Racism on Yahoo News

By Matthew Wheeland
Posted on August 31, 2005, Printed on November 27, 2009
http://www.alternet.org/bloggers//24863/

Flickr user dustin3000 has some shocking screen-grabs from Yahoo's news service. The captions on two photos from flood victims show very clearly the sinister and subtle ways that racism thrives in this country.

The caption next to a photo of a young black man reads, "A young man walks through chest deep flood water after looting a grocery store in New Orleans on Tuesday, Aug. 30, 2005."

Whereas, the caption aside a photo of two young white people reads, "Two residents wade through chest-deep water after finding bread and soda from a local grocery store after Hurricane Katrina came through the area in New Orleans, Louisiana."

What's the difference between "looting" and "finding?" Apparently it's as simple as the color of your skin.

(Tip o' the hat to LiP Mag's Media Picks.)

Matthew Wheeland is an Associate Editor at AlterNet.

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View this story online at: http://www.alternet.org/bloggers//24863/