Press Releases (Mar 1, 2010)
iNewswire: http://www.i-newswire.com/tmp-considers-multi-billion-dollar/24101
(SEE ALSO: TMP Scheduled For Shut
Down) (SEE ALSO Stars Shun Native America -
100 Years Of Hollywood Racism Continues!)
TMP Considers Multi-Billion Dollar Lawsuit Against
Entertainment Industry
Summary: Nonprofit Ticci Man Project working for Native
American equality is considering class action suit against top entertainment
networks and companies for Civil Rights abuses and discrimination.
(I-Newswire) February 26, 2010 [released Mar 1, 2010] -
HOLLYWOOD, CA
Revived after the deadly sting of having its Celebrity Festival For Native
America in Hollywood rebuked by hundreds of talent representatives and other
entertainment industry insiders, the Ticci Man Project has been given a second
life by upset Native Americans demanding respect, if not retribution. The
relatively obscure nonprofit may now take on the biggest and most costly legal
battle in US history, if not world history, on behalf of Native Americans in a
modern day version of David versus Goliath showdown.
The group is now investigating the possibility of plying a multibillion dollar
series of lawsuits against the major players in the entertainment industry, from
networks and studios, to talent agencies and agents, to directors and producers,
to heads of transnational news and media companies and more. At cause, they
claim, is not only a 100 year long history of racism and discrimination against
Native Americans (that university scholars have quantified in film and
television outputs), but today’s continued oppression and Civil Rights abuses
and discrimination of Indians in modern industry.
“There has not been one major broadcast series or major, modern-set film
featuring a tribally recognized Native American lead and yet we cannot say the
same for Blacks, Whites, Asians or Women—Indians are a federally protected
class and they are not getting any respect from this industry—the Indian Wars
died out over 120 years ago so why not in the entertainment industry, too,”
said Zelan Bonn, chairman of Kon Ticci International, the nonprofit group
sponsoring the Ticci Man Project. “If Hollywood will not voluntarily extend
the ‘olive branch’ in a sincere gesture to move forward, then we will fight
them and make them waste as much as possible of their ill-be-gotten profits
defending a racist industry and its discriminatory actions—Civil Rights and
equality are not negotiable,” he said.
Organizers have given Hollywood executives until May 30th to respond by mail
with an offer to revive and aid the Celebrity Festival For Native America—a
long awaited social transformation project designed to help build issue
awareness and promote cultural respect and equality for Native Americans in
Hollywood and around the world. Last year Hollywood, both the city’s leaders
and industry, rejected the project outright. The group remains hopeful there
will be a change of heart, hopeful celebrities will join the cause.
“The Celebrity Festival for Native America may have been a bad idea because it
was so positively charged—but I never dreamed that Hollywood would not help us
celebrate our Native American citizens and their uniquely wonderful cultures and
talents to prove we have transformed—that we are, indeed, clearly serious
about encouraging Native American participation,” said Bonn. “I am so
sickened and ashamed of the industry I love and work in—we have so many
wonderful people in it and yet a few bad apples at the top are ruining
everything for us all—what else can we do but fight back if we truly care
about ensuring equality for all—we must prove we are not an industry of
haters—we simply must!”
###
Research Links
TMP
Probes Multi-Billion Dollar Class-Action Against Hollywood (Feb 25 -
PDF)
Ticci
Man Project Wages New War On Hollywood Racism (Feb 24 - PDF)
Ticci
Man Project Announces Shut Down – Hollywood Bigotry Blamed Newswire
11-22-09)
Rev
Jesse Jackson Open Letter To Entertainment Industry
Marlon
Brando Wikipedia
Marlon
Brando Interviews You Tube (Part 1)
Marlon
Brando Interviews You Tube (Part 2)
Nazi
Propaganda by Joseph Goebbels
Russell
Means "On Racism" Video
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