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 purplezoe.blogspot.com/2008/06/day-of-blogging-for-respect-in-media.html
2. Kevin slanttruth.com/
3. Yobachi www.blackperspective.net/index.php/respect-in-media-no-dollars-for-dog-the-bounty-hunter/
4. Tolu Olorunda yourblackpolitics.blogspot.com/2008/06/black-bloggers-campaign-against-dog.html
5. Aaron politicalseason.blogspot.com/2008/06/lines-in-sand.html
6. She Codes blackwomenvote.blogspot.com/
7. Francis Holland francislholland.blogspot.com/
8. Dr. Boyce Watkins blog.boycewatkins.com/
9. Villager electronicvillage.blogspot.com
10. Vanessa Byers 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 sojournersplace.blogspot.com/
18. 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”
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:
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