Black clergy, NAACP refute claims of racism against Phiilly casino developer

Claims that the company holding the license for Philadelphia’s second casino discriminates against African-Americans are deemed bogus by the NAACP and another civil rights group.

After questions of racial discrimination were raised about the Cordish Company, the Rev. Terrence Griffith of the Black Clergy of Philadelphia said his group did a comprehensive investigation … and found nothing.”We traveled to Kansas City, we traveled to Baltimore, we talked to several individuals, we received testimonials from individuals, and, ultimately, we came to the conclusion that the Cordish Company is not one that practices racism,” Griffith said Thursday.Zed Smith, the chief operating officer of Cordish, said the company is pleased to be cleared of the false allegations.”We are committed to achieving the same successes in the areas of inclusion and diversity in Philadelphia that we have accomplished across the United States,” Smith said.Cordish has agreed to set up independent oversight of the  casino project at the South Philly sports complex.