Talk Back: Our Conversation with CLEAR CHANNEL about Misogyny, Balance & Diversity

Recently, two members of  FAAN Mail joined the Director of News and Community Affairs at Clear Channel  for a taped interview to discuss our concerns about the onslaught of misogyny and lack of diversity and balance on mainstream urban radio.  The interview aired last Sunday on POWER 99 in Philadelphia.

Tune in to the 10 minute podcast HERE.

Special thanks to Loraine Ballard Morrill from Clear Channel and Women’s Way for helping to facilitate this first step of dialogue. We hope to have more opportunities to continue this conversation with Clear Channel about what steps they will take to counter their misogyny with a more diverse and balanced reflection of our community, supporting their commitment to “treat people with respect, fairness and humanity”.

Check out our community dialogue on radio politics to learn about the barriers independent artists face and how we can change this by taking collective responsibility. Yes, audiences, artists and radio industry professionals have a role to play if we want to see change.

So please join us and tell Clear Channel your concerns in the comments below or tweet your concerns to @ClearChannel. We will keep you posted about our efforts and progress.

Talk Back: Lil Wayne and the Corporations Behind Him

Rapper Lil Wayne’s music is in heavy rotation on most urban radio stations in the US.  His misogynistic lyrics are generally (not always) tolerated and celebrated.

But when he released a track last week with the artist Future that trivialized the violent killing of civil rights icon Emmett Till, the misogyny and disrespect sparked public outrage. Although L.A. Reid, CEO of Epic Records (Future’s label, not Wayne’s) has apologized and promised to remove the offensive content from the track, Lil Wayne has been silent.  The family of Emmett Till is demanding an apology from the artist.

We believe Emmett Till’s family and the black community deserve more than an apology — from Lil Wayne and the corporations that back him.

We want answers and real action from Epic Records, Cash Money Records, Sony Entertainment, Universal Music Group, Clear Channel, Radio One, and Viacom —  media corporations that consistently provide a platform for misogynistic and hateful messages about black and brown communities.

We encourage others to join us and talk back to these corporations. How? Here are some ideas:

Share or create your own memes.  Express yourself in an Open Letter and post it to your blog.  Talk about this with your friends, film it and upload it to youtube. Make a PSA. Create a remix or mashup that gets people thinking. Use satire to critique what you see. Organize a petition. Organize direct action. Do something totally creative and unexpected to get people talking about this. Support the media that is reflective of who we are as a diverse people.

And use twitter to call out not only @LilTunechi, but @epic_records,  @UMG, @SonyEntNet, @ClearChannel, Radio One and @Viacom.

Together, let us TALK BACK – through our words and actions-  and be heard.

Collectively, we are strong. The question is —  are we willing to act?

Talk Back: “Birthday Song”

These videos are a response to “Birthday Song” and all other “hits” that dehumanize our people. We advocate for collective responsibility and urge one another to speak up, to talk back to powerful media corporations and to support media that values our humanity and diversity. Join the movement. #TALKBACK.

All I want for my Birthday:

Most of all, WE want a meeting with Lucien Grainge, CEO of Universal Music Group, to discuss these concerns and others raised in our Open Letter.

PUBLICITY:

It’s Time for Women of Color to Talk Back via Huffington Post

Media Literacy Group Fights Back Against Negative Images of Women of Color via Clutch Magazine

Women Of Color Tell 2 Chainz What They Want For Their Birthday via Jasiri X at The Black Youth Project

Women of Color Activists Take On 2 Chainz’s ‘Birthday Song’ via Colorlines

(VIDEO) Women Of Color Talk Back via Huffington Post LIVE 

FAAN Mail is Talking Back: No “Big Booty Hoes” for 2 Chainz’ Birthday this Year via BUST Magazine

Hip Hop Feminism and FAAN Mail via the Anna Julia Cooper Project on Gender, Race and Politics in the South at Tulane Univ.

FAAN Mail Interview with Occupy The Hood Radio via Progressive Radio Network

Media outlets, community groups, academic institutions, educators & allies help us by sharing/writing about our TALK BACKS and provoking dialogue. They are an important piece of this movement.

5 Ways you can help:

1. Share the talk back videos, memes or Open Letter on your blog, tumblr, Facebook or online magazine!

2. Tweet this:  Women of color demand accountability from @UMG & @clearchannel, media corporations: http://goo.gl/uVGgM  via @faanmail

3. Create your own Talk Back (via video, meme, etc.) and send it to us!

4. Share and discuss this talk back with your college and high school students.

5. Email faanmail(at)gmail.com or tweet us at @faanmail to get involved and stay in the loop.