Martin Luther King: Black radio, Black Music & Words as Weapons

This weekend we’ll be celebrating what would’ve been Dr Martin Luther King‘s 82cd birthday and in doing so we should all be mindful of the power of his words. We should be mindful of King’s words as we continue to dialogue about what sort of responsibility those who speak to the public have especially via broadcast medium.

King who challenged Jim Crow laws and discrimination was considered by his enemies to be a rabble rouser who was creating a dangerous climate with ‘incendiary’words. His words were so powerful that former FBI headJ Edgar Hoover saw fit to follow him and try to disrupt his activities via a program called Cointel-Pro.

There were many including some Black preachers who did not want King to come to their towns and speak because he would stir things up. His ability to move the masses was threatening.

Now at the end of the day, King was able to help push through the Civil Rights Bill of 1964 which put an end to most Jim Crow Laws. He was able to help get the Voting Rights Act of 1965 passed which ended discrimination practices at the polls. At the same time Kings powerful words so enraged folks, that he was constantly receiving death threats. He also ruffled the feathers of powerful people including President Lydon Johnson after he spoke out against the Vietnam War.

If Kings words were seen as important weapons against discrimination, why are we not seeing the words of today’s far right punditry weapons to support oppression and draconian behavior and policies?

The other thing to keep in mind about Dr King was his shrewd understanding of media in particular radio and what a powerful tool it was. many do not talk about the special relationship King had withJack ‘Jack tha Rapper Gibson and the nations first Black owned radio station WERD founded in 1949 which was housed in the same building as King’s SCLC headquarters on Auburn street in Atlanta.

Gibson is credited with being the first to broadcast King and other Civil Rights leaders on public airwaves. There are stories about how when rallies and special events were unfolding, King would bang on the ceiling with a broom to the studio housed above him, the disc jockey would lower the boom mic and King would speak to the people via radio.

In 1967 Dr King delivered a rare and powerful speech in Atlanta to NATRA ( National Association of Television and Radio Announcers). The members of this important African American organization were very appreciative as King laid out the indispensable role Black radio had played in shaping and furthering the Civil Rights struggle. King names off some of the key unsung radio heroes who he says there would not have been a Civil Rights movement had they not reflected the mood of the people and brought critical information to the masses.

King also talks about how radio is the most important and predominant medium in the Black community. It has far more reach and influence than television. He also talks about how the music these Black radio announcers played. King asserted that it helped united people. King pointed out how Blacks and Whites were listening to the same songs and doing the same dances and that the Soul Music these disc jockey’s played had served as an important cultural bridge.

He also talks about how some of them were vilified for ‘creating a climate’ that led to the unrest in American cities. Most notable was the radio announcer namedMagnificent Montague who had coined the phraseBurn Baby Burn to describe a hot record, but was later used a rallying cry for the Watts Riots of 1965.

Montague who was good friends with Malcolm X who had been assassinated earlier that year, was on the air at KGFJ was accused of riling the people up and causing the mayhem. He had done no such thing, nevertheless LAPD paid him a visit. Montague was made to drop the slogan Burn Baby Burn to Have Mercy Baby.

Below is a special mix I did called MLK vs the Radio.. It contains excerpts from that rare NATRA speech..

I am also posting up the entire speech which is absolutely brilliant Dr Martin Luther King NATRA-Full speech

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UHdnMfGtAxM

Living For 32: Colin Goddard's Virginia Tech Shooting In Wake Of Gabrielle Giffords

Living For 32, the Oscar-considered documentary of how Colin Goddard has worked as an advocate for gun control in the wake of the Virginia Tech shooting, gains higher attention after Saturday's shooting of 18 people by Jared Lee Loughner, killing six, and critically injuring U.S. Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords.

I interviewed Living For 32 director Kevin Breslin over Skype last month. The result is a 32 minute long, wide ranging talk about the film, Goddard, and life, including the New York snow problem.

Here are the videos below, parts 1, 2, and 3. This is a quick presentation: a more detailed sketch will come soon.

David Shaw Stanford Football's New Head Coach

It's rare that I get a text from my buddy and Stanford Football and Baseball Legend Michael Dotterer, but I got one for the third time in as many weeks.

The first one was regarding the Stanford Orange Bowl game; the second about Jim Harbaugh to the San Francisco 49ers as their head guy, now this one was about Stanford's new head coach, David Shaw. But it had some spice to it.

Press Conference at 1:30pm PST to announce Coach Shaw as our next Head Football coach!!!! Soooo excited!!!!!!!

Those of you reading this who know the former Stanford Fullback, are aware that Dotterer can get excited over a full moon, but in all the years I've known him, this is the first time he's expressed that much joy over a new Stanford coach. But this is for good reason.

David Shaw, the now former Offensive Coordinator for the Stanford Cardinal, is a brilliant coach.

ESPN tried, for some weird reason, to toss water on his selection - and I will state that out of 66 NCAA Division 1 Football Programs, Shaw is just the sixth black head coach - but the truth is that anyone who's followed Stanford Football, and you can't be a Cal fan and not do so to some degree, knows it has been coach Shaw who developed the Stanford passing game.  Plus, Shaw's title has been offensive coordinator for four years.

(Some reporters don't understand the difference between coordinator and coach.  A coach - like offensive line coach - directs what the players do on a person-to-person basis.   The coordinator is the overseer, who puts the players in positions to run the offense.  That's what Shaw did.)

Shaw has been praised in this space at Zennie62.com many times. In Harbaugh's first two years, Shaw was recognized as the Offensive Coordinator, and while the run blocking was different, the passing game was, and has always been, lethal. The only difference between 2007 - 2008 and 2009 to 2010 was the installation of zone blocking by Assistant Head Coach Greg Roman, who joined the staff in 2009.

That's what sprang loose Stanford Running Back Toby Gerhart, now with the NFL's Minnesota Vikings.

It's no trick for form a passing game around such a scheme, and that's what Shaw did. It's also not rocket science to teach zone blocking, and Shaw was able to learn from Roman, who came to Stanford from the Baltimore Ravens. So, yes, it can be said that Shaw's the heart-and-soul of what remains at Stanford after Harbaugh. Will he do well?

Cal aside, and for obvious reasons, if Shaw sets his objective as the National Championship, the answer's yes. Considering where Stanford has been in 2010 (the Orange Bowl and losing just one game), that's the next logical step.

Stay tuned.

Ines Sainz - Jets To Win Super Bowl; Jets Cromartie Calls Brady Asshole

Remember sexy, hot Ines Sainz? The female anchor who was the target of footballs thrown at her by Jets players and coaches? The same one who sparked an NFL investigation of the same New York Jets?

Well, she's picking the Jets to win the Super Bowl.

What's that all about? Well, Ines Sainz didn't complain about the Jets, another female reporter did. So that wasn't "about her;" she liked the Jets.

Meanwhile, Jets Cornerback Antonio Cromartie called Tom Brady an asshole. Why? It seemed a contrived reason from a player who's coach has been getting way too personal with opponents, as I say here:



The Jets winning the Super Bowl?  

Why do I have the feeling that would be the Devil's work?

Obama Tucson Speech: President Barack Obama Is Back

After a brief absence, he's back: President Barack Obama's Tucson Speech signified the President's return to that full-power greatness we'd not seen in a long while.

Obama's return started just before the end of Congress' last term, then in 2011 was growing. But it took the tragedy that was the shooting of Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords and 18 others to bring it to full strength.

The "it" is Barack Obama's unique ability to tap into the collective conscience of America at the very time it matters most.

Obama did it with the "Race Speech: A More Perfect Union" in 2008, where then-Senator Obama, faced with a racist element in his own campaign that he had to bring under control, talked to America about race from his place as a bi-racial American.

Obama did it again in his first State Of The Union Speech, and yet again, in the first major speech delivered to the Muslim nations by a sitting President of The United States. Faced with overwhelming odds, and more often than not, a spot you couldn't send to the cleaners, President Obama delivered. And in doing so, again and again, reminded us of our own humanity.

When I first heard the Obama Tucson Speech, I'd just walked in and turned on the TV set.  The President was in the middle of his speech, and the crowd at the University of Arizona was just plain into it.  So much so, that I was drawn in, in just seconds.  The American Family was at the TV set, listening to our leader of the free World.

Obama spoke with such coiled emotional power it seemed as if he was trying to avoid crying.  That feeling came through the TV set and into my living room.   If you weren't moved by that speech, you were either not human or jealous that Obama didn't pick you to be in his administration.

I get that feeling from CNN's David Gergen, an advisor to past presidents, including President Clinton, and who more often than not struggles to praise President Obama.  Gergen tried to throw cold water on the impact of Obama's speech, but ended up sounding like someone still smarting from not being in this President's inner circle.

Gergen aside, everyone liberal and conservative and in between praised Obama's speech.  "Obama Tucson Speech" is one of the stop searches on Google.  And as we saw Obama walk with First Lady Michelle Obama to Air Force One, he bounded up the steps to the plane with a new energy and purpose.

He heeled America, and he knew it.

President Obama is back.

Gabrielle Giffords Oakland Candlelight Vigil Draws Rep. Barbara Lee

On the night of the Tucson, Arizona memorial for U.S. Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords and the 18 others who were shot and six killed by Jared Lee Loughner, the East Bay Young Democrats organized a well-done candlelight vigil in front of Oakland City Hall.

About 200 people came out by my estimate, and including U.S. Congresswoman Barbara Lee, Oakland Mayor Jean Quan, and Oakland Councilmembers Jane Brunner, and Rebecca Kaplan, and new Oakland councilmember Libby Schaaf.

Congresswoman Lee said she would support New York Congressman Peter King's proposal to ban guns from within 1,000 feet of any congressional event. A no-brainer there. Rep. Lee is against the use of guns, period and see "no reason why" anyone would want to bring one to such an event.

Amen.

It was great to see our Congresswoman at the vigil, but I felt the event should have been more about our support for her as much as for what happened in Arizona.  Regardless of what she says, Congresswoman Lee certainly has to now wonder what this all means for her safety.  Letting her know she's valued and protected should be an objective of her supporters, and that's us.

Mayor Quan Calls For Gun Violence Reduction

Mayor Quan said that she's committed to the reduction of gun use in Oakland, and an increase in police presence. Indeed, she said that there would be a return to "beat cops" in various areas of Oakland.  Mayor Quan noted that violent crime had been at lower levels over the last four years, and hoped the six homicides in the last 11 days were just a blip.

Councilmember Kaplan (At-Large) said we have to work to reduce violence both locally and nationally.  "I want to make clear that 30,000 people a year are victims of gun violence," she said, "We have a lot of work to do to make sure we're not promoting violence."

Councilmember Schaaf (District Four - Montlclair, Oakland Hills), an Alum of Emerge California in 2009, said that Gabrielle Giffords was one of the first legislators to join the Advisory Board of the Arizona chapter of the organization formed to bring more women into elected office, and has always been a strong supporter of it.

A Need To Connect

I think it's via tragedy like this that people need to connect with each other, or just escape the whole deal.  I've wavered between both feelings for this entire week.  For the most part, I've chosen the former.   As to where we go from here, we just have to be nicer to each other.   We also must crack down on hate speech, flaming, and Internet trolling.

Enough is enough.

Some argue for "free speech," but look, that's for a public place; the vast majority of Internet sites are privately owned.   So, "free speech?"  Think again.  We're in a position to curb hate speech, and we must do so before it destroys our society.

(As a note, for those not familiar with such things, the elected officials are presented in order of standard protocol: President, Senator, Congresswoman, State Reps, Mayor, Councilmembers, New Councilmembers.)

Golden Globes 2011: Party At Balboa Theater in San Francisco

The Golden Globes 2011 Weekend is near and San Francisco's Balboa Theater at 3630 Balboa Street (at 37th Avenue) joins the ranks of venues holding major parties up and down the California coast.

Gary Meyer, who runs the Balboa Theater, sent an email which reads:

Join the Golden Globes Party at the Balboa Theatre on Sunday, January 16. Cheer and jeer. Come dressed up or dressed down or as your favorite nominated movie or TV show.


Doors open at 4:45pm and the show starts at 5pm sharp.


The Golden Globes will be projected in High Definition with Dolby Stereo through the Meyer Sound system.


There will be some great prizes and surprises.


All seats only $5.00. Advance tickets available at Brown Paper Tickets
www.brownpapertickets.com/event/146439


Come early or stay late and see BLACK SWAN or THE FIGHTER (separate admission required)

For more information call (415) 221-8184.