………………that there has been more diversity in the Presidential candidate pool than in the pool of panel journos. 🙂 Until tonight. The panel of journalists is comprised of two African-Americans and a Latino.
Let’s see how tonight’s forum goes.
On Internet Radio Protest Day, Sharing A Lantern That Has Lit My Way
I have kept with me a yellowed Black newspaper clipping from September 11, 1989. I thought that today, the day Internet radio is conducting its “Day of Silence” protest, would be a good day to share extended excerpts of it.
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‘Guerrilla Radio’:
Underground radio station operator uses ‘sneak attacks’ to educate community
By James Muhammad
Assistant Editor, The Final Call
SPRINGFIELD, Ill.–WTRA, “guerilla radio,” broadcasts from behind the wall.
“They say they put up the wall to protect the residents from the speeding traffic,” said Dewayne Readus, the voice and operator of the low-watt AM station, “but you notice they didn’t put sidewalks in for our children.
“The wall helps them in their control of us. They don’t want anything positive to come out of the Black community because that will disprove the myth…. that we’re dumb,” he said.
WTRA’s message comes out from the John Jay Homes housing project carried by weak radio waves but charged with the crusading spirit of its mastermind operator. The project sits in the shadow of the domed capitol building, behind the wall that blocks the blighted project from the casual glance of the speeding motorists making their way downtown.
Operating out of one of the apartments, Readus, a 30-year-old legally blind resident, is determined to educate and politicize his community, although local police attempted to silence his “Voice of the people,” as WTRA is called.
Until recently, Readus regularly operated the station from an upstairs room in his sister’s apartment. The station covered a radius of one-and-a-half miles, just enough to reach the housing unit[s…….
“When we talked about] the Urban League and the NAACP, we were alright,” said the independent contractor, “but when we started talking about police brutality, that’s when they came to shut us down.”
Readus’ controversial music and talk format had already attracted the ire of the city’s Black leadership whom he consistently criticized. He caught the attention of the police when he aired a tape recording made at the hospital bedside of a 52-year-old boxing coach who was severely beaten by security guards at a local department store.
Will Gray, an inspector with the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), visited Readus after he aired coverage of a hostage incident where the police cordoned off a Black neighborhood after a man took his girlfriend and her sister hostage.
[………H]e was fined $750, which Readus has vowed not to pay until he has his day in court.
“We are saying we have a right to access the airwaves,” Readus said. “The very fact that we can’t communicate with each other is a form of genocide.”
A frequent target of Readus’ commentary, Alderman Frank McNeil, said the station provided important information to the community and a viewpoint not offered by the “run-of-the-mill” media. “But he attacked every Black person in a leadership position who didn’t agree with his position. He never allowed opposing points of view to be aired,” McNeil opined.
Today Readus operates what he calls “guerilla radio,” a “sneak attack” approach to getting his message out at varying times during the week.
“They haven’t made their move because they don’t know how to go about doing what they want to do,” Readus said, defiantly. “Ultimately, they probably just want to get rid of me. That’s their history.”
Even McNeil agreed that the relationship between Black people and the police is “very tense.”
Police Chief Mike Walton said he contacted the FCC only after he received complaints about vulgarity used on the station. He also described Readus as a “man with a small following who causes more trouble than he helps.”
However large or small Readus’ following may be, he has had an impact on the city and his community.
“He let kids and parents know what was going on in the world,” said Emmanuel Morehead, 17, who said he often listened to the station.
“I would like to see his station bigger so he can reach the broader community,” said Bill Robinson, 42. “But he’s got to make his program where people will come to him with information. He’s got to open up more.”
Readus said he welcomes the threat of arrest so WTRA’s struggle can be an example to others. The station also served as a training ground for young boys and girls interested in radio, he said.
“Somebody tell the children how WTRA served as an advocate for the people when the police wouldn’t police themselves,” Readus proclaimed. “Somebody tell the young people how we fought police brutality by broadcasting the personal testimonies of African-American victims.”
Copyright 1989, 2007 by The Final Call Newspaper Co.
Did You Hear……….
An Anniversary Worth Noting
It’s been 21 years since this song and this artist took over my mind, body and soul.
I remember telling people at the time that my goal was to bear HER child! LOL!
What made me think about her today? I was joking with a friend of mine about Spike Lee’s cameo in this video:
While watching it, I see today how well Spike blended social and cultural history, parody and even time travel.
Wow. The Power of Black Art. Food for thought.
My View Of "Fantastic Four: Rise Of The Silver Surfer"
The 8-year-old (or so) I was with Friday night loved it. And my 9:15 p.m. Silver Spring showing looked sold out. When my friend Raoul Dennis asked for my verdict right after it was over, I said, “Well, it’s better the first, but what is that really saying?” We both laughed.
This is the reality of “Fantastic Four: Rise Of The Silver Surfer.” Believe it or not, no mistakes were made the first time around, because all Tim Story did was make a better version of the first film. And I can’t be too mad at the brother; if my film made $300 million worldwide, would I really change that much?
That said, it IS better and worth seeing—even if you are a die-hard fan. At least the F.F. acted like the scientists/explorers they are in cartoons and comics. At least there were more scenes with Alicia Masters (and both her banter with Johnny Storm, and his conversations with and about her, were GREAT).
And Ol’ Chrome-Dome was on point. Visually, very much the character who blew my mind as a kid.
I’m excited about the Silver Surfer spin-off that’s in development. I hope in that film Galactus will be portrayed more traditionally. The storm thing DID work for “Rise,” though. As one poster said on “The Fantastic Four Message Board“: “While seeing Galactus looked cool back in my younger days I think we have all become a bit more sophisticated and I don’t think a big guy setting up some equipment on the the rooftop of a NYC skyscraper would have been better than the ominous looking Galactic Storm that threatens to consume the planet. Perhaps one day the original trilogy can be done by a top flight outfit like Pixar because I think he would look more plausible in that type of film.”
Blah, blah, blah. 🙂 None of this—including the weird (read: too fake) look that Jessica Alba’s very blond wig and too-blue contacts generated, the critics-reinforced opinion that many, MANY scenes could have been better acted—really matters. Silly Rabbit; Tricks Are For Kids. As I explained to a colleague on Friday before seeing the film: “I’m stuck. I’ve LOVED these characters since I was 10 years old.”
So with the Surfer risen, The Cosmic Quartet gains another group of 8-year-olds as a fan base, while the 10-year-old in me waits to join the next batch on line Opening Day for “FF3” in 2009. Not EXACTLY a lose-lose. 🙂
Congrats To American Journalism Review!
I’m biased, but AJR—the winner of an Mirror Award for Overall Excellence from Syracuse University’s S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications—can be a very good magazine when it wants to be. It’s a solid resource for its targeted audience—the small group of white men (and some white women) who guide American mainstream journalism. It’s important to point out, however, that the percentage of white females who write for it, and/or help manage it, has traditionally been VERY strong.
Vote "Yes" On Answer Fiore
"Right To Return": Tavis Gives A Week Of Tee Vee Time To Katrina
 
Congrats to Tavis Smiley and Jonathan Demme for doing the right thing. Necessary viewing this week.
KQED/Channel 9
CHANNEL 9 -San Francisco, San Jose (Bay Area) 1:00 am PBS
May 10, 2007
CONTACT: Joel Brokaw (310) 273-2060, Laurel Lambert (323) 953-5246FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
“TAVIS SMILEY†ON PBS DEVOTES ONE WEEK OF PROGRAMMING TO JONATHAN DEMME’S STIRRING DOCUMENTARY FOOTAGE ON POST-KATRINA NEW ORLEANS, AIRING NATIONWIDE ON PBS
Academy Award-winning director Jonathan Demme is joining forces with PBS’s Tavis Smiley to present a unique week-long series on post-Katrina New Orleans called “Right to Return: New Home Movies from the Lower 9th Ward.â€
The series consists of “portrait†documentaries filmed in New Orleans over the course of 2006, leading into January of this year. The five short films chart the efforts of a disparate group of New Orleanians who braved unimaginable adversity after the floods of 2005 in an attempt to reclaim their homes, their neighborhoods – primarily in the Lower 9th Ward – and their shattered lives and livelihoods. The residents presented in the unfolding seasonal format include teachers, ministers, a retired chef, volunteer workers, the owner of the legendary “Mother-In-Law Lounge,†librarians, and workers from all walks of life.
“This American story of lives lost, souls shattered and uncommon courage must be told, even though the waters have subsided,†stated Tavis Smiley. “I’m pleased and honored to have the opportunity alongside an iconic director and producer like Jonathan Demme to tell that story.â€
“This is an extremely personal project for me,†stated Jonathan Demme. “We started filming four months after the floods. I felt drawn, as an American filmmaker, to contribute somehow to the audio-visual record of what these people were going through in their heroic efforts to jump start their lives in the face of this epic, tragic event. I wanted to be a part of getting these stories out, and I am so thrilled and proud to be doing so with Tavis Smiley.”
Demme added, “It’s really wonderful that Tavis Smiley is providing a window into the lives of these amazing people – the spirituality, courage, imagination, tenacity, and humor that fuels their commitment to restore their homes is truly inspiring and moving to me.â€
Each night, Demme will join Smiley on location to set up the portraits and introduce the people featured in each episode. The main individuals profiled will have the opportunity at the end of each program to give an update on how their lives have changed since the floods that devastated their homes in the fall of 2005.
Norman Lear, who is a major sponsor of the Demme films, said of the PBS broadcast of “Tavis Smiley,†“The New Orleanians presented on the shows represent the best we as human beings are capable of.”
The segments feature original music scores by Barry Eastmond, Donald Harrison Jr., James McBride and Steve Elson. Additional music is provided by Algerian violinist Djamel Ben Yelles, Ernie K-Doe, and others.
Jonathan Demme won an Oscar as best director in the 1991 film “Silence of the Lambs,†and a Gotham award for his documentary “The Agronomist†in 2005. He has previously made several documentaries on Haiti as well as portrait films on Nelson Mandela and Robert Castle.
The full-length film version of “Right to Return,†produced by Demme with Daniel Wolff and Abdul Franklin, is expected to be released theatrically later this year.
“Tavis Smiley” on PBS is produced by the The Smiley Group Inc./TS Media Inc. in association with KCET/Hollywood. Underwriting for “Tavis Smiley” on PBS is provided by Toyota, Wal-Mart and PBS. Additional funding for “Right to Return” is provided by the Lear Family Foundation. For more information, visit http://www.pbs.org/tavissmiley .
http://www.tavistalks.com .
Directed by Jonathan Demme
Produced by Jonathan Demme, Daniel Wolff, and Abdul Franklin
Executive Producers
Neda Armian and Lisa Hepner
Tavis Smiley and Neal Kendall (for “Tavis Smiley†on PBS)
Original music by Barry Eastmond, Donald Harrison Jr., Steve Elson and James McBride
Additional music by Djamel Ben Yelles, Ernie K-Doe, Christian Scott, and The Young Guardians of the Flame
A Clinica Estetico Production
The Audiobiography of Askia Muhammad
 
Veteran multimedia journalist Askia Muhammad has done something extraordinary. Over the last few years, he’s somehow gotten Soundprint, the nation’s premier public radio documentary series, to “publish” his autobiography, an audio chapter at a time.
Together these programs form a well-told mosaic of a life, filled with sound and soul.
Congrats, Askia, on this great and significant accomplishment.
Kalamu Is Contributor To New Book On Katrina And Race
 
From Kalamu, by Kalamu (partially).
Dear Friends and Allies,
South End Press has just released a powerful new anthology of post-Katrina writing called “WHAT LIES BENEATH: Katrina, Race, and the State of The Nation.”
The book features a new piece I wrote about race, reconstruction, and community organizing in New Orleans post-Katrina, as well as several excellent contributions by an impressive and inspiring array of writers, poets, teachers and organizers.
I will be participating in two book release events in the next few weeks—one in New York City, and one in New Orleans. For those of you in one of those cities, I hope you’ll come out. See below for more details on the events, and on the book.
In solidarity,
Jordan
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New York City Book Release Event
Thursday, May 24, 7:00PM
Discussion on Katrina, Race and Resistance, featuring Jordan Flaherty and Eric Tang. (see below for bios) Presentation will also include new video from New Orleans.
Bluestockings Bookstore
172 Allen Street between Stanton and Rivington :: 212.777.6028
http://www.bluestockings.com/New Orleans Book Release Event
Friday, June 8, 6:00PM
Panel and discussion, featuring contributing authors Kalamu Ya Salaam, Mayaba Liebenthal, and Jordan Flaherty.
Community Book Center
2523 Bayou Rd (near Broad and Esplanade) (504) 948-7323“We who live below the water line have no choice. Our first priority is to survive. Our second priority is to struggle. Our ultimate responsibility is to win. Survive. Struggle. Win. This book is a record of these efforts.”
—Kalamu Ya Salaam, from the Introduction
More about the book:
With an eye toward community organizing and radical scholarship, this accessible anthology is both a people’s history and a collective vision for the future of New Orleans.
Contributors include: Kalamu Ya Salaam, Charmaine Neville, INCITE! Women of Color Against Violence, Jordan Flaherty, Suheir Hammad, Common Ground, and Lewis Lapham.
“What Lies Beneath” rests on the premise that Hurricane Katrina mirrors with terrible poignancy the state of a nation—a damning and bitterly accurate portrait of everyday life in America. Despite a chorus of claims to the contrary, Hurricane Katrina was not an equal opportunity disaster. Its asymmetrical impact on people’s lives vis-a-vis their relative place within the matrix of oppression cannot be denied. If your life was hard before the hurricane, it was exponentially harder during and after the storm—and remains so up to this day. For those who suffer daily the existing, pervasive, and insidious social inequities that are the US reality, Katrina was not an anomaly. It was simply business as usual.
“‘What Lies Beneath’ will keep us thinking for a long time about what happened, why it happened, and provoke us to examine honestly the nature of the society in which we live.”
— Howard Zinn, author, “A People’s History of the United States”“‘What Lies Beneath’ tells the real story of those abandoned to face Hurricane Katrina, and reveals the people’s uprising that provided shelter, aid, and comfort where there would be none.”
—Jeff Chang, author, “Can’t Stop, Won’t Stop”About the authors/presenters:
Mayaba Liebenthal is a Black feminist, anarchist, human rights advocate and community organizer committed to creating projects/institutions that support self-determined and sustainable community development.
Kalamu Ya Salaam is a poet, writer, editor, teacher, filmmaker, arts administrator and co-director of Students at the Center, an independent writing program that works within New Orleans public high schools.
Eric Tang was Associate Director at CAAAV: Organizing Asian Communities, serving as a community organizer in the refugee neighborhoods of the Bronx, New York. The author of numerous essays and articles on Southeast Asian refugee politics, community activism, and social movement theory, Tang teaches at the Worker Education Center of CUNY. Eric’s writing in ColorLines Magazine shared a journalism award from New America Media for best Katrina-related coverage in the Ethnic press.
Jordan Flaherty is a writer and community organizer based in New Orleans. He is an editor of Left Turn magazine and has written about politics and culture for The Village Voice, New York Press, Labor Notes, Radical Society, and in several books. Jordan’s articles from the Gulf Coast after Hurricane Katrina have appeared in periodicals around the world, including Die Zeit in Germany, Clarin in Argentina, Juventude Rebelde in Cuba, Red Pepper in England, and many more. His writing in ColorLines magazine shared a journalism award from New America Media for best Katrina-related coverage in the Ethnic press.
For more information or to purchase a copy of “What Lies Beneath,” click here.
A portion of the proceeds from What Lies Beneath will be donated to The People’s Hurricane Relief Fund and Oversight Coalition.
