Church Leader Keeping Up Campaign Against the BET Network

DC area Pastor Delman Coates, along with activists and bloggers from around the Country are keeping up their protests against the Black Exploitation Television network (BET), as well as the wider problem of negative images of Black Americans in media.

Hear a roundtable discussion from the blog What About Our Daughters concerning the protests. Pastor Coates is a guest on the panel (for the first hour). The discussion, led by What About Our Daughters Founder Gina McCauley, centered on the methodology of the protests. Several Black Bloggers (no surprise) have a problem with the idea of protesters putting pressure on BET CEO Debra Lee (protesting near her home), stating that the poor woman needs "more time". More time for what? Hitler probably wanted more time to finish his work too... but General Eisenhower had other plans.

See the Podcast Post...from WhatAboutOurDaughters

It is troubling (but totally expected) to hear Black women defending the BET network and its Founder Debra Lee, as if these people care about the impact that they are having on Black youth. Debra Lee, and BET Founder Bob Johnson have made it clear several times in their comments that they are concerned with the bottom line- making money. They don't give a damn about the collateral damage - the mental genocide of an entire generation of young people.

Debra Lee has had at least a decade to do something about changing the negative images of Black people spewed forth by her network. Now, since the heat has been turned up, people are concerned about Debra Lee's feelings?

I have said from the beginning that the fight to improve negative images in the dreaded Black Pop Culture (and in the wider society) will have to be led by Black women. However, when I hear apologists like the one on the What About Our Daughters podcast- calling for a go easy approach against Debra Lee (which has been proven insufficient time and time again), it makes me wonder how serious these women are about changing the current situation. I expect to find Black apologists- they always come out to defend the denigration of Black people (often by Black people) whenever there is an effort to push back against the degenerate popular Black culture. However, I hate to find these people amongst the women who are supposed to be at the front of the line in this effort, claiming to support change. And another not so shocking revelation is that many of these women who claim to be against the images perpetrated by the Rap culture... are some of the biggest fans & consumers of it. They continue to buy the CD's, and make no bones about referring to themselves as fans. In other words, they are financing their own degradation as they are speaking out against it. Go figure.

This was the case during the recent Congressional Hearings Chaired by Illinois Congressman Bobby Rush, on negative Rap images & language. At least two of the Black women who were guests, and who were purportedly advocates for young women and girls (Lisa Fager and Professor Tracy Denean Sharpley-Whiting)have both made it clear that they are fans of Hip Hop culture. They love the music and enjoy listening to it. I have doubts as to how serious these women can be in pushing back against the negative influence in Hip Hop when they are part of the very Culture that degrades them. One even wrote a book with a title that I can't even post without censoring (and received a plug for it during the hearing). LOL give me a break!

You can only push so far when you are friends of the industry IMO... (and that includes anyone buying the CD's). It's a lot harder to discipline a friend... or to discipline your child if you have a buddy relationship with them. How far can you push in that situation, and on the other side... how seriously will you be taken in such an effort? This is one of the big problems that I have with Black women in general.... "Yeah we are protesting negative rap images, but we continue to buy the albums"...which go towards funding the record companies and thus funds their own denigration.

Despite that... I support WhatAboutOurDaughters...and Gina McCauley... because she's no nonsense. Some of the women in her circle of bloggers wish to negotiate with the rappers. LOL. As if these thugs care what these women think. I had to explain that you can't negotiate with Cockroaches. You have to spray. As of right now, I don't see any spraying taking place in the Black community just yet. I see people picking up the spray can however...and that's a good sign. Up until now, people have been making futile attempts to stomp the cockroaches one by one... but they multiply faster than you can get rid of them using that method.

Side Note: It looks like one of these rapper thugs (T.I.) has been arrested for attempting to obtain assault rifles, silencers, and for being a felon in possession of a firearm. And the arrest took place right before a BET Hip Hop event. Not surprised at all.

I'm just as worried about these urban terrorists who are in our midst everyday, as I am about International terrorists. The urban terrorists (judging by the numbers) are an even bigger threat. And it's incredible that young women (especially young Black women) literally fall over themselves to be with these thugs. What is the appeal...other than he will use you, beat you, knock you up...and leave you when he's done (that's if she's not killed in violence first...either at the hands of the bad boy....or by someone aiming for him). This remains the ideal mate for Black women. Unbelievable. What are mothers teaching their daughters? Where are the parents? I ask myself this several times a day, everyday.

And Black folks will defend this man for sure, just as they did with child molester R. Kelly and the rest. It is no secret that I hate Black popular Culture with a passion, and this is an example of why I hate it as intensely as I do.

It is good to have Black men like Pastor Coates who are standing up to say "Enough Is Enough".

One of the women (one of the apologist detractors) asked Pastor Coates "how long do you plan to protest outside of that (poor poor) womans House (referring to Debra Lee)? I immediately screamed... "For as Long As It Takes". And of course Pastor Coates did not disappoint with his response.

Another one of the gripes put forth by these women was an erroneous claim that Pastor Coates was protesting without a purpose. They say that he has not stated any goals or demands, and that he is not clear on anything. He has no purpose... He's just protesting to enjoy the fresh air. NONSENSE!!!

After his initial protest, Dr. Coates held a Press conference and spelled out loud and clear what his goals and demands were. He made clear what the purpose was. See the Press Conference here.

Perhaps these women have selective memories (or just bad ones).

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See A Previous Post Regarding This Protest Effort

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The Rap On Culture - Why Bill Cosby Was Right

In an audio interview from NPR, author Lonnae O'Neal Parker talks about her experiences with Rap/Hip Hop and why she had to turn away from this music.

Listen to Interview Here.

She was far too kind in this interview.....

Ms. Parker just had an Editorial published by the Washington Post, entitled Why I Gave Up On Hip Hop, describing her experiences with Hip Hop and the awakening that led her to turn this music off.

Read The Full Text of Ms. Parkers' Commentary Here.