Tottenham Hotspur has had a week that many who consider themselves soccer fans would not like to remember.

Although they came out on top in a 3-1 victory over West Ham United on Sunday, Tottenham left the stadium feeling uncomfortable, after spending a good portion of the match receiving anti-Semitic chants from a small portion of West Ham supporters.

These anti-Semitic chants come days after Tottenham took a trip to Rome to face Lazio fora Europa League match, which came with a large amount of anti-Semitic abuse and one Tottenham fan being stabbed in a confrontation at a local bar in Rome shortly after the match.

West Ham fans were reportedly found chanting “Viva Lazio” throughout a portion of the match, and were also found mocking the gassing of Jews during the Holocaust.

The Football Association, along with West Ham United, plans to look into these chants and  punish those found guilty, which could involve lifelong bans from the grounds.

But the questions still remain: Why is Tottenham such a common target? Why has the abuse increased now? And why do these types of chants still exist in today’s game?

Being from the North London area, Tottenham has a large Jewish fan base. And being one of the oldest clubs in England, founded in 1882, their fans have gone through many years in which anti-Semitic abuse was sadly common.

Tottenham supporters joined together to nickname themselves “Yids,” not because their rivals called them this, but because they believed that accepting the name would take the negative connotations out of it, and later help stop the unnecessary abuse. Other fans disagree with taking the nickname as their own; many believe that accepting it would lead to more and even worse abuse from rivals.

It is not just Tottenham that are receiving abuse from their rivals.

Other well known rivalries have led to harsh abuse over the years. For example, Liverpool and Manchester United are always having issues: some Liverpool fans reference the Munich Air Disaster in their chants, and some Manchester United fans can be found chanting about the Hillsborough Disaster.

The reason why such racial and anti-Semitic abuse has increased in recent weeks is not quite clear. There is always tension between fans, and with international championships like the UEFA Champions League underway, teams from different countries travel to one another, and often travel straight into the firing line of racial and anti-Semitic abuse that goes far beyond the soccer pitch.

Something that has made soccer into the beautiful game that everyone has come to know and love, is that the long histories that each club has with its fans is well known by all. Although hooliganism has decreased a considerable amount in the past couple of decades, many of the older supporters from past generations have left a somewhat disfiguring impression on modern day supporters, and on what they consider to be morally correct actions. This explains how many of these chants and songs have stood the test of time, and are still used today.

Unfortunately, much of the old ways of being a fan have found their way into modern day. Even though the racial and anti-Semitic abuse is considered wrong and immoral, it is still used and could be considered common banter. In the end, we as supporters need to look at ourselves and ask if it is necessary. Only then will supporters who choose to chant these insults realize all they’re doing is hurting their own club, and themselves.

Image Courtesy : Tottenham Hotspur

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Zoë Saldaña has reportedly signed on to play legendary songstress Nina Simone in an upcoming biopic. The film, which will also star David Oyelowo (‘The Help’), has been in the making for many years now. Originally, Mary J. Blige signed on to portray Nina. However, due to issues with funding, the singer decided to leave the project to focus on other endeavors.

The news of Blige’s departure came as a surprise to fans as she has been extremely vocal about her love and admiration for the late jazz musician. She even went as far as to use a sample of Simone’s “You Know How I Feel,” a single from her seventh studio album, The Breakthrough, featuring music producer will.i.am.

News of Saldaña’s participation in the biopic has stirred mixed emotions. While no one is criticizing Saldaña’s ability to act the part, many are up in arms about her appearance in contrast to Simone’s. Simone was a dark-skinned African-American woman with coarse hair, a wide nose and full lips. Saldaña is an Afro-Latina, but her features may not “African enough” in the eyes of critics.

The decision to cast a woman who, despite being featured in numerous films with largely African-American casts, has largely identified as a Latina does not sit well with African-Americans. Many claim that it is hard enough for African-American actresses in Hollywood to gain respectable roles while competing with one another. Why add a ‘non-African-American’ into the mix and further complicate things?

For what it’s worth, Saldaña is proud of her mixed race. In her September 2011 cover story for Ebony Magazine, she states, “I am proud of my roots.” She goes on to acknowledge, however, that she doesn’t “identify as much with U.S. American History as I do with Latin American History. And so, I have bones to pick with Latin American people. There’s a lot of growing that we still have to do that we aren’t doing. We have to continue accepting our indigenous and our African heritage just as much as we embrace our European [blood].” The cover itself said it all: “Latina, Black, Fierce…”

While she is not ashamed of her heritage, she will not allow it to define her. She rarely speaks of it, which is another reason why some people are unwilling to accept her participation in this film. There are many who are not aware of the aforementioned interview in which she proclaimed that she is, indeed, partially black.

Simone rose to fame as a jazz singer in the late 1950s and became involved in the Civil Rights Movement in the 1960s. She later lived a life of self-imposed exile from a country in which she never felt comfortable in. She died in Europe in 2003.

Production of ‘Nina’ will begin in October.

Image Courtesy of   s_bukley / Shutterstock.com

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Popular clothing and shoe designer, Jeremy Scott, has found himself in hot water. In collaboration with Adidas, Scott designed a pair of sneakers featuring a cuff that goes around the ankle. Many supporters and critics of both Scott and Adidas took personal offense. Several claimed that the design was racially insensitive, as the cuffs closely resembled shackles, a symbol of slavery. As is common knowledge, shackles were used to confine captured slaves on slave ships in transit to America.

Several bloggers, journalists, on-air personalities and others have commented about the shoe and what the design implies. One such person is Dr. Boyce Watkins, a professor at Syracuse University, who had much to say when images of the sneaker were posted to Adidas’ facebook page. In an article for Your Black World, he states,

‘When I see the shoes, I also think about the ankle bracelets being worn by far too many men who are affected by the mass incarceration epidemic that the White House says nothing about.  The black family has ripped itself apart because so many of our fathers, brothers, husbands and sons are locked away in prison, leading their children vulnerable to all the horrible things that happen when the man of the house is not away.  I am offended by these shoes because there is nothing funny about the prison industrial complex, which is the most genocidal thing to happen to the black family since slavery itself.’

Dr. Watkins acknowledges that some would feel that he is overreacting; however, it would appear that there are more people who share his sentiments than those who do not. When the post was made on facebook, several users called the design ‘ignorant’, ‘offensive’, ‘inappropriate’ and a new way to ‘promote slavery.’

Adidas heard the angry cries loud and clear. In a statement, a representative for Adidas said that the design “is nothing more than the designer Jeremy Scott’s outrageous and unique take on fashion and has nothing to do with slavery.” Still, the company has decided to cancel the shoe. In the same statement the representative goes on to say, “We apologize if people are offended by the design and we are withdrawing our plans to make them available in the marketplace.”

Jeremy Scott is known to be a quirky, fun-spirited designer. In previous projects with Adidas he has incorporated themes using Mickey Mouse and panda bears. Scott is, in his own words, heavily influenced by cartoons, toys and his childhood. For this particular shoe, he was inspired by the 90s toy, My Pet Monster. The toy is purple and orange and wears bright orange handcuffs around the wrists. The controversial shoe is purple and orange as well and has bright orange cuffs intended to go around the ankles.

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The European Championships, a showpiece event in the soccer calendar that comes around just once every four years, has rightfully been hitting the headlines this week; however it has been for all the wrong reasons. Hosted in the Eastern European nations of Poland and Ukraine, serious concerns have been raised about the possibility of racist abuse against both visiting players and fans by a minority of local ‘fans’.

The tournament organizer, UEFA, has faced a high level of criticism for allowing these countries to host the tournament when racist and prejudicial behavior is displayed with alarming frequency in their stadiums. The BBC’s ‘Panorama’ show conducted a research into the behavior in stadiums of both Poland and Ukraine and the resulting television documentary shocked viewers. The documentary showed black players being subjected to monkey chants and thrown bananas, whilst some Asian fans were brutally attacked by other fans in the stadium and were given very little assistance by the stewards present at the game. There were also frequent incidents of anti-Semitism and pro-Nazi attitudes that also extended outside of the stadiums.

Whilst UEFA president Michel Platini has vehemently defended their decision to host the tournament in Poland and Ukraine, other soccer luminaries have condemned the decision and taken their own action. Former England centre-back Sol Campbell is one such person and has warned England fans of all ethnicities to stay at home and watch the tournament on television rather than risking abuse and violence by travelling to support the team. Controversial Italian striker Mario Balotelli also voiced discontent with UEFA’s decision, stating that if he is subjected to racist abuse whilst playing at the European Championships, he will simply walk off the pitch.

In the wake of these statements and similar comments from footballers of both past and present, Platini confirmed that any player walking off of the pitch because of racist abuse will be booked. Platini then qualified this by saying that referees would have the discretion to end a match prematurely if they believe racist abuse is occurring. Although Platini’s fairly cavalier attitude to a complex problem has won him very few fans in the last month, the ire of some fans was cooled by his declaration that referees would be able to stop matches early, and should do so, if witnessing racist abuse from fans.

This lessening of tensions did not last long however, with preparations for the opening game of the tournament between Poland and Greece overshadowed by claims the Dutch team were subject to racist chanting during their first open training session in the Polish city of Krakow. Although the Dutch FA will not file a complaint with UEFA, due to the presence of political chanting at the time also, the case has raised an ominous shadow over the entire tournament. All eyes will now be on both the training sessions and matches of the likes of England and France, both of whom have a large number of black players in their squads.

Needless to say, if there are any more reported cases of racism in either country, whether it be in a stadium and directed at players, or on the streets against fans of the visiting teams, strength will be lent to the condemnations of UEFA for allowing a tournament such as this to be hosted in these countries. Platini is likely to bear the brunt of these accusations and will not be able to use ignorance as an excuse, with concerns about racism in the Eastern European leagues having been well publicized for years now.

With UEFA firmly in the firing line should any further incidents occur, Platini and Co. will be watching on anxiously as the tournament moves into the group stages and will be hoping that the tournament will be remembered for its football and not its off-the-field controversies.

Image Courtesy Kancelaria Premiera 

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Sometimes, fans of series get seriously annoyed when a movie adaption of their favorite book or comic stray too far from the original material.  In the case of ‘The Hunger Games,‘ though, it’s actually the opposite.

When reading, people usually create their own mental images of what characters look like, and when the movie does not accurately represent how they imagined the characters to look, they complain.  A number of fans did not think of some of the characters in the novel as being black, and are now angry with author Suzanna Collins and the producers of the film for casting black actors in important roles.  African-American actors Lenny Kravitz and Dayo Okeniyi play Cinna and Thresh, respectively, while actress Amandla Stenberg takes up the role of Rue.

“Im still pissed that rue is black. Like you think se might have mentioned that…?” @LexieBrowning tweeted.  But Suzanne Collins did bring it up in The Hunger Games. Rue is mentioned having “dark brown skin and eyes.”

The character Thresh is also described as having darker skin, but Cinna’s race was not mentioned in the trilogy.

Lexie is far from being the only person mad about the colored cast.  The Tumblr Hunger Games Tweets has collected an ensemble of racist tweets directed toward Kravitz, Okeniyi and Stenberg.

Some comments were less offensive than others, with tweets ranging from the relatively innocent “Awkward moment when Rue is some black girl and not the innocent blonde girl you picture,” to more distasteful tweets.  @Joe_Longley wrote, “EWW rue is black? I’m not watching.”  Several others made use of the “N word” in their tweets.  @maggie_mcd11 tweeted, “why does rue have to be black not gonna lie kinda ruined the movie.”  The original user has since given up the account and a comedian is now at the helm of it, posting tweets making fun of the offensive tweet, such as, “Why does Herman Cain have to be black not gonna lie kinda ruined pizza.”

Some twitter account holders have at least shown some disappointment in themselves for their feelings towards the actors, “Kk call me racist but when i found out rue was black her death wasn’t as sad #ihatemyself,” wrote @Jashperparas.

Stenberg revealed in a statement given to Us Weekly the she would not let the tweets get her down.

“As a fan of the books, I feel fortunate to be part of ‘The Hunger Games’ family.  It was an amazing experience. I am proud of the film and my performance. I want to thank all of my fans and the entire ‘Hunger Games’ community for their support and loyalty.”

Despite the outrage and disappointment of racist fans, The Hunger Games did spectacularly at the box office, raking in $155 million from the opening weekend, managing to have the third highest opening weekend after “The Dark Knight” and “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Part 2.”

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If you’ve watched the news, you have likely heard about the tragic and senseless killing of 17-year-old Trayvon Martin by a George Zimmerman, a neighborhood watch captain in Sanford, Florida. But have you read or seen a thorough examination of the facts? You have probably had reports about the protests, about the racism of the police, or of the shooter Zimmerman.

You have seen Al Sharpton showing up and rallies occurring both in Sanford, Fl and as far away as New York City. There is anger, accusations, and there is the pain for a family who lost a son. What is lacking, though, is a clear voice calling for critical thinking regarding the event and the specifics of the case. The result could be a denial of justice as the protests hit a fever pitch.

The case is as follow; Trayvon Martin was walking back from the store when Zimmerman spotted him. Zimmerman called 911 and told the operator he saw someone suspicious in the neighborhood. A police car was dispatched. A physical confrontation ensued, causing more 911 calls, this time from neighbors. At some point Zimmerman shot Martin, who died at the scene. Zimmerman told the police he shot Martin in self-defense, and the police took a report, but did not arrest Zimmerman.

Because Martin is black, and Zimmerman white, the claim of racism began almost immediately, both aimed at the police and Zimmerman.  But in the rush to declare a racial bias, within two hours of the incident, the snowballing of racially motivated protests, the true issues at hand has not been thoroughly examined by many in the African-American community.

Any time an innocent person is killed emotions will run high. This is true of the family members of the deceased, and very true for the African-American community whose history has had to deal with unjustified shootings in the country for decades. However, in the rush to shout racism, community leaders have done a disservice to the community, Martin’s family, and to the cause of justice. There are a number of issues here that are being conflated and ignored.

The first issue is that Zimmerman was not arrested, claiming self-defense. In the state of Florida exists the “Stand Your Ground” law. This law states that you can use deadly force if you believe that your life is in danger. African-Americans have dismissed the self-defence claim as a poor excuse because Martin was not armed, but this is the result of unfamiliarity with the law.

Under ‘Stand Your Ground’, you do not have to be physically attacked — you just have to believe that your life is in danger. If I’m walking home after a night on the town and someone stops me and demands my wallet, I can shoot them. If they turn out not to be armed, I’m not going to be arrested. In this case, Martin did not approach Zimmerman, but we do not know what occurred immediately before he was shot. Without witnesses accounts, Zimmerman’s word did not serve the police with grounds for arrest.

Which brings us to the second issue; The protesters are confusing the police with the district attorney. In the days that followed the shooting, the 911 call was released. Here are an outtake of Zimmerman’s words:

“This guy looks like he is up to no good. He is on drugs or something [...] These a**holes always get away.”

Zimmerman was told not to pursue Martin, but did so anyway. As a neighborhood watch member, Zimmerman was not supposed to be carrying a gun, and he was known to have made 41 911 calls at different times—usually about a black person he suspected of ill intent. The victim, on the other hand, did not have a weapon, had no record, and had every right to be in the neighborhood. All this adds up to suspicion of bias in the police. But that is the wrong assumption.

All the aforementioned info came out later, gathered so that the state’s attorney can determine to charge Zimmerman and for prosecution, and unrelated to the decision of the police at the time, not to make an arrest. The fault here lies with the leaders of the community. It is irresponsible for local leaders not to use this information to assuage fears and calm the community down.

The reason for its importance is that this tragic event has now moved from the legal into the political. Left to its own devices, there is little doubt that the state’s attorney would have charged Zimmerman. Just the fact that he was carrying a gun, violating the rules explained to him in the training provided by the police department to all neighborhood watch members, and instigated a confrontation after being told to not approach, virtually guaranteed it.

But now, the family, Al Sharpton, grievers and supporters and not least the news media, are bombarding both the police and attorney’s office with protests, accusations of racism, and demands.

The news focuses on the bias of the country’s police force, despite Zimmerman not being a police officer; on imagined racial slurs in the 911 call, so muffled that no human ear can discern what is being said; and the politics of African-Americans racing down to Florida to protest the killing of this one boy, but had nothing to say about the ten young black teens killed in Chicago just last week.

The focus is lost. This matters because there is one thing that police departments and prosecutors hate most: looking as though they caved to political pressure.

In other words, if the state’s attorney believes getting a successful prosecution is borderline, they might not charge Zimmerman, just to keep from appearing as though they are caving to the Sharpton’s of the world. No one expects the parents to keep silent — this is their child after all. However, protests that focus on race and race only have a habit of backfiring. Especially given the laws in Florida.

I had no doubt that Zimmerman would be charged but now, it’s up in the air. With the anger that is out there, and the tone of the rhetoric, the district attorney is sure that if charged, Zimmerman will get a change of venue. This always reduces the chances of a conviction. Throw in the political battle being waged and they might just not charge him after all.

There is enough compelling evidence to do so, and left alone, they would. But there is not enough to necessarily convict Zimmerman — no witnesses, and the state has to prove that Zimmerman shot Martin, knowing his life was not in danger. That is how the Stand Your Ground law reads and it is a high wall to climb in court.

Community outrage is fine. There should be a focus on what happened. But that focus needs to be based on the evidence, not the racial fears of the African-American community. Leaders ought to be speaking about the facts of the case, not what they conjured had happened. In the end, deserved justice may be denied by the very people crying out for it. Not because the time isn’t right, but because once again the racial chips on the shoulders of many African-Americans distract them from the real issues in this case.

Image Courtesy of    http://www.flickr.com/photos/werthmedia/

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Who knew that posters could still stir things up? A poster recently became a topic of debate in South Africa. It was not just any debate, as the controversial term “racism” made a strong appearance. The poster displays a white man and a black woman embracing. This naughty poster is on display on over forty college and university campuses throughout South Africa.

The Democratic Alliance Student Organization (DASO) is responsible for the display of these posters. The Democratic Alliance (DA) is a South African political party which governs the Western Cape. The DA aims at creating a society in which all people are equal and are presented with equal opportunities, regardless of race and gender. On their website, the DA claims that they deliver a dream of a nation “with opportunity and recognition for all the rainbow people.”

DASO delivered these posters with the intention of highlighting racism and the frequent discrimination of interracial relationships. Following Apartheid, South Africa has been in a constant war against racism. Racism has, however, not been fully eradicated in this country, and posters like this can easily cause a stir.

The poster reads: “In OUR future, you wouldn’t look twice.” In other words, the future the DASO envisions is so blind to the race of a person that no judgments concerning interracial relationships will exist.

The stir caused by this poster was not only due to the interracial couple it displays. Although only their upper bodies are displayed, they seem to be naked. Due to the nudity of the couple, the poster has been mistaken as an ad for condoms, and it seems that the identities of the couple on the poster is unknown, even to the DA. Some believe that it even advertises colonization by portraying the more dominant male in the poster as being of the white race.

As these posters are displayed on campuses, students are outspoken about issues surrounding the poster. An economics student at the University of Stellenbosch, Kate Rich, voiced her opinion on the matter. “The fact that they’re naked almost detracts from the message because even if I saw two white people standing like that, I would look twice,” Rich explained.

As Manuel Leuenberger, a Swiss student visiting South Africa, puts it, “The intention behind the posters is good, but its execution not so much.” Some students, like South African music student Irene Kim, believe that they are only creating “more disgruntled South Africans.”

The poster’s intended message, however, does seem to reach students. There is a general consensus amongst South African students that racism is still alive and well in South Africa. Rich elaborated by stating, “South African society is still very fixated on race, and we need to get past it to be a united society… and to get past apartheid. Surely they’re trying to say that race shouldn’t be an issue.”

The effectiveness of the poster might be decreased due to debates surrounding it, or maybe these debates attract even more attention to the poster and its message. The poster ignited fresh debate surrounding the issue of racism in South Africa, and it is high time for such a debate to take place.

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Bankruptcy attorney William Brewer, president of the National Association of Consumer Bankruptcy Attorneys (NACBA), which is the only national organization dedicated to serving the needs of consumer bankruptcy attorneys and protecting the rights of consumer debtors in bankruptcy, issued the following statement:

“The National Association of Consumer Bankruptcy Attorneys has always favored a direct and unflinching examination of the bankruptcy process in America.  We believe in fair play and have no reservations whatsoever about having tough questions posed about the practices of debtors’ attorneys.  It is our view that bankruptcy is simply too important a process in the lives of Americans facing their darkest hours to allow any party – creditors, trustees or consumer legal advocates – to escape scrutiny.

That is why one of NACBA’s board members was a key player in the new study that examines the impact of ethnicity on bankruptcy filings.  We believe that this study is an important start – a much-needed first look – illuminating the path needed for further research.  If the necessary fuller research indicates that there is, indeed, an unfair disparity in how Americans are handled in bankruptcy, NACBA will be the first party in line to propose necessary changes remedy any such imbalance.

In the mean time, we believe it is important to underscore the findings of the researchers that there is no evidence that racism plays any part here.  We can vouch for the fact that bankruptcy attorneys, who deal each year with hundreds of thousands of American families of all races, colors and creeds, are in fact the first-line defenders for Americans who have been unemployed for long periods of time, crushed by crippling health care bills, trapped in the foreclosure crisis, or otherwise fallen on hard times.

Even without the more detailed research needed to resolve this issue, consumer bankruptcy attorneys have no intention of sitting by idly.  NACBA’s Board of Directors will address  this issue at its next and subsequent board meetings, for the purpose of recommending  any needed reforms, guidelines, or attorney practice changes that are warranted.  Additionally, we expect to explore it fully at our next membership meeting in April in San Antonio, TX, where a special panel and full-group discussion will be held.

It also is our intention to reach out to and confer with our many friends in organizations representing Americans of color.  We have spent many long years working closely with these organizations to ensure that bankruptcy is fairer.  They know who we are and what is in our hearts when it comes to fairness and equality for all Americans.

In short, we will simply not rest on this question until we know all the facts and until we have taken every possible step to remedy whatever imbalance may exist.”

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After today’s FA Cup matches that included a Manchester United victory against their cross-town rival, Manchester City, the matches for the fourth round of the FA Cup were drawn, pairing Liverpool and Manchester United together in what is sure to be a hostile match due to the recent events involving racist comments made between players.

The current hostility between the two clubs began after the last match played between the two teams, in which Liverpool striker Luis Suarez was banned for eight matches after being found guilty by the EFA of racially abusing Manchester United defender Patrice Evra.

Liverpool beat Oldham Athletic Friday night to continue on in the FA Cup race; however, the game was overshadowed by accusations that Liverpool fans racially abused an Oldham player. Manchester United beat their neighboring rivals Manchester City on Sunday after a Manchester City player received a red card and was kicked out of the game.

Arsenal is set to face Leeds United on Monday to see who will be continuing in the competition and facing Aston Villa at the end of the month.

Matches that were drawn today to be played January 28^th and 29^th included:

• Arsenal or Leeds United vs. Aston Villa
• Blackpool vs. Sheffield Wednesday
• Brighton or Wrexham vs. Newcastle United
• Dagenham & Redbridge or Millwall vs. Southampton
• Derby vs. Stoke
• Everton vs. Fulham
• Hull vs. Crawley
• Liverpool vs. Manchester United
• Macclesfield or Bolton vs. Swansea City
• MK Dons or Queens Park Rangers vs. Chelsea
• Nottingham Forest or Leicester City vs. Swindon
• Sheffield United vs. Birmingham or Wolverhampton
• Stevenage vs. Middlesbrough
• Watford vs. Tottenham
• West Bromwich Albion vs. Norwich City

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The Council on American-Islamic Relations and United Firm of Carolina Law announced the filing of a lawsuit against Delta Air Lines and Atlantic Southeast Airlines for removing two Islamic religious leaders, or imams, from a flight to a conference on Islamophobia in Charlotte, North Carolina, earlier this year after the pilot refused to fly with them on board.

CAIR and UFC Law attorneys announced the lawsuit at a news conference earlier today at Memphis International Airport in Tennessee. Interfaith leaders also took part in the news conference.

The lawsuit states in part:

“Despite having been cleared twice by TSA agents, Defendants’ pilot took the matter into his own hands when he chose to eject Plaintiffs from the flight based on arbitrary and capricious reasons, including his personal preconceived notions of race, religion, and national origin.”

According to the lawsuit, the defendants violated both a federal law preventing an air carrier from subjecting a passenger to “discrimination on the basis of race, color, national origin, religion, sex, or ancestry” and a Tennessee law that prohibits denying an individual the “full and equal enjoyment of the… advantages and accommodations of a place of public accommodation… on the grounds of race, creed, color, religion, sex, age, or national origin.”

The lawsuit seeks a permanent injunction that would prohibit the defendants from “singling out passengers for mistreatment based on their perceived race, color, ethnicity, religion, alienage, ancestry, and/or national origin” and order them to “take all affirmative steps necessary to remedy the effects of the illegal, discriminatory conduct described herein and to prevent similar occurrences in the future.” It also seeks attorneys’ fees and compensatory and punitive damages against Delta and Atlantic Southeast Airlines “in an amount to be determined at trial.”

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