UPDATE: Congressman Collins feels the heat
Welcome to Popular Information, a newsletter dedicated to accountability journalism. Last Friday, Congressman Mike Collins (R-GA) endorsed the conduct of student counterprotesters at the University of Mississippi. Collins posted a video on X showing a counterprotester heckling a Black woman by imitating a monkey. "Ole Miss is taking care of business," Collins commented. Collins’ praise for this racist harassment quickly gained national media attention, including a story in the Associated Press. On X, Collins lashed out at his critics, accusing former RNC Chair Michael Steele of "repeating leftist talking points." Collins initially ignored media requests for comment. But then, early Monday, Collins affirmed his support for the racist counterprotest in a statement to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. "Ole Miss is one of those many examples, particularly outside of the Ivy Leagues and large metropolitan campuses, where counter demonstrators are not letting occupiers encamp and trash their campus," a Collins spokesperson said. Shortly thereafter, Popular Information published its report detailing Collins' conduct and revealing that Collins' reelection campaign is supported by prominent corporations who champion racial justice. Among Collins' financial contributors is Coca-Cola, a company that publicly pledged to donate zero dollars to "candidates who make egregious or inflammatory remarks in the equality and inclusion area." Neither Coca-Cola nor Collins' other corporate supporters commented publicly, but on Monday afternoon Collins abruptly changed his approach. In a lengthy statement, Collins stated that he "understand[s] and respect[s] the feedback that has been shared regarding a single individual during the Ole Miss protests." Collins said that, at the time he posted the video, he didn't think the student harassing a Black woman by imitating a monkey was a "focal point." But he said that now he understands that it is "potentially inappropriate behavior." (Collins did not describe under what circumstances mocking a Black woman by imitating a monkey would be appropriate.) He also said that if the student imitating a monkey was "found to have treated another person inappropriately," he "should be punished appropriately." Collins did not apologize or remove the video from his X account. Popular Information contacted Coca-Cola and asked if the company was satisfied with Collins' statement. Coca-Cola did not respond. This is typical of corporations that make public pledges related to their political conduct. Coca-Cola and other companies are eager to burnish their image by making bold commitments on societal issues. But they are unwilling to be held accountable for those commitments or change the ways they seek political influence. One group that is not satisfied with Collins' response is the NAACP. The civil rights organization has launched a petition "calling for the Ethics Committee to initiate a prompt and thorough investigation into Rep. Collins and his response to the Ole Miss video full of racist and demeaning actions." The NAACP says that "any form of racism or endorsement of racism is unacceptable within our federal government." Popular Information is an independent media outlet grounded in the belief that public scrutiny of important issues can create meaningful change. Although we are just a three-person operation, we've proven that our work can have an impact. But there are other important stories that, right now, we simply don't have the bandwidth to investigate. You can help expand our capacity to create change by upgrading to a paid subscription. If the cost of this newsletter ($6/month or $50/year) would create a financial strain, please stay on this free list. That’s why we don’t have a paywall. But, if you can afford it, please consider becoming a paid subscriber. |
Older messages
The right-wing uproar about Title IX
Tuesday, May 7, 2024
For the last 50 years, Title IX has had an extraordinary impact on the nature of higher education in the United States. Passed in 1972 as an amendment to the Higher Education Act, Title IX prohibits
Congressman praises racist heckling. Will his corporate backers stand by him?
Monday, May 6, 2024
On Thursday, Jaylin Smith, a graduate student at the University of Mississippi, participated in a small, non-violent protest calling for a ceasefire in Gaza. Smith and the other protesters were greeted
Rattling the cages of the powerful
Friday, May 3, 2024
In March 2020, I took down Popular Information's paywall. Since then, each edition of Popular Information (791 newsletters!) has been freely available to everyone. Over the last four years, we'
Immigrants are saving the American economy
Thursday, May 2, 2024
In his 2024 campaign, like his previous campaigns, Trump is pitting native-born Americans against immigrants. Sometimes, this is expressed through rank bigotry. Trump has claimed repeatedly that
Trump backs surveillance and prosecution of women to enforce abortion bans
Wednesday, May 1, 2024
As part of an extensive interview with Time Magazine, former President Donald Trump expanded on what abortion access would look like in the United States in a potential second term. Trump laid out a
You Might Also Like
LEVER WEEKLY: They’re Coming For Your Home
Sunday, May 19, 2024
Corporate landlords are buying up homes and terrorizing tenants with junk fees and negligent maintenance, and other news from The Lever this week. LEVER WEEKLY: They're Coming For Your Home By The
10 Things That Delighted Us: From Electric Mops to Plum Sykes’s Perfect Pencil
Sunday, May 19, 2024
The most useful, thoughtful, and just plain fun things we uncovered this week. The Strategist Every product is independently selected by editors. If you buy something through our links, New York may
💿 Confessions of a GameStop Worker
Sunday, May 19, 2024
If you're squeamish about bugs, bodily fluids, and bad smells, buckle up.
Guest Newsletter: Five Books
Sunday, May 19, 2024
Five Books features in-depth author interviews recommending five books on a theme. Guest Newsletter: Five Books By Sylvia Bishop • 19 May 2024 View in browser View in browser Five Books features in-
GeekWire's Most-Read Stories of the Week
Sunday, May 19, 2024
Catch up on the top tech stories from this past week. Here are the headlines that people have been reading on GeekWire. ADVERTISEMENT GeekWire SPONSOR MESSAGE: Register now for AWS re:Inforce: Hear
Prepare for wildfire season now
Sunday, May 19, 2024
Consider an air purifier ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏
☕ Unpasteurized
Sunday, May 19, 2024
Why are raw milk sales surging? Presented by LMNT May 19, 2024 | View Online | Sign Up | Shop Farming rice in China. STR/AFP via Getty Images BROWSING Classifieds banner image The wackiest headlines
Welcome to The Flyover
Sunday, May 19, 2024
Thanks for joining The Flyover! ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏
Welcome to The Flyover
Sunday, May 19, 2024
Thanks for joining The Flyover! ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏
Welcome to The Flyover
Sunday, May 19, 2024
Thanks for joining The Flyover! ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏