February 01, 2003
Asian Men in The Newsroom: Few & Far Between
Few Asian Males Work For TV News by Mae M. Cheng
One of the most visible Asian-American men reporting for a national news network is now off the air. James Hattori, CNN's San Francisco-based correspondent, the anchor of its weekly science and technology program and a past veteran of CBS News, was among a group of respected correspondents whose contracts weren't renewed earlier this month.
Only 20 Asian males in the top 25 markets?! It gets me to wondering about the number of Black males in the same markets. I rarely see a Black male anchor. Not that there are an overwhelming amount of Black women at anchor desks.
I don't have enough confidence (faith?) to check out the National Association of Black Journalists' website though. Kinda think they don't bother with trifling statistics.
Haven't Read the Rags in Years, But...
Howard University Recognizes Publisher After Gift
Howard University is renaming its School of Communications for publishing magnate John H. Johnson after receiving a $4 million contribution from him, college officials said yesterday.
The gift is one of the largest given to Howard. Johnson, publisher of Ebony and Jet magazines, said he wanted to recognize the university's key role in educating African American students -- several of whom, he noted, now work for him at the world's largest black-owned publishing company.
Can't remember the last time I read either Ebony or Jet. Even as a kid I recognized that they were/are trifling (word of the day anyone?). Still, it's great to see at least one Black magnate is supporting an African American institution. It's a shame that that is the largest contribution ever to Howard though. One would think with so many rich, powerful alumni, this would be a pittance.
February 03, 2003
Not So Fast
Homosexuality and Homoeroticism in Black Sports
When Derrick Peterson appeared in the pages of a gay magazine last summer, it seemed a breakthrough for black gay and bisexual athletes. Peterson, an American champion 800 meter runner, was hailed as the first active black professional athlete to come out of the locker room closet.
[ ... ]
When interviewed for this article, Peterson denied that he was gay or bisexual and declined to define his sexual orientation. "I don't want to be called something or labeled something that I am not," he said. His comments echoed earlier remarks reported in Genre, in which he said, "I hate labels. I don't really care what people think of my sexual orientation. I like men and women."
While I can't blame Peterson for denying his orientation -- the sporting world is extremely homophobic, backwards and ignorant -- it would have boosted the self-esteem of so many closeted athletes.
This piece is another fine example of Keith Boykin's reporting and writing.
Justified Paranoia
Anyone know the exact process to obtain FBI dosiers?
There’s probably an FBI file on me now. There probably always was.
It's probably true for my dumb ass too (yelling at some obscure governor of a small, backwards southern state at a convention for Black journalists wasn't too smart).
Rachel James Presents...
The 3rd Issue of 28MM, a showcase for photography.
I love the simplicity and diversity of the photographers. She's also looking for contributors for the site's blog.
February 05, 2003
WTF?!?
Which OS are You?
I don't even know how to change my templates without bugging a friend, so how the hell can I be anything but a Mac OS!
[ VIA George, inspired to actually use it after seeing it at Tyler's place ]
February 09, 2003
Hiatus Soon End
Donald has made a few changes. Hoping to see him blogging again, real soon.
February 11, 2003
While Bob Johnson Shucks & Jives
News Channel Aims to Fill BET Void
A Florida lawyer and cable television entrepreneur plans to launch a 24-hour news-and-talk channel aimed at black viewers, hoping to grab the niche abandoned by Black Entertainment Television, which recently dropped most news programming.
Let's hope that MBC will do a much better job (given BET's legacy record, that should be extremely easy).
Looking For Patricia Meili
Allan Wolper: It's Time to Name the Central Park Jogger
With Book Deal, She Doesn't Need Protection
I wanted to identify New York's Central Park Jogger in this column. But my editors told me I would have to wait until April 8 when her book, I Am the Central Park Jogger: A Story of Hope and Possibility, with her name on the cover, begins showing up in stores everywhere.
My editors felt queasy about E&P becoming the first mainline print publication to name her. But they're letting me explain how they and the rest of the news media are being pushed around by a publisher peddling a book.
Naming the Jogger before her book's publication does not violate her privacy. She has forgone that by writing the book and agreeing to publicize it. She will announce who she is the day it is published, and then tour the country to promote her story.
The reason reporters keep the names of rape victims out of their newspapers is to spare them the stigma associated with the crime. There is a reason for that. We are a country that still paints a scarlet letter on rape victims.
But the Jogger doesn't need to be protected anymore. She is lifting her veil because she wants to tell the world who she is and how she came back from near death to conquer life. She overcame. She is doing what many people want her to do: destigmatize the status of rape victims. She is opening her life to scrutiny.
Her name is not a journalism secret. New York newspaper editors know who she is. She was identified in police records after she was attacked. WCBS-TV, WNBC-TV, WPIX-TV, and the New York Amsterdam News, a leading black weekly newspaper, all identified her before enclosing her in a cloak of anonymity.
I would not be writing this in the aftermath of April 19, 1989, when the Jogger was raped, beaten, and left for dead on a tree-lined path in Central Park. She was brutalized so badly that to this day she has no idea how many people attacked her.
That story was about a vicious sexual assault. This one is about marketing the victim of that assault. It is about abusing the practice the media use to protect victims.
I am anxious to read this book. But before this April, I want to know what Patricia Meili thinks of the recent turn of events in the case, especially the exoneration of the Central Park 5.
Buggin' Out
Controversial AIDS Film Debuts at Berlin Film Fest
Louise Hogarth's "The Gift," finished just a few days ago, is a collection of interviews with gay men, mostly from the west coast of the United States, looking at the AIDS crisis two decades after it struck.
The documentary's debut follows an article in "Rolling Stone" magazine last month quoting a San Francisco physician as estimating that at least 25 percent of gay men newly infected with the HIV virus had deliberately sought it out.
The article caused sensational headlines worldwide, one newspaper saying "Gays want AIDS," and upset many AIDS charities who have said that suggesting gays are responsible is both wrong and a threat to their funding.
Louise Hogarth's film looks at the phenomenon of "Bug Chasing" -- deliberately contracting the HIV virus -- and "Gift Giving" -- passing it on to others -- although she does not claim that either practice is rife.
I haven'te read the Rolling Stone article and I don't plan on watching this doc. It's so several years ago and smacks of journalistic/cinematic sensationalism.
February 19, 2003
Mixed Up Families, Feelings
BlackLightonline.com, Feb 2003 | Mixed Matches by Mubarak Dahir
It remains, sadly, a problem all too common for those of us in the Gay and Lesbian community, and while family rejection is never easy, it can be particularly painful during the holidays.
The article really wasn't insightful. That's why I can't wait for Noodle magazine's upcoming look at Blasian couples.
Spotlight On: James Baldwin
Biography: Witness James Baldwin
documents the writer's expatriate days in Paris, his civil rights work with Martin Luther King and Malcolm X, and the writing of his best-known essay, The Fire Next Time. While delving into Baldwin's personal and professional successes and his controversial struggles, the program also showcases such seminal texts as Notes of a Native Son, Giovanni's Room, and his play, Blues for Mr. Charlie. Highlights include rare recordings of Baldwin reading his work as well as interviews with actor/activist Ossie Davis, poet Nikki Giovanni, author Sol Stein, biographer David Leeming, correspondent Verta Mae Grosvenor, close friends, relatives and an archival interview with James Baldwin himself.
February 21, 2003
Over 200,000 Strong
Danny Glover, Bonnie Raitt, Alice Walker, Joan Baez, and Rep. Barbara Lee were on the front line at San Francisco's massive anti-war march on Sunday, February 16. Behind them were 200,000 people.
Blacklight Online has pictures of the marchers. While there, check out other interesting articles and its recently opened store.
February 24, 2003
Whitewashed
I was joking with my baby last night that I wish my VCR remote wasn't broken so I could tape the Grammys — altho there'd probably be about 12-15 minutes of good (ie. R&B) stuff to watch from the three hour telecast. Keith Boykin writes:
Not a single black artist received an award during the prime time show.
From his descriptions, it was a boring, lifeless affair:
The Grammys were definitely different from past years, but with an emphasis on performances instead of awards, the absence of people of color performing felt all the more inexcusable. Despite the rage about the Latin explosion a few years ago, there were no Latino performers Sunday night either.
Also gone was the glamour of Grammy days past. Although the producers did a great job of transforming Madison Square Garden into a functioning multifaceted stage, the hall itself lacked the elegance of previous locations. Coupled with a poorly conceived lineup, the award show was lifeless and dull, barely registering on the excitement meter and hardly comparable to electric Grammy shows of past years.
I'm glad the Grammys finally returned to New York City, but I'm disappointed with what the producers chose to show. Sadly, this was the least representative Grammy Awards show in years. At a time when music sales are slumping, the recording industry cannot afford to offend a large portion of its consumer base.
Another Good Man Gone
Due to work and family obligations, Ray will be shutting down his Citiblog. Just when I was preparing to make some minor changes and update my bloglists.
He'll be missed, but I'm hopeful that he'll return in some other form. Possibly offering a random column here, an interesting discussion there.
February 25, 2003
The Chickenhawk-in-Chief
Mother Jones online looks at the unflinching bravery of our your president in:
We were Soldiers Once?The Bush War Record
Bush on why the Air National Guard took him: They could sense I would be one of the great pilots of all time.
February 26, 2003
Boom Baby
[ From Jesse @ Pandagon.net ]
The U.S. Supreme Court could soon grant homosexual activists their own "Roe v. Wade" decision, a constitutional guarantee that would undermine scores of laws that protect the traditional family, according to some opponents.
The LGBT community will never have equality. This case may make it easier for some in several states, but federal and universal equality in the states will never come.
Yeah, I'm a pessimist.