The last time Toni Moore faced so much racial animosity was in college–a mostly white school in Appleton, Wisconsin. “We’d walk down the street and people would turn and stare like they had never seen black people before,” says Moore. “Some would yell ‘Nigger.’ But in some ways what I’m going through now is worse, because I never expected it.”
But Moore isn’t the first black employee to charge Amnesty with discrimination, and her case has won the support of dozens of local activists. “There’s no question in my mind that Toni was denied a job because of her race–what they did to her was awful,” says Ashanti Chimurenga, director of Amnesty’s program to abolish the death penalty. “A lot of racism exists at Amnesty.”
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By training Moore, a Hyde Park resident, is a trial lawyer, long active in campaigns against apartheid and capital punishment. For six years she worked for the Legal Assistance Foundation, handling hundreds of cases involving aggrieved tenants, battered women, and abused children. In April 1991 Amnesty hired Moore as deputy director in its midwest regional office, in downtown Chicago.
She also wrote a critical opinion of a report by Jack Healey, Amnesty’s former executive director, on the state of the organization. “Jack distributed the report, asking for opinions [before he published it],” says Moore. “I wrote my opinion–I called it Eurocentric. I didn’t think anyone would hold that against me. I figured, here’s an organization dedicated to basic human rights. Surely they’d value freedom of expression within their ranks.”
“Everybody on the committee acknowledged that Toni was doing an excellent job as temporary director, and that she clearly had more managerial experience than Sonia,” says Chimurenga. “But attitude was mentioned a lot–at least by Marj. Marj wondered if Toni had the ‘right attitude.’ She said it bothered her that Toni had disagreed with [the Amnesty position on] different things, particularly about Jennings.”
“I’m convinced they’re retaliating against me because I’m a black woman who dares to speak out,” says Moore. “Why else did Marj keep talking about attitude? I believe that some white people are intimidated by opinionated black people. They talk about the need for free expression, but they don’t like it when blacks speak their minds.”
“I’ve taught law courses in the past; now suddenly Amnesty has an objection,” says Moore. “My performance evaluation was always outstanding; now it’s ‘needs improving; does not have positive attitude.’ It’s rough. I’m seeing a therapist. I’ve lost appetite and sleep. I must be driving my poor husband out of his mind–I talk about this all the time. I gave Amnesty my heart and soul–I can’t believe they would treat me like this.”
