NEW GROUP FORMS TO COUNTERACT NEGATIVE IMAGES AND DISRESPECTFUL DISCOURSE IN THE PUBLIC MEDIA
A group of like-minded Black women, increasingly dismayed with the hate filled climate that permeates our country, has formed a new grass roots, media watch organization. STAND (Speaking Together Against Negative Discourse), was created as a means to counteract negative images and disrespectful discourse in the public media.
The portrayal of President Obama as a monkey, the vulgar term to describe a US president which aired on MSNBC, the depiction of our Nation’s White House as a gangster Whitehouse, and the use of the term “Tar Baby” a historically demeaning term for African Americans, to describe a difficult situation involving the first African American President of the United States, are a just a few of the recent examples of the total disrespect a segment of our population has not only for President Obama, but for the highest office in the land, the US Presidency.
It seems that it has been open season for many in our society who consistently make demeaning, thoughtless statements that reflect a total disregard for our citizens, many who have made enormous contributions to the growth and success of this country. The most recent comment was the labeling of the Chairman of the Federal Reserve as a traitor.
The statement that “African-American children were better off during slavery than they are today” has no basis in fact and gives subtle support to an institution that demoralized a people for centuries. Yet this and other negative sound bites are consistently reported and given credence by the media without regard to the damage it does to a people and it’s perpetuation of racism.
Recognizing the power of words and symbolisms, STAND advocates for objectivity, reasonability, fairness and balance in what is said, how it is stated and how all people and issues are portrayed over the public airwaves and in printed media. STAND members are no longer willing to ignore this progressively deteriorating public discourse that fuels negative stereotypes, discrimination and hate, and thwarts the progress of American culture and society. We ask you to STAND with us!
S.T.A.N.D. (Speaking Together Against Negative Discourse)…a grass roots organization formed to counteract negative images and disrespectful discourse over our Public Airwaves and in our printed and electronic media.
