I am not sure if you read my above post but it would be better to know what these other radio stations stand for-apart from entertaining folks

otherwise your work done will be zero

Well look at it like this, before you request unity from the DJs, ask what have they done in iscolation that would really make a change when they unite? Not critisizing but I only know a handful that have actually taking on some form of organised responsibilities in the community. The rest r only respected for turning up to the radio station and coordinating conversations......is this what the basis of the leadership in the African communities is going to be dependent on?

I wont request for them to unite based on any reason relative to leadership in the community, I would ask them to unite based on advertising and popularising the real works and people putting stuff on the ground.

Secondly, if you ask any DJ about uniting with other DJs and his first words r to critisize the attempt by pointing out characteristics of other DJs,thatDJ himself israther exposing a side of himself. All those that say they r down from the start without the lefts and rights, r the genuine ones.

Roots FM discussed wit me hosting a talk show a while back, due to limited time from the work I do in the UHURU Movement I couldnt further progress that convo, Hmmmm, maybe if I took it I would have been a community leader and circulated in this discussion to unite with radio hosts who are now community leaders.

You would find out eventually these people are not the reason why the masses listen to their show, people listen to their shows because communication is something that is deprived of and threatened in our communities by the media making us fear one another, so private talk shows are the only time we get to engage with each other.

When we develop communities and more engagement, community employment, etc increases, where we can speak to each other freely and directly relative to our roles in community development, you would find out radio talk show numbers would decrease. And you would also discover why most of those who are actually active in the community are less likely to bother with the conversations.

UHURU means FREEDOM

www.InPDUM.org

N.A.T: you makes sme good points which I'm going to extend..because whilst i think the initiative by Judge J, has some merit..I think its fundermentally flawed...

He mentioned Angie Le Mar, henry Bonsu, dotun Adebayo, Angie greaves and Jenny francis...etc.. The fact is unless i missed my guest these people will NEVER join such an initiative and even if they could.. They are simply in in a position as EMPLOYEES of their European owned Radio stations to voice our thoughts in a constructive or positive way...

Ben Zep, Kwane Kwei, and Joyce Ohahlah..are just well know black faces whilst they might be useful as figureheads..would they really have the time or committment to become involved? and why stop there why not ask Frank Bruno, Ainsley Harriot too..if the only two criterias is being Black and Well known..

As for Radio Stations like Juice, Galaxy, Genesis, PowerJam, Bassline etc or Blacknet, Black in Britian or Black lawyers... The fundermental flaw in asking these groups to speak for the community is simply this.. They have no MANDATE to so.. none of us are deomcratically elected in any way to feel confident to espouse the BLACK voice.. and for me its a bit presumptious to try and to so..

Plus just because a radio station or Website has the word 'black' in it does not make them either a BLACK organisation or that they share our ideas... I don't think Judge J has reaserched some of the names he put throughly because if he had..he might realise that some of the names he proposes are a contraction..

these btw are my personal thoughts and not BLACKNET UK!!

Kunjufu: Your point about asking about Frank Bruno, and Ainsley Harriot was pointless, obviously I know where to draw the line.

However you do raise some valid points about some of the names mentioned being a contradiction, and about assuming because an organisation has the word Black in in their name that they are worthy enough to represent this cause.

Just remember that the whole onus of this thread was to get ideas from people about how some form of unity can be achieved. What prompted me to investigate these hosts opinions was the fact that no matter what show I listen to , whether its on Genesis, Galaxy etc whenever I listen to the people ring in, the underlining solution, to the issues they seem to bring forward,which seems to be echoed week after week seems to be U.N.I.T.Y. BUT ALL I EVER HEAR IS TALK,WITH NO ACTION.

Maybe my idea was a bit nieve, or idealistic? or maybe the mistake is that I just focused too much on just radio hosts. For example yesterday I put the question to Lawyer and Hakim who host the Argument Show on Flames 94.4FM on Fridays from 11pm to 1pm. He suggested

1.Instead of focusing mainly on radio hosts, to bring in more black people who work closly with the youths i.e. Youth workers, black teachers, mentors, etc

2. The meeting should not be a one off event, but somthing that would go on every year i.e every 3/4/ months etc.

IDEAS ARE NEEDED PEOPLE. Maybe Doctah X has a point about it being impossible for us to unite based on colour, BUT U KNOW WHAT WHEN THE TIME COMES WHEN THE GOVERNMENT WILLBRING IN LAWS THAT WILL AFFECT ALL BLACKS NO MATTER WHAT RELIGION, ETHICAL BELIEF, SEX, CLASS STATUS WE WILL HAVE NO CHOICE BUT TO UNIFY, AND THE WAY WE ARE DYING THESE DAYS AT THE HANDS OF OUR OWN THAT TIME IS COMING SOONER RATHER THAN LATER.

Best is out of tune, say black community's 'real' voices

Demand is growing for a boycott of the Voice newspaper

Race in Britain - Observer special

David Rowan
Sunday March 10, 2002
The Observer


The switchboard has barely been silent at the Brixton offices of the Voice , 'Britain's best black newspaper' and new-found friend of Fleet Street's more conservative editors. Ever since he urged a return of 'stop-and-search' policing in a BBC interview last week, the editor, Mike Best, has found himself widely praised as a rare community leader who dares to tell the truth about black crime.

In a week when Ashley Walters, a member of garage band So Solid Crew, faced jail for carrying a loaded gun, and Jamaican reggae singer Elephant Man said he would never return to Britain after seeing a friend killed, finally a community figure was prepared to say the unsayable.


But beyond the right-wing press and his own newspaper, Best's remarks have been less well received. Particularly among those identified by the Macpherson report into the murder of Stephen Lawrence as having suffered disproportionately under stop-and-search. On black community radio stations and internet talk forums last week, demands grew for a boycott of the Voice and a mass letter-writing campaign condemning Best's alleged 'racism'.


It is here, say critics, that the issues affecting Britain's black communities are thrashed out in passionate debates and lively talk shows. 'It is here,' said one figure, 'that the black community tears its heart out over the things that affect their daily lives, not in the pages of papers like the Voice .'


The question being asked repeatedly is how the editor of a 40,000-circulation tabloid - known more for tabloid trivia, rap-star interviews and public-sector job notices than serious debate - has come to be seen as a representative community leader.


'Black people are the scapegoats yet again,' said Abdul Jahtata, who presents a talk show on the south London pirate-radio station Galaxy FM. 'The editor of the Voice knows that. He's just an Uncle Tom, doing the white man's work for him. The Voice doesn't represent us.'


The debate on the Blacknet internet forums has also been fiercely critical of Best, urging black people to boycott his newspaper 'to let them know they are not speaking for all of us'.
'He should have known better than to use this issue to raise the profile of his paper,' stated a typical message signed by The Realmiss. 'Mike Best is foolish, and ... should have known as a black journalist that if you say anything that falls into [the tabloids'] narrow perception of black people and crime, they will jump on it.'


Another contributor added: 'The last thing we need is the sus laws again. The police are just waiting for an opportunity to bring back those times.'


The debate has been the main talking point on black radio stations too. 'We're hearing from mothers and concerned fathers, even young people are ringing in worried about the growing gun violence,' said Kwaku, who presents a phone-in on Powerjam, a London pirate station.


'The community is fed up, and doesn't think the police are doing enough. But nor do they think stop-and-search will make a difference. The police will just target the black community, as if every young black boy is carrying a gun,' said Kwaku. 'A lot of our callers are saying it's poverty, drugs that's the problem. Films, records, even the Nintendo games the kids are playing - it's all violence-based. These young men are living out those characters.'


The community stations, especially the pirates, provide outlets for a range of other concerns that presenters claim find no space in mainstream black publications such as the Voice or its rival, the New Nation . 'People call us... about everything from immigration problems... to the lack of hygiene inspections at the butcher's shop', says Rene Dan, who presents the Sunday 'Interactive' talk show on Galaxy FM.


Today's show will be dealing with family responsibilities and problems caused by absent fathers, an issue causing great anguish among many of Galaxy's listeners. 'We're trying to get fathers to be more responsible, to pay more concern to their children,' said Dan. 'With that kind of support, we wouldn't have this chaos on the streets.'


Last week the hot topic was the failure of schools to provide an education that meets black children's needs. 'People say there's nothing in schools for their children - they're not being taught who they are. School exclusion is also a big issue - where do they go when they're excluded? What support do they get? These children end on the scrapheap.'


Another frequent topic on Galaxy, which has been unable to obtain a broadcasting licence, is the representation of black people in the mainstream media. But the main discussion has remained the problem of guns on the street, following remarks by Diane Abbott MP about a 'lawless gun culture' and further comments from Lee Jasper, Ken Livingstone's race adviser. 'We're opening a wound over stop-and-search,' Dan said.


Jahtata added: 'It's shameful that the papers are calling us criminals and muggers.'
Best, meanwhile, has no regrets about his comments, although he says he has been misquoted. 'I actually said that if stopping people would reduce the level of gun-related crime, then so be it. The next thing I know, I'm told the Voice was advocating stop-and-search.
'We care passionately about what's happening to our young people,' he told The Observer . 'Look, we have young men dying on the street. People aren't co-operating with the police. Something has to be done.' But whether Best has the solution remains a moot point within the black community.

Jugde j: I'm just a lay person however i'd like to offer a point of view for you to consider and make of it as you will...

1. You will note the article from the Observer above, note that when the Europeans want to know what we are really thinkingwhere they goto find out...(highlighted in red) Aern't these the very same insitutions you've just targeted?

2. I agree with you, you were niave, in that you focused your energy in the WRONG areas..first of all you never ever made a compelling case as to why unity was needed and nor did you research any evidence to support your claim, what it should be founded on..that is mainly why you're getting the brush off... Dr x is right basing your premise purely on colour won't work, will never work... We have simply moved on from the last century..therefore using last century tactics aint gonna work in the 21st Century..

secondary point: in this day and age there has to be one simple question that people have to get: what is in it for me? unless you answer that you aint getting nowhere...

3. Could it also be that you approached the wrong people?

Question what is the one thing that BLACKNET, GALAXY, GENESIS, BASELINE Etc ETc depend on?

Answer an Audience!!!So it begs the question why you went to the facilitators of Radio Talk Shows and NOT directly to the people that matter...My question to you is this...How do you KNOW this is something thepeople really WANT if you haven't asked them?

Secondary point, maybe its time WE (by that I mean Africans and people of African Descent), should start depend on ourselves and stop waiting for a LEADER, LEADERS or 'supablacks' to show us the way..and START to be MORE demanding as to what we want as a community..

4. I agree that there is a lot of 'talk' but anacdotal assumptions by itself is not fact, the actual facts are that there are pockets and uncordinated efforts everywhere.. Just because you're not aware of it doesn't mean it isn't happening...

Secondary point: It is my belief that there will never ever be another mass movement like the UNIA..The economic and political climate is simply no longer exists... So maybe the mistake on your part is trying to recreate a new massmovement struggle..instead of Alliances across independant but like minded groups.. rather than trying to GET people under one roof, what is wrong with getting people to sign up to a common protocol, action plan..or better still asking them to suggest a plan they COULD LIVE WITH, instead of what they can't live with..

bottom line Judge J: you idea has merit, but you've not thought this through properly and you've not developed your argument to underscore why it is necessary ..until you do that you are going to struggle outside of your comfort zone..

UPDATE

I rang Sista Riza from Galaxy 99.5/102.5 (depending on your radio signal) during her saturday morning information show last week. I asked her my question, and she said it would be good as long as the people were all focused on the same wave length.

I emailed the same question to Amina Taylor, Angie Le Mar, Jumoke Fashola and HAVE HAD NO RESPONSE....HHHHMMMM.

Ive been doing some thinking, even though to an extent Maybe Doctah X and Knjufu are right that its not practical to unify on the base of colour, Im not giving up yet. The way I see it no matter what religion, educational background, social status, family values you weer brought up with TO THE REST OF THE WORLD U ARE JUST ANOTHER BLACK FACE.

DONT U THINK IT WOULD MAKE MORE SENSE TO UNIT FIRST THEN ONCE WE GET SOME SORT OF POSTION OF POWER THEN WE CAN ARGUE ABOUT OUR DIFFERENCES?

I think the first thing we do is find the personalemail address of all the dj we belive to be concerned about our community.

10 Point Actionplan



Point 2

Set up an independant Bullitine board especially for Radio broadcasters were they can meet and converge their thoughts and ideas. Guests could be invited to participateto extend the debate or ideas. The organisation of the black presenters forum should be organised were a single conclusion should be met in a particular time frame which would be communicated through indiviual shows.

When the forum is set up allradio presenterswe belive can further our goal 'unity amongst Radio Station' will be invited to partisipate.



Point 1 extended

All digital mediums should be considered when making inital contact ie.. text, telephone, email but the one most effective whichhas not been consideredis VIDEO. If you camcorder produce a small presentation and upload it to some web space. All you have to do is post the link in the email.

If you need more info on how to do this contact


ielliot aka (ministerofaction)

londoncreative@hotmail.com





we need more members in BN to get involved in our quest.

Biig up Judge J for the vision

Hotep







Its time for these forums to evolve to the next level.



ohh.....

can sombody post all the relevant email addresses of all the presenters they have found.