Penguin books, a well known British publisher, is currently running a competition - but whites need not apply. It is only open to UK ethnics: black, Asian, Caribbean. It is explicit in its rules. See Below
Racist? Oh I think so - don't you? Write to the CRE info@cre.gov.uk and be sure TO BOYCOTT PENGUIN BOOKS THIS CHRISTMAS. This includes Ladybird books incidentally
http://www.penguin.co.uk/static/cs/uk/0/today/decibelform.pdf
People who soar are those who refuse to sit back, sigh and wish things would change. They neither complain of their lot nor passively dream of some distant ship coming in. Rather, they visualize in their minds that they are not quitters; they will not allow life's circumstances to push them down and hold them under.--Charles Swindoll
Result! The Race Relations Act 1976, as amended ("the Act"): The decibel penguin prize
COMMISSION
FOR RACIAL EQUALITY
06 December 2005
ST DUNSTAN’S HOUSE
201—211 BOROUGH HIGH STREET
LONDON SE1 1GZ
Ourref: P1A1328/373
Ms Valerie Manchee
www.cregov.uk
Dear Ms Manchee
RACE RELATIONS ACT 1976: (as amended) The decibel Penguin Prize
Thank you for your e-mail to Agnes Namoh, regarding the possible
discriminatory advertisement for The decibel Penguin Prize.
Ms Agnes Namoh, Legal Officer has direct conduct of your case, and Ms Esther Maynard, Senior Legal Policy & Public Duty Officer retains oversight of the matter.
Section 29 of the Race Relations Act (“the Act”) makes it unlawful “to publish or to cause to be published an advertisement which indicates, or might reasonably be understood as indicating, an intention by a person to do an act of “discrimination”, unless one of the statutory exemptions listed in the Section applies. The term “advertisement “ encompasses notices such as the one you have complained about.
The Commission investigates all reported cases alleging breaches of the advertising provisions of the Act, and has power to take appropriate legal action to remedy such breaches if it deems this necessary. We shall investigate your complaint and contact you again when our enquiries are complete. I should point out that this may take some time. As only the CRE can bring proceedings in its own name in respect of section 29 of the Act, all costs incurred in this matter fall on the CRE alone.
If you have concerns with regard to the conduct of this case then you can contact Esther Maynard in writing at the address above. If you remain unsatisfied, you may complain to Anthony Robinson, Director of Legal Services and Enforcement, at the above address, who will consider the most appropriate way of dealing with your complaint.
Yours
sincerely
Ms Odette Rajkumar
Legal Directorate
Direct Line: 0207 939 0268
e-mail address:
orajkumar@cre.gov.uk
Two letters that have been sent to the CRE:
Dear Sir/Mad
amI am writing to you to ask if you would explain to me as to why a competition such as the one now being run by Penguin Books isn't being taken through the courts by your organisation for it's racist attitude toward white authors?
As your organisation is supposed to be unbiased, I would have thought it a good way of showing the white public of this country that your remit is exactly that, because from where I am sitting, I hear how you helped out this and that ethnic group, which is one certain way of hindering the thing you were put there to do, promote racial harmony.
I have copied and pasted the forms for you perusal below which are necessary for inclusion to what I see is a racist competition.
I thank you in advance for your time.
G. Booker
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Dear Sir
I was astonished to read that the rules for a Penguin book competition excluded white writers.
Surely this is racism? I trust you will ensure that this blatant discrimination will be rectified immediately and the organisers taken to task.
Yours patriotically
G (name
and address supplied)
Reply received
Dear
Val Manchee
Thank you for your e-mail to the Commission for Racial Equality (CRE) regarding
the Penguin Book prize.
Your complaint has been passed to the CRE Legal Services and Enforcement
department who will contact you accordingly.
Kind regards
Allison Jennings
Information Services
Commission for Racial Equality
St Dunstan's House
201-211 Borough High Street
London SE1 1GZ
Tel: 020 7939 0000
Fax: 020 7939 0001
Email: info@cre.gov.uk
More letters of Complaint to Penguin Books