« Retail Leads Forest City’s Income Gain | Main | Ratner buys friends »
June 9, 2006
Yards racial fire
The Brooklyn Papers
By Ariella Cohen
The mud-slinging that surrounds the Atlantic Yards project returned to a classic wedge issue — race — this week, when the project’s loudest opponent made what some on both sides of the development divide interpreted as a racially insensitive remark.
Develop Don’t Destroy Brooklyn spokesman Daniel Goldstein described the relationship between Yards developer Bruce Ratner and some of his black allies as one of “wealthy white masters” and slaves. Goldstein later apologized for his wording.
NoLandGrab: OUCH! Goldstein never said "slaves," but reporter Ariella Cohen turns up the heat a few notches in the local coverage by using the s-word.
There are those who will argue that Goldstein never used the word "slaves." Others will say that it was implied (whether or not he meant to imply it), which is exactly what makes his choice of words inflammatory. Either way, it was the Brooklyn Papers that used the word "slaves."
UPDATE
This clarification was issued by the Brooklyn Papers and the online edition has been edited.
Clarification
In our print edition, this article originally implied that Goldstein had used the word "slaves" to describe the relationship between developer Bruce Ratner and his black allies. Goldstein did not use the word "slaves"; he only used the term "wealthy white masters." The Brooklyn Papers regrets the confusion.
Posted by lumi at June 9, 2006 9:30 AM