BlackPerspective.net
Discussing the Diaspora as seen through an internal Black lens
Day of Blogging For Respect in Media
June 17th, 2008
In an action to inform and take a determined stance for respect of diverse peoples in the media, the Afrosphere Action Coalition and ConsciousInk will host the ‘Day of Blogging For Media Respect’ on Wednesday June 18, 2008; which will directly respond to A&E’s decision to support Chapman despite his failure in his post-rant media tour to admit the racially derogatory intent of his words, and having done nothing to make amends since. Instead, he made claims about his motivation being benign, in contradiction to what he clearly said on the tapes; and even tried to disparage his son’s Black girl friend, Monique Shinnery, in the media to justify his use of the n-word.
Meet the Bloggers:
1. Purple Zoe http://purplezoe.blogspot.com/2008/06/day-of-blogging-for-respect-in-media.html
2. Kevin http://slanttruth.com/
3. Yobachi http://www.blackperspective.net/index.php/respect-in-media-no-dollars-for-dog-the-bounty-hunter/
4. Tolu Olorunda http://yourblackpolitics.blogspot.com/2008/06/black-bloggers-campaign-against-dog.html
5. Aaron http://politicalseason.blogspot.com/2008/06/lines-in-sand.html
6. She Codes http://blackwomenvote.blogspot.com/
7. Francis Holland http://francislholland.blogspot.com/
8. Dr. Boyce Watkins http://blog.boycewatkins.com/
9. Villager http://electronicvillage.blogspot.com
10. Vanessa Byers http://www.vanessabyers.net/
11. ChangeSeeker whyaminotsurprised.blogspot.com
12. Jerome kid-kidfunkadelic.blogspot.com
13. Hawa fackintruth.typepad.com
14. Bluelinchpin bluelinchpin.blogspot.com
15. Deborah msladydeborah.blogspot.com
16. newblackwoman.blogspot.com
17. Sojourner’s Place http://sojournersplace.blogspot.com/
18. http://wonderlandornot.net/2008/06/19/respect-in-the-media/
Emailers:
19. Richard Wilson
20. K. O’Brien
June 25, 2008 Letter to A&E (In mass part)
It is unfortunate in the extreme that despite the specific concerns voiced by the Afrosphere Action Coalition in our previous letter, that A&E remains dismissive of the sensibilities of its African American audience and others who find such blatant racial animus disturbing. You cite as rationale for this unfortunate decision, steps by Duane Chapman to reach out to “African American organizations” and make amends for his racist behavior, steps which you characterize as “appropriate”…More importantly though, A&E has not detailed to the public steps taken by Duane “Dog” Chapman that demonstrate efforts undertaken to change his racial attitudes, nor named the “African American organizations” (or “civil rights” organizations, as have been referred to in the press) that have been determined by A&E to be the absolution givers.
It is disturbing yet, as detailed in our previous letter, that Dog never even admitted in his scripted media tour, the real reason for his racist tirade for not wanting his son’s Black girl friend around; but instead blatantly contradicted his expressed desire not to have the “fucking nigger” around because he didn’t want her to catch him and his crew in their regular use of the racial slur. How has he changed and made amends for something he won’t even be honest about, and admit too?
A&E’s action in returning this show to the airwaves is a clear and vivid demonstration that neither the network, nor the companies which will purchase advertising for this show, have a reasonable level of respect or sensitivity to African American viewers. We certainly hope that Mr. Chapman will grapple with his racist outlook and thereby become a less prejudiced individual. We applaud A&E’s sense of forgiveness and desire to give Duane Chapman a second chance. However, African American members of A&E’s viewing audience, nor others, are under any obligation to support the network or its advertisers in providing a second chance to an outed bigot.
The A&E Network and its advertisers are putting your brands at unnecessary and unwarranted risk in returning Dog the Bounty Hunter to air. Our viewpoint is shared by the majority of your African American viewing audience and we believe a very significant segment of the white viewing audience will be as appalled and outraged by A&E’s action as well. It is our intention to highlight the poor judgment of both A&E and its advertisers to the community as they link their brands to racism and disrespect for African Americans; as was done last Wednesday the 18th in our “Day of Blogging for Respect in Media”
http://www.blackperspective.net/index.php/afrosphere-action-coalition/day-of-blogging-for-respect-in-media/
We urge A&E in the strongest terms to reverse course and withdraw their support for Duane Chapan and the Dog the Bounty Hunter show. Until A&E does so, we have no alternative but to inform the viewing public and urge them to withdraw support from A&E and its advertisers. If Duane Chapman had come clean about his racial demeaning behavior and attitudes, thereby demonstrating real sincerity towards actual change, perhaps there may have been a place for him again in the public square. But on the record A&E has set before us, he has simply gotten a vacation and we cannot accept that he is again receiving a platform and further financial reward.
Afrosphere Action Coalition:
5 Responses to “Day of Blogging For Respect in Media”
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About The Blog
Yobachi Boswell is creator and publisher of BlackPerspecitve.net. I’m a writer, activist and political watcher based in Nashville, Tennessee. I’ve also been know to do some spoken word and MCing in my day.
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Add me quick! My post is almost finished. So sorry for the delay - but you know I want in on this one!
SjP
Peace ^_^
The blog is up. This is the direct link.
http://purplezoe.blogspot.com/2008/06/day-of-blogging-for-respect-in-media.html
Shine on
-PZ
~~~~~~~~*
Add me please! This is an important cause.
well you should not boycott a&e just for dog saying the n word one he did not say it on TV. or the press so it is his word vs. who ever. you should boycott just for the simple fact that he is a felon! that killed someone! but lets look at some of the black people who hate whites Jessie Jackson, Al Sharpton, Sean Colms, Chris Rock, Malcom x, the whole black panther party, any gangster rapper; i have heard all of them say on the air in news,movies,blogs,newspapers,books
cracker,white bread,Honkey,whitey,and what not. so in steed of you bitching about what some asshole said a long time ago and start fixing the dumb ass es that put whites down slavery ended 200+ years ago tell the rapers tell the revs. hell Jessie wanted to cut off Obama’s dick? but i did not hear a big to do about that from you? all you have to cry about is a god damm hippie that lives 4000 mi. away and you CAN TURN THE CHANEL, TURN OF THE TV OFF.BUT NO YOU HAVE TO MAKE A STINK. THAT IS WHY I DO NOT LISTEN TO RAP,JESSIE JACKSON,AL SHARPTON,AND CHRIS ROCK AND THE OTHERS.BECAUSE I HAVE COMMON SENSE.IF YOU WOULD JUST PULL YOUR HEAD OUT OF YOUR ASS AND JUST PUT THE BLAME WHERE LIES AND QUIT BLAMBING EVERYONE ELSE MAYBE WE CAN COME TOGETHER? AND FIX WHAT IS WRONG?
Jack, its not anyones word against anyones word; it’s the words right out of Dog’s mouth. It’s on tape!
Second, it’s not simply that he said the “n-word”, as if he just said it in passing; or was some how benign in his use of it. (Which still wouldn’t be good, but might be a different story). He used it in denigrating Black people, then went on to denigrate Mexican people, and went on to say that he and his band of criminals that work for him use the word regularly.
That’s what the whole dispute with his son was about. Dog didn’t want his son’s “fucking nigger” girl friend coming around because he didn’t want her to catch them saying that, and report him to the enquirer. He says this specifically on tape. His son recorded him though and turned him in anyway.
Third, we’ve not asked anyone to boycott the whole network; even though many of our coalition partners and readers are choosing to do just that. We’re asking them to boycott the sponsors. The show’s money comes from advertisers, which is consumer money. We don’t want to give Dog any of our “fucking nigger” money.
Forth, if being denigrated is not a big deal to you and not worth “making a big stink” over, that’s up to you. However, I think 400 years of being lampooned and demeaned in the media and popular culture is enough. And I know that attitudes about people that are part of the popular culture filter over into the rest of society.
So when we go to get jobs, bank loans, housing, are pulled over by the cops, etc.; those ideals of “lazy nigger”, “welfare niggers”, “all a bunch of crack dealing criminal niggers”, “small brain rapist niggers”; don’t all of a sudden dissapear from peoples minds; and hence affects our real lives.