To the editors:
We would like to place on record our response to the article “Racial Discrimination at Amnesty International?” by Ben Joravsky (November 5), which referred to the lawsuit entered into by Toni Moore against Amnesty International USA.
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Ms. Moore made charges that the Board and staff of AIUSA took very seriously, and which we made every effort to resolve. We regret that she felt she had to pursue her case in this way. The fact is that AIUSA is an organization that protects and fights for the rights of the individual. It respects its employees’ civil rights and has for many years had both a comprehensive Equal Opportunity Hiring Policy and a Cultural Diversification Policy which apply to Board, staff and volunteers.
We will continue with our strenuous efforts to make AIUSA an organization which reflects the composition of our larger society, and which operates according to the highest humanitarian ideals and principles. We recognize that we live in a society deeply divided along racial lines. That is why we have made cultural diversification a top priority for the organization. We have already implemented a number of programs and policies in our ongoing efforts, and we pledge our commitment to continue to build a diverse organization in an environment which truly values, respects and maximizes the contributions of all who participate in it.
Ben Joravsky replies:
For those who missed the original article: In April Toni Moore filed a federal discrimination lawsuit against Amnesty, seeking lost wages and compensatory damages on the grounds that she was denied a promotion because she’s an outspoken black woman who dared criticize company policy. (She isn’t the first black employee to accuse Amnesty of racism. “There’s no question in my mind that Toni was denied a job because of her race,” another black employee told me. “A lot of racism exists at Amnesty.”)
