NAACP yanks Donald Sterling's lifetime achievement award after racist rant
Ronald Martinez / Getty Images
One day after audio surfaced of Los Angeles Clippers owner Donald Sterling allegedly telling his girlfriend to not associate with minorities, the Los Angeles branch of the NAACP has decided to no longer present Sterling with a lifetime achievement award.
Appearing on NBC's Meet the Press Sunday, NAACP Interim President Lorraine Miller said the remarks were so offensive the organization could not wait for Sterling to respond before yanking the award. "If you’re silent about this, then you’re accepting this," she said.
Sterling has yet to verify if it was indeed his voice on the recording. Still, he has a long history of alleged racial insensitivity — The Justice Department sued him for refusing to rent to minorities, and a former Clippers exec, Elgin Baylor, accused him of having a "plantation mentality" — which has prompted questions about why the NAACP would choose to honor him in the first place.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Jon Terbush is an associate editor at TheWeek.com covering politics, sports, and other things he finds interesting. He has previously written for Talking Points Memo, Raw Story, and Business Insider.
-
Nobody seems surprised Wagner's Prigozhin died under suspicious circumstances
Speed Read
By Peter Weber Published
-
Western mountain climbers allegedly left Pakistani porter to die on K2
Speed Read
By Justin Klawans Published
-
'Circular saw blades' divide controversial Rio Grande buoys installed by Texas governor
Speed Read
By Peter Weber Published
-
Los Angeles city workers stage 1-day walkout over labor conditions
Speed Read
By Justin Klawans Published
-
Mega Millions jackpot climbs to an estimated $1.55 billion
Speed Read
By Catherine Garcia Published
-
Bangladesh dealing with worst dengue fever outbreak on record
Speed Read
By Catherine Garcia Published
-
Glacial outburst flooding in Juneau destroys homes
Speed Read
By Catherine Garcia Published
-
Scotland seeking 'monster hunters' to search for fabled Loch Ness creature
Speed Read
By Justin Klawans Published