Burgess COMMENTARY

Peter Burgess

Don't let Simon & Schuster spread hate speech. One of the largest book publishers in the country, Simon & Schuster, just rewarded a white supremacist spokesperson with a massive book deal. Milo Yiannopoulos - a Breitbart publisher and spokesperson for white supremacy - has made a name for himself as a mouthpiece for hate speech. Yiannopoulos was banned from Twitter last year after leading a campaign of racial, anti-Black and sexual harassment against actress Leslie Jones. The harassment driven by Yiannopoulos was so severe that Jones had to temporarily quit Twitter. Now he’s getting $250,000 from Simon & Schuster to promote his hateful ideas. Demand Simon & Schuster cancel the white supremacist book deal! To Carolyn Reidy, CEO of Simon& Schuster Here is the Petition: We demand that Simon & Schuster cease providing a platform for white supremacy by immediately canceling your book deal with Milo Yiannopoulos. Handing a purveyor of hate speech and white supremacy a $250,000 megaphone is a clear statement that your company is willing to enable and profit from calls to harm people of color. This is not normal. White supremacists should not be getting six-figure deals to promote their hate under the guise of mainstream platforms. Black communities know all too well how perpetuating stereotypes and hateful rhetoric can empower a racist and violent agenda. The rise of hate crimes and harassment targeting Blacks folks, people of color, Muslims, immigrants, the L.G.B.T. community, and women will only continue if companies like Simon & Schuster continue to normalize and provide a mainstream platform for white supremacy. We the undersigned demand that Simon & Schuster cancel its book deal with Milo Yiannopoulos. READ LESS