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The National Association for the Advancement of Colored People issued a warning this week to American Airlines. The criticism stemmed from an incident in which Black passengers were ushered off a flight for what they said in a recent lawsuit were unfounded complaints of “body odor.”
“Recent discriminatory actions from company employees prove that there is a dire need for continued accountability and resolution to this clear pattern,” the NAACP said in a statement Tuesday. American Airlines has said that it does not discriminate and takes such allegations seriously.
In 2017, the NAACP instituted a travel advisory warning Black people not to fly with American. Among other incidents, the advisory was tied to an incident where a black woman had her ticket changed to coach from first class while the carrier did not do so for her white companion. The advisory was lifted in 2018. With its most recent warning, the NAACP noted that a discrimination monitoring panel the airline created was disbanded last year.
“We encourage American Airlines to come revive the advisory panel and reconvene with the NAACP to devise a path forward that ensures equitable experiences for all American Airlines customers,” the organization said in a statement. “Without a swift and decisive response, the NAACP will be forced to reinstate an advisory against the airline.”