Black Evangelicals To Hold Town Hall Meeting

In the wake of apologies from fired radio personality Don Imus, African American church leaders met last week to plan a town hall meeting. The leaders efforts are part of a community based approach to examine racism and sexism in America.

Two networks, MSNBC and CBS, fired Imus after he referred to the Rutgers University women's basketball team as "nappy headed hoes". Although Imus was released, black evangelicals say racist language and negative depictions of women remain a problem.

Rev. DeForest B. Soaries Jr., senior pastor of the First Baptist Church of Lincoln Gardens (Somerset, New Jersey), said a meeting will be held at Rutgers University within the next month to discuss the social issues, including the portrayal of women in mass media. The meeting will consist of students and community leaders, Soaries said during a press conference.

"No African-American leader, no national leader should consider this a victory," he said. "We have to begin working on a response to the larger problem."

E. Tanille's Thoughts:

I commend Rev. Soaries and other leaders for stepping up to the plate. Their actions prove that there are black men, who have the courage to stand up for women, particularly black women. For too long, black women have been demonized and uncharacterized in society, as well as some Hip-Hop and Gangsta Rap music. So much so, that I'm willing to argue that women's unclothed bodies in music videos have made millions for white and black business owners. BET, a network that was supposedly created to provide positive images of black people, consistently displays dehumanizing images of ethnic women. Thus, Rev. Soaries is right; Imus' comments hurt, but there's definitely a larger discourse that needs to be expressed.

Black leaders have protested against the negativity of Hip-Hop and Gangsta Rap music. For years, C. Deloris Tucker, the late civil rights leader, agitated against Gangsta Rap's demeaning lyrics. Unfortunately, after Mrs. Tucker's death, the music genre continues to be a problem.

Will this Rutgers University town hall meeting leave a lasting impression on rap music? Do you think Soaries and other local evangelicals are on to something that may bring about change?

A change is definitely needed. There are less and less profound images shown on cable television via Hip-Hop. I agree with the rapper Nas. Hip-Hop appears to be dead. But, I have hope. My hope lies with my generation and young people.

My advice to Rev. Soaries and other church leaders is: If you refuse to reach out to the masses of black and brown young people living in America's urban ghettos, your efforts may be meaningless. Young brothers and sisters desperately need leaders to support, defend and stand up for them. They turn to demeaning lyrics (which are said to be artistic expression) because society has ignored them. If leaders don't step up and provide more positive outlets for young people, they will continue to fall through society's cracks of racism, discrimination and white supremacy.

Rutgers University is a leading institution in this country. The school won't suffer if church leaders hold the town hall meeting elsewhere. Why not have it at a local community center in Newark (New Jersey) or the basement of a housing project?

If black evangelicals ignore the voices of society's young people, they will remain victims of racialized and stereotypical media.

Imus is off the airwaves for now, but our young people are still walking around calling each other "nappy headed hoes".

Salaam,
E. Tanille