Press Release and Email info
Hey Everyone! If you are interested in getting involved in the movement, I am pasting a copy of the press release and the template of the email we are sending out here on my blog. If you have any questions let me know!
Press Release:
For Immediate Release
May 1, 2007
Students and Alumni Rally to End Fashionable Racism
On Saturday April 28, 2007, I went into Futura/Bear Basics/T-shirt Orgy, a local store near the campus of UC Berkeley and was shocked to see a t-shirt that read “Rutgers Nappy Headed Hoe’s Basketball Team” complete with a picture of a basketball with an afro and an afro pick. When the management was asked to remove the shirt, I was told that most of the shirts they sold were offensive and that they were not willing to remove the shirt because of one complaint.
Immediately a group was created on the popular networking website Facebook calling for students and alumni to call, email and fax Futura demanding the removal of the shirt. Quickly over 200 students from various college campuses, not only in the bay area but nationwide, joined this effort in support. The following day the store was bombarded with the efforts of the group members and we were successful in gaining not only a removal of the shirt from the display, but a complete removal of the shirt from the store altogether. To their credit, the management and staff at Futura were extremely quick to respond to our efforts and in granting our request.
Upon further research, we were able to find the name of the company that created this shirt and was surprised to find that they were based right here in the progressive culture of the Bay Area, in San Leandro, CA. After looking over their website, we were shocked to find racially and culturally specific t-shirts that were equally as offensive, including a shirt with a picture of a young man wearing a sombrero crossing over the United States border with the words “Go Diego Go” written above him. This company needs to be stopped.
Our next move is to target the company, Deez Teez by using the same tactics of phone calls, emails and faxes, but on a much larger scale. This group is growing with support from various individuals, organizations and companies of diverse ethnicities and backgrounds and the goal of this burgeoning force is clear. We are uniting to compel Deez Teez to discontinue the sale all of their racially offensive shirts and to end the blatant disrespect of their message. To date, an email has been sent to the company requesting the discontinuation of these shirts and we have given them until the close of business Monday April 30tht, 2007 to respond, or over 300 supporters of this effort are prepared to launch a full blown campaign demanding that this type of disregard and disrespect comes to an end.
We would appreciate the support of the media in our efforts.
Please contact: Brandelyn N. Castine at Beencee@gmail.com if you have any additional questions.
Thank you,
Brandelyn N. Castine
UC Berkeley Class of 2004
Deez Teez Contact Information: Website: www.deezteez.com, Email: info@deezteez.com, Phone: 510.483.8339
Mailing Address:DeezTeez.com
P.O. Box 2391
San Leandro, CA 94577
Email Template:
Subject: Order Information
To Whom It May Concern:
I was at Futura in Berkeley, CA and came across your Rutgers Basketball shirt. I was offended by the message of it and through the efforts of several students and alumni we were successful in having this shirt removed from the store. However, your company sells many more offensive shirts and we are now requesting that you remove the following from your inventory:
1. Rutgers Nappy Headed Hoes Basketball Team
2. Jewbacca
3. Native Smackahoe Tribe Member
4. Go Diego Go (Border Jumper)
Your immediate response to this matter would be greatly appreciated. The media has already been alerted and we look forward to receiving a response.
