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NAACP AIMS TO ‘STOP’ OFFENSIVE IMAGES IN MEDIA: Civil rights group launches campaign to hold industry responsible.
*On the heels of the Hip Hop Summit Action Network’s statement asking rappers to voluntarily refrain from using sexually and racially-offensive words in their lyrics, the NAACP on Monday also launched an initiative to end racist and sexist language, images and concepts in the media by calling for a shift in personal behavior; but the group plans to hold the industry responsible as well.
The STOP Campaign -- an initiative of the NAACP Youth & College Division -- comes in the wake of the controversy surrounding the firing of Don Imus for using racist and sexist language to disparage the Rutgers women’s basketball team. The issue also brought a much needed spotlight to rap lyrics, which has long used terms and images that demean women.
"The NAACP STOP Campaign is urgently needed to combat recent remarks and continual visual depictions that cast African Americans in a negative light," said Interim NAACP President & CEO Dennis C. Hayes. "We recognize the need for balance within the African American community in regards to what music, film, and media we deem acceptable. When it comes to establishing norms, nothing is more influential than the images and concepts delivered into our lives on a daily basis by radio, TV, film and the Internet."
The STOP Campaign targets the record and television industries, recording artists and the African American community. The campaign asks participants t
• STOP Defaming Our Women. by respecting all African American Women and not describing them in profane and derogatory terms.
• STOP Degrading Our Community. by not supporting hurtful images that portray negative images of the African American community.
• STOP Denigrating Our History. by not supporting words and media that diminishes our proud history and insults our ancestors.
• STOP Accepting Disrespect. by not patronizing companies and artists that put forth demeaning and disrespectful images in our community.
• START Standing Up. by standing against anyone who diminishes the capacity of young people.
• START the Diversity. by supporting balance and diversity of content in the entertainment industry, urging creation of positive role models for young people and by demanding that more African Americans and other people of color be placed in decision-making positions in the entertainment industry.
The campaign's goals over the next year include having as many as possible formally pledge to the campaign; formulating a national STOP Advisory Committee with music, movie and television industry executives, artists, insiders and other national organizations to stop negative African American imagery in the media; creating local STOP Coalitions--a network of NAACP units and stakeholders in cities across the country--that will strategize ways to engage local media outlets, artists and the community in the campaign; increase the number of African American decision-makers/executives in leadership roles at record companies, television networks, and radio stations; mobilizing NAACP youth units and branches to address issues of image degradation within their communities through education, peer-to-peer communication and positive imagery.
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