By Sam Diener, Peacework Co-Editor, with additional research by Peacework interns Ivy Sánchez and Shaundra Cunningham
The carmaker Audi ran a half page ad in the July 23, 2007 New York Times with the headline, "Separate. Yet equally capable of shaking up a tired old category."
I am appalled that a corporation would, in 2007, apparently endorse Plessy v. Ferguson, the Supreme Court case which deemed racist segregation laws constitutionally valid because they were separate but equal. For more on this, including the surprising response of one of the advertising professionals with Venables, Bell, and Partners who worked on the ad, please see this blog entry on the Peacework site. Audi has so far refused to comment, or to pledge to stop running the ad, but protests can be lodged by calling Audi USA at 248/754-5000 or Venables at 415/288-3300.