This quote by Dr. King, stated 40 years ago this week (how timely is that?), reminds me of all that went on last week on black radio with all the different black DJ's, Announcers, Reporters and On-Air Anchors who took this issue head on, opened up the phone lines on it and even went to Jena to participate.
It reminds me of the importance and power of the black radio announcers even with today's radio business priorities of major market ratings and million dollar contracts versus how important it is for them to do the right thing and take the higher road when it comes to situations like this. So I say again to Michael Baisden, I salute you!
“I value the special opportunity to address you this evening, for in my years of struggles both North and South, I have come to appreciate the role which the radio announcer plays in the life of our people. For better or worse, you are opinion makers in the community, and it is important that you remain aware of the power which is potential in your vocation.
“The masses of African Americans who have been deprived of educational and economic opportunity are almost totally dependent on radio as their means of relating to the society at large. They do not read newspapers, though they may occasionally thumb through Jet. Television speaks not to their needs, but to upper middle class America.
“One need only recall the Watts tragedy and the quick adoption of the ‘Burn, Baby, Burn’ slogan to illustrate the pervasive influence of the radio announcer in the community. But, while the establishment was quick to blame the tragedy of Watts most unjustly, on the slogan of Magnificent Montague, it has not been ready to acknowledge all of the positive features that grow out of your contribution to the community.
“No one knows the importance of ‘Tall Pall’ White and the massive non-violent demonstrations of the youth of Birmingham in 1963; or the funds raised by Pervis Spann for the Mississippi Summer project of 1964; or the consistent fundraising and voter education done for the Southern Christian Leadership Conference and the civil rights movement by Georgie Woods, my good friend from Philadelphia.”
"In a real sense, you have paved the way for social and political change by creating a powerful cultural bridge between black and white....I salute you."
--- Martin Luther King, Jr., keynote address, NARTA Convention, Atlanta, September 28th, 1967
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