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Group plans Saturday protest at home of BET's Debra Lee

In taking his campaign to the door of one of the most powerful media mavens in the land, Rev. Coates hopes to send a clear message.  Here's what he had to say about those that feel he is taking it to the extreme by protesting in front of someone's home, even if that someone is president of BET.

"Actually, our campaign is about home.  It's about what's happening at people's homes.  So maybe it's actually more fitting and proper because the 500 people that are (going to be there, will be there) because of what's being let in their homes and they don't have a choice about what's being let into there homes."

       *Since its storied inception in 1981, Black Entertainment Television (BET) has been the leading purveyor of all images of African American creative origin. 

      From that time to the present, the station/network may have broadcast more images of African Americans than any media outlet ever has, and perhaps ever will.  But there is a dark side to this phenomenon as well. 

      BET has also been the leading outlet for videos by African American artists as well.  This goes doubly so for Hip-Hop music.  For at least a decade or so children from all over the country would come home and make a bee-line straight for the television to nod to the beat and images of their favorite artists.  This is nothing new.  "American Bandstand" and, of course, "Soul Train" once had this entrancing effect on American children as well. 

      However, the content that BET has been accused of profiting from tends to depict African Americans in a negative light.  We would also be remiss not to mention that "American Banstand" and "Soul Train" have also been accused of portraying blacks and other ethnicities in a bad light as well but the major difference with those entities and BET is they were only programs or shows.  BET is a station/network that's on 24 hours a day. 

      But videos are only the tip of the iceberg. Even the commercials sometimes depict black women wearing next to nothing.  With its acquisition by Viacom, critics say BET has been producing an ever increasing line of programs that cater to the lowest common denominator.

      Earlier this summer BET was taken to task over the show "Hot Ghetto Mess," a program that critics say depicts blacks and other ethnic minorities in a negative light; The heat became so intense that the show even change its name. 

      However, Reverend Delman L. Coates of Clinton, Maryland's Mt. Ennon Baptist Church is taking it a bit further.  He and his Enough Is Enough: Campaign for Corporate Responsibility in Entertainment is taking on all comers for the hearts and minds of Black America's future.  Unfortunately for BET they are the first target on the list.  The group has organized a protest, tomorrow, Saturday, Sept 15, outside the home of BET president Debra Lee to urge viewers to boycott the network and to get BET to change its programming.

      "The purpose of the campaign is to protest the commercialization, marketing and distribution of content that degrades black women and portrays negative stereotypes of black and Latino men as pimps, players, hustlers and thugs," Coates told our Lee Bailey.  "We're also focusing on corporations that sponsor and advertise on media outlets that promote this content."

      In speaking with Rev. Coates it became quite apparent how passionate he feels about his cause.  But this Saturday's protest will not be the only bullet fired in what the Campaign for Corporate Responsibility in Entertainment hopes will be a long war.

      "Additionally, we are focusing on the FCC to do more to enforce its mandate on indecency on the public airways between 6am and 10pm," he continued. "We are also looking for Congress to allow consumer choice in the cable industry; more popularly known as ala carte cable.  We believe this is important because, currently, even if consumers change the channel, their cable bill is still going towards subsidizing those outlets that produce content that they don't desire or support.  (On top of that), the FCC put out a report in 2006 that said ala carte cable will help reduce cable bills by 13 percent." 

      It appears that Reverend Coates has studied his battle plan thoroughly and is ready to attack.  Often times the war on so-called indecency comes from a member of an older generation that is not aware of the joy, fun and educational content that was once apparent in the culture.  The 34-year-old preacher man says he is no stranger to today's Hip-Hop culture.  

      "I'm a child of Hip-Hop music.  I grew up on Run DMC, KRS 1, Afrika Bambaataa, Tribe Called Quest and Del La Soul," said Coates. "I am a child of Hip-Hop music and I believe that it's not just those that are 40 and over (protesting). There are many young adults, and many teenagers who I believe are equally concerned and, to a large degree, disgraced by the representation that's being shown."

      BET may take his intended actions personally, and we're fairly certain Ms. Debra Lee feels the same way, but Coates says this goes beyond BET and even beyond the mediums of radio and television all together.

      "It's really about the kind of world that we want to leave to our children and grandchildren," Coates reasoned. "There has been a growing coarseness in American popular culture. If we, as Americans, don't begin to balance between our freedoms and dealing with them responsibly we will destroy our society from within.  Right now we are battling a war against those who seek to destroy us from the outside, but if we don't move now we stand in jeopardy.  We stand to destroy ourselves from within.  As African Americans and as Americans we are destroying our minds, souls and hearts.  It's more than just music.  These lyrics are destroying the minds and ambitions of our future generations."

      In the past the tactics of protestors of rap music tend to pick the hottest artist out at the time and go after him. In doing so they hope to curtail his record sales and have the rest of the industry fall in line when their bottom line is threatened. However, that seldom works.  Rev. Coates is taking a refreshingly different approach.

      "This campaign does not go after the individual artist because they have the constitutional right to produce whatever music they desire," said Coates.  "This campaign is not debating artistic freedom or individual artists' rights.  This campaign is about corporate responsibility and government responsibility." 

      Rev. Coates is not talking about taking it to a man, but to the man.  Whatever man has anything to do with what he calls "entertainment crack."  During the "Hot Ghetto Mess" situation our Lee Bailey spoke with BET creator Robert Johnson. During the discussion Mr. Johnson said it was not fair for BET to be held to different standards when it came to content, while other networks get away with being "cutting edge." He says such attacks only cut into the network's ability to create.  We asked Coates his take on Mr. Johnson's response.

      "I don't know Mr. Johnson, but I do think that black executives have a responsibility to be accountable to the community. There were people before us who suffered, bled, died so that we can have our broadcast licenses.  There are people who struggled so that African American executives could benefit from these positions.  Dr. King didn't die so that we could present ourselves before the world stage in a negative way." 

      "We have a tremendous responsibility today," Coates added. "This campaign is about allowing the voices of the people to be heard. (Robert Johnson's) voice needs to be positioned in counter to others in the black community who have another voice so that the world can hear that we are deeply disturbed by these very stereotypical portrayals of African Americans that, by the way, are not bought by African Americans. We may buy into images but, from what I understand, 70 percent of this music is purchased by the dominant culture. So, what that means is the dominant culture is selecting the images and messages that it deems are acceptable for African Americans. That's disturbing.  What that means is the gangster image, and the gratuitous sexualization of black men and black women, are images that the dominant culture affirms.  These images are not necessarily organically affirmed by the black community."

      We would be selling ourselves short if we did not simply state 'Poor BET.'  Seriously, every time you turn around, here comes another protest group marching up to their doors.  Perhaps the network can take heart in the fact that they are not the only target. 

      "The Enough is Enough campaign is not a campaign against BET," said Coates. "We're kicking it off against Black Entertainment Television and Viacom, which is the largest conglomerate that purveys in this type of image. BET is a piece of the problem."

      The world is full of protestors and malcontents, but when given the opportunity to state exactly what it is they want the room often falls silent.  But the Campaign for Corporate Responsibility in Entertainment's founder has a few things in mind.

      "We would like to see media companies and music companies develop universal guild lines as to the content they distribute. Specifically images that do not portray black and Latino men and women as pimps and thugs (and) this sort of glorification of criminal activities.  For example, the Bad Boy artist Young Joc ... he has a song out now playing on the radio and BET called "The Coffee Shop." Anyone who listens to the song, who reads the lyrics online can see that this is a song that glorifies drug dealing.  The real issue is this, when it comes to creative content there are standards. These are minimal standards that I'm talking about. I'm not talking about censorship per se. There are standards for every other special interest group.  You cannot get on the radio or on wax and degrade our Jewish sisters and brothers. You cannot get on radio or on wax and degrade gay Americans and have people accept and you get away with it."

      There are indeed standards.  As is the case in any media outlet, large or small, the gatekeepers decide who and what gets played. In hammering his point home the Reverend mentioned a content situation regarding Young Buck and it was over content you may not have expected from him.  

      "I don't know if it's true, but I understand that Interscope artist Young Buck had a song that was to be on his on his current album that addresses police brutality.  But the executives at Interscope cut that song under the pretext that it would bringing too much attention being against police.  So, now with Michael Vick, you cannot condone violence against dogs.  But if you put out an album talking about shooting another black man then that's OK."      

      There has been outrage over the images of African Americans by African Americans themselves since the late 1800s. Unfortunately, as with all things, it too goes through peaks and valleys and is largely dependent upon who is creating the images in question.  Reverend Coates feels that is part of the problem.

      "We have to be consistent in our outrage.  Dr. King said an injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere.  So if we're going to be outraged at this kind of hate speech in other places then we have to be concerned about it in our own community.  I think this is an opportunity for people that used to be a part of the problem to now be a part of the solution.  We're not asking people to go back 10 years ago and change.  We're saying lets try to come to the table and go forward."

      "This week an intermediary reached out to me about the campaign and I was willing to meet with the executives from BET, but they rejected that opportunity.  That's fine, but whats that's really saying to the community is we don't care.  We don't really care.  We just want to shut down all discourse about the situation.  I'm not interesting in meeting to discuss tactics on why I'm doing what I'm doing.  I'm interested in discussing change."

      Previous protest actions have taken place at BET headquarters or some other corporate property.  In taking his campaign to the door of one of the most powerful media mavens in the land, Coates hopes to send a clear message.  Here's what he had to say about those that feel he is taking it to the extreme by protesting in front of someone's home, even if that someone is president of BET.

      "Actually, our campaign is about home.  It's about what's happening at people's homes.  So maybe it's actually more fitting and proper because the 500 people that are (going to be there will be there) because of what's being let in their homes and they don't have a choice about what's being let into there homes.  This campaign is about children.  I understand that Ms. Lee has children, but many of the people that are going to be there are children. We're going to have children speaking at our press conference on Saturday.  We're going to have parents speak as well.  I'm actually glad to hear that BET is concerned about what's going on at home.  That means we're moving in a positive direction.  I know the tactic is going to get some attention, but I believe it's a reflection of how concerned people are. I just saw an email on our campaign website from a guy in Atlanta who is talking about sponsoring a bus to come up here to Washington, D.C. to protest with us. Lots of African Americans want to send a message to the world that these messages do not reflect who we are."

      For more information visit www.EnoughIsEnoughCampaign.com.