L.A. BLACKS SAY RACISM RAISING ITS HEAD AGAIN.

Byline: TONY CASTRO Staff Writer

Long bubbling below the surface, Los Angeles' racial divide came to light Tuesday with three African-American advocacy groups raising questions about recent incidents involving a black city firefighter, O.J. Simpson and a white comedian's racist diatribe in a nightclub.

The groups' comments were sparked by Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa's veto of a $2.7 million settlement to Firefighter Tennie Pierce; a racist harangue of two African-American hecklers by comic Michael Richards, a Thousand Oaks High graduate who played Cosmo Kramer on ``Seinfeld''; and by the cancellation of Simpson's mock confessional book and TV deal.

``Those are dots that can be connected,'' said civil-rights activist and author Earl Ofari Hutchinson. ``Racial divisions and racial rancor seem to always lurk just beneath the surface.

``Maybe we go through a long quiescent period, but then we'll have a triggering device, and we see that racism hasn't gone away.''

African-American advocacy groups decried the incidents and called on government and civic leaders to address the racial issues facing the city, state and nation.

``We must fully and soberly recognize that the racial divides still run very deep, and we must all recommit ourselves to their resolution,'' Blair H. Taylor, president and chief executive of the Los Angeles Urban League, said in a written statement.

Richards' use of racial epithets -- like the landmark video showing the police beating of black motorist Rodney King -- was exposed and documented because of the development of technology.

At a news conference at City Hall, the president of a chapter of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People criticized Villaraigosa's veto of the multimillion-dollar settlement for Pierce, who claimed he'd suffered discrimination when fellow firefighters played a prank by feeding him dog food.

Ron Hasson, the president of the Beverly Hills/Hollywood chapter of the NAACP, said the incident at Fire Station 5 in Westchester, where Pierce was the only black firefighter, demonstrates how ``systemic racism and sexism pervades the Los Angeles Fire Department culture.''

In an interview, Hasson said the vetoed settlement and Richards' racist diatribe raised concerns among African-Americans.

``It's upsetting to African-Americans that we're having to relive and to refight the battles of civil rights,'' said Hasson.

``The Richards incident is appalling to all -- Jewish, Latinos, African-Americans -- in the cavalier manner in which he could say what he said.

``If incidents like this are being exposed to a greater extent, it's because of the technology that allowed him to be caught on camera. Had it not been exposed in that manner, we might not have heard about it.''

Civil-rights activists also expressed skepticism about Richards' apology Monday night on ``The Late Show with David Letterman.'' Najee Ali of Project Islamic HOPE of South Los Angeles called it insincere and ``damage control in light of the DVD of the seventh season of `Seinfeld.''' The DVD went on sale Tuesday.

``I do not think an apology alone will suffice in this case,'' said the Urban League's Taylor. ``I call on Mr. Richards to immediately reach out to the black community that he has berated and insulted and vigorously pursue a healing that transcends mere words.

``The healing process must be facilitated by deeds of volunteerism and service to the African-American community, which may be the only real way to solidify the forgiveness that Mr. Richards now claims to seek.''

The American Jewish Committee also called on Richards to follow his apology with actions that demonstrate his remorse.

``Mr. Richards' racial epithets are deplorable,'' said Sherry A. Weinman, AJC Los Angeles Chapter president. ``Although Mr. Richards has apologized, Judaism teaches that to truly repent, Mr. Richards must also resolve never to repeat his actions and work to heal the wounds he has opened up by reaching out to those he most offended.''

Eddie Jones, president of the Los Angeles Civil Rights Association, criticized News Corp. and publisher Judith Regan for canceling ``If I Did It,'' a book and filmed-for-TV interview with Simpson in which he describes how he would have killed ex-wife Nicole Brown Simpson and friend Ronald Goldman.

``O.J. should have been able to tell his side of his story for the book,'' Jones said. ``He was exonerated and acquitted of all charges, but in the eyes of white America, he is still guilty. It's a modern-day lynching. ... (Serial killer) Jeffrey Dahmer was able to do an interview. The Menendez brothers killed their parents and did interviews.

``Timothy McVeigh killed all those people in (the) Oklahoma City (bombing) and still did interviews and wrote a book.

``Why is it O.J. can't write his book and tell his side of the story?''

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