BLACK MEN SUE AMERICAN AIRLINES OVER RACISM

Three Black men, Alvin Jackson, Emmanuel Jean Joseph and Xavier Veal, have filed a lawsuit against American Airlines alleging racial discrimination for trying to remove them off a flight after a white-male flight attendant complained about their alleged body odour.

In January, authorities removed a total of eight Black men who were not sitting together from a flight about to leave Phoenix for New York.

American Airlines claims to be investigating, stating such actions do not reflect its core values. However, this is not the first time the airline has faced similar allegations. In 2017, civil-rights organisation National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) issued a travel advisory for the airline, warning Black passengers to ‘exercise caution’ after multiple reports of discrimination. American Airlines responded by instituting a diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) panel. The NAACP lifted its ban in July 2018.