy”) negatively engaging a Latino patron and proceeding to “perform” what has best been described as a tirade of vitriolic, culturally insensitive, racist, xenophobic, “nativist”, and flat-out ignorant racist banter.

Ms. Klein, I know comedy touches on race, politics, and our society in general. I know comedy is bold and pushes the limits of humor, often in strong critique and mockery of human behavior. But what I and others have recently viewed is a far cry from the artistry demonstrated by the legacy and professional standards of the Richard Pryors, LaWanda Pages, Cedric The Entertainers, Bernie Macs, George Lopezes, Lisa Lampanellis, and Margaret Chos of the world who have/had successfully integrated race (without hate) into their comedy routines. The opinions of those who have formally complained to me about Mr. Williams’ ranting are not confined to our community. In fact the concern has grown to include the corporate leadership of a number of your sponsors and vendor partners including a national hotel chain and regional beverage/alcohol distribution company. They share my concerns, the concerns of the community. A call for corrective action weighs heavily on them, particularly in these challenging economic times when NO business can afford to alienate any ethnic-consumer base.

As general manager of the theater, I urge you to exercise your authority to no longer provide your venue as a platform for any future “performances” by Mr. Williams. I also recommend a meeting between the ownership of the Celebrity Theater, promoters, and the community to discuss how we might work together to support people of color (documented or undocumented; red, yellow, black, brown, and white) and bring in the kind of talent that affirms the dignity and worth of all human beings, so we might continue to laugh at our differences and short comings without the pain of venomous of hate-speech. As a respected venue with strong commitments to the community, I trust you will respond swiftly and appropriately.

In Progress,
Rev. Jarrett B. Maupin, II – President
Inner-City Democracy Empowerment Agency (IDEA)

Gustavo Arellano of the Ask a Mexican column that you can find locally in the Tucson Weekly, gives a shout-out to the MAS program in TUSD this week.

GOOD MEXICAN OF THE WEEK! We’ve plugged the Mexican-American Studies program offered by the Tucson Unified School District before in this columna, but we can’t do it enough. And as the academic year begins anew, we commend this endeavor anew. You know why Know Nothings hate this program, banda, and want to eliminate it? Because it actually helps students do better in school and the last thing the old guard in this country needs is a bunch of educated cabrones ready to raise desmadre on America by keeping the good and dismantling the pendejo.

Before the right-wing trolls on this site issue their own pendejadas such as “go back to Mexico!” keep in mind that Gustavo was born and raised in Anaheim, Califas.  Gustavo also teaches at Cal State Fullerton and his nationally syndicated column is going to be made into a play in New York.

Seven years ago, OC Weekly writer Gustavo Arellano set out to establish a newspaper column that would debunk stereotypes about Latinos using a mix of history, satire and humor.

Since then, “¡Ask a Mexican!” has gained popularity nationwide and has been turned into a book – and now, a play.

A reading of the script will take place today in New York during the Atlantic Theater Company’s Latino Mixfest festival.

Arellano just finished a book on the history of Mexican food in the United States: “Taco USA: How Mexican Food Conquered America,” that is due out next April.

Even the American hot dog is being replaced by the superior Sonoran hot dog, and all thanks to Tucson which imported it first to el norte.

We conclude, based on the facts alleged, that Glik was exercising clearly-established First Amendment rights in filming the officers in a public space, and that his clearly-established Fourth Amendment rights were violated by his arrest without probable cause. – First Circuit Federal Court

Pedicone's personal police posse part of his "Free Speech Zone." Photo: Chris Summitt.

The “Glik case.”

That is the name I am going to remember should police ever harass me for videotaping them.

The US Federal court has ruled that we have a First Amendment right to film officers in the public space.

Plain and simple.

God Bless America.

SIMON GLIK,

Plaintiff, Appellee,

v.

JOHN CUNNIFFE, in his individual capacity; PETER J. SAVALIS, in his individual capacity; JEROME HALL-BREWSTER, in his individual capacity; CITY OF BOSTON,

Defendants, Appellants.

APPEAL FROM THE UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT
FOR THE DISTRICT OF MASSACHUSETTS
[Hon. William G. Young, U.S. District Judge]

Before
Torruella, Lipez, and Howard,
Circuit Judges.

Ian D. Prior, Assistant Corporation Counsel, City of Boston Law Department, with whom William F. Sinnott, Corporation Counsel, and Lisa Skehill Maki, Assistant Corporation Counsel, were on brief, for appellants.

David Milton, with whom Howard Friedman, Law Offices of Howard Friedman, P.C., Sarah Wunsch, and ACLU of Massachusetts were on brief, for appellee.

Anjana Samant and Center for Constitutional Rights on brief for Berkeley Copwatch, Communities United Against Police Brutality, Justice Committee, Milwaukee Police Accountability Coalition, Nodutdol for Korean Community Development, and Portland Copwatch, amici curiae.

August 26, 2011

LIPEZ, Circuit Judge. Simon Glik was arrested for using his cell phone’s digital video camera to film several police officers arresting a young man on the Boston Common. The charges against Glik, which included violation of Massachusetts’s wiretap statute and two other state-law offenses, were subsequently judged baseless and were dismissed. Glik then brought this suit under 42 U.S.C. § 1983, claiming that his arrest for filming the officers constituted a violation of his rights under the First and Fourth Amendments.
In this interlocutory appeal, the defendant police officers challenge an order of the district court denying them qualified immunity on Glik’s constitutional claims. We conclude, based on the facts alleged, that Glik was exercising clearly-established First Amendment rights in filming the officers in a public space, and that his clearly-established Fourth Amendment rights were violated by his arrest without probable cause. We therefore affirm.

read the rest here.