Esikhathini esithile emuva ngalalela okurekhodiwe kokufundisa e-Columbia University lapho iCornel West yayinikeza khona inkulumo. Ekuqaleni wathi, “Ngithanda ukubonga lelo qembu elenze uSepthemba 13 kwaba usuku olujabulisayo kimina, njengoba kwashona umfowethu uTupac Shakur.” Ubekhuluma ngeqembu leziboshwa ezabamba iqhaza ekuvukeleni ejele lase-Attica ngoSepthemba 13, 1971, ngalo lolo suku uTupac ashona ngalo ngo-1996. . Babengenalwazi kangangokuthi abazange baqaphele ukuthi iNtshonalanga izwakalisa ukuzisola kwangempela ngokufa kukaTupac. Ngakhumbula leso sigameko lapho ngiqala ukufunda ngalo “msakazo okhululekile” omusha. Ngangicabanga ukuthi abantu abaningi abamnyama kumelwe ukuba bayahleka njengamanje, ngoba nakuba abamhlophe abakhululekile bengabonakali okwamanje, i-Air America Radio iyihlaya.
Inethiwekhi yenza ukuvela kwayo okokuqala eLos Angeles, Chicago naseNew York. bonke abanabantu abamnyama abaningi. INew York inabamnyama abaningi ukwedlula noma yiliphi elinye idolobha laseMelika. Inani labantu abamnyama baseChicago licishe lilingane nenani labantu bakhona abamhlophe. Ngokuvamile, abamnyama bakhululekile kakhulu kunozakwabo abamhlophe. Cishe u-90% wabamnyama uvotela iDemocratic Party uma kuqhathaniswa nabamhlophe abangaphezudlwana kuka-40%. Uma kubhekwa la maqiniso, umuntu angalindela ukuthi abantu base-Afrika baseMelika babonakale ngokugqamile kule nethiwekhi entsha. Ngokudabukisayo, abantu base-Air America Radio bangathola kuphela indawo yengqikithi yabantu abamnyama ababili, bobabili abanamaqoqo amabili amhlophe. U-Chuck D, ophambili weqembu elikhulu le-rap i-Public Enemy, ufanelwe okungcono kunokuba indoda emnyama eyisibonakaliso yale phrojekthi. Omunye nguMark Riley, oshayela uhlelo iMorning Sedition. U-Chuck D usanda kunikezwa umbukiso wangempelasonto nama-cohosts amnyama, kodwa ukumelwa kwabantu abambalwa kunethiwekhi kuhlala kukuncane, ikakhulukazi phakathi nezikhala zesikhathi ezihamba phambili. Izintatheli ezimnyama eziqeqesheke kakhulu ezicele ukungadalulwa kuxoxiswane nazo ukuze zifakwe ezikhundleni emoyeni zazizwa zibukelwa phansi ngemuva kokungawutholi umsebenzi.
Kuba kubi kakhulu. E-New York, uhlelo lwe-Air America luzovezwa ku-WLIB-1190 AM, ephethwe yi-Inner City Broadcasting Corporation (ICBC). Ngaphambi kokubambisana ne-Air America, i-WLIB ibikade isebenzela umphakathi omnyama waseNew York amashumi eminyaka. Bekuyindawo yezishoshovu ezimnyama futhi ifaka izinhlelo ezihlukile ze-"Afrocentric". Isikhulu esiphezulu se-ICBC, uPercy Sutton, utshela abalaleli bakhe ukuthi lesi sinyathelo esisha “sisinika ithuba lokuba nomthelela emhlabeni ngaphandle komphakathi wethu.” Abaningi emphakathini omnyama abavumelani nalokho. Ngokusho kwesishoshovu esimnyama u-Elombe Brath, “Sinabantu lapha asebewazi umsakazo, abakwazi ukwenza izinhlelo. Futhi bafuna ukungena nohlelo oluvela kwabanye abantu bezama ukukhuluma nabantu abamnyama baseDolobheni laseNew York? (I-WLIB) iyisiteshi nje esiphucwe lokho obekufanele sibe yikho! … Empeleni okudingwa isiteshi ukuthi sibe nabantu abawaziyo umphakathi nabangakwazi ukukhuluma nezidingo zawo.”
Eminyakeni yakamuva i-WLIB iveze kakhulu izinhlelo ze-Caribbean. UCarl Tyndale, owayelalele iminyaka engaphezu kwengu-17, wayecasukile ngokuthathwa kwawo: “Sizowutholaphi umculo waseCaribbean manje? Lesi siteshi besinolwazi oluningi. Babezosakaza imidlalo yekhilikithi nezindaba besekhaya. Ezinye iziteshi azikwenzi lokho. Angicabangi ukuthi kuzoba nezinkinga eziningi ezimnyama ngefomethi entsha, futhi kuzoba nabafonayo beCaribbean abambalwa ngoba abantu ngeke bazizwe besekhaya. Yilapho abantu belalela khona ukuze bathole okuthile ekhaya.” U-Tracey-McCallum, umlaleli wase-Jamaica, wayedangele ngokufanayo. “Uhlelo lwabo beluluhle futhi lunikeza izindaba ezimbalwa zaseCaribbean; ukuze umthombo owodwa manje ungasatholakali kithina,” kusho yena. Ukuthathwa kwempahla kwakungeke kufike ngesikhathi esibi kakhulu, kucatshangelwa ukuketulwa kwamuva nje eHaiti kanye nezinsongo izizwe ze-CARICOM ezibhekene nazo ngenxa yokwenqaba kwabo ukuqaphela uhulumeni omusha. Abantu baseNew York’s Caribbean’s community okungenzeka bakhathazeke ngababathandayo ekhaya manje bazoba nesikhathi esinzima sokuthola izindaba mayelana nesifunda. Isiteshi manje sibonisa kuphela okuqukethwe kwe-Caribbean kusukela phakathi kwamabili kuya ku-5 AM. Iphephandaba elimnyama eligqamile libe nesihloko esikhulu esithi “WLIB: Black After Dark” liphendula izinguquko.
Kuyavunywa, inethiwekhi isanda kuqala, kodwa iqiniso lokuthi bethule ngephakheji lezinhlelo ezinjalo libonisa ngokucacile inani labantu abaqondiswe kubo, futhi akubona abantu ababejwayele ukulalela umculo waseCaribbean ku-WLIB. Omunye angase aphikise ngokuthi ukuya kubathengi abamhlophe, abasezingeni eliphakathi kuyisu lebhizinisi elingcono kakhulu. Njengoba i-CEO uMark Walsh ekubeka, i-Air America "Ibhizinisi. Isikhathi. Ukuphela kokucaphuna.” Lokho kungase kube yiqiniso, kodwa uma i-Air America inentshisekelo yokwenza inzuzo kuphela izobe ilandela umuntu ofana noRush Limbaugh noma uSean Hannity. Abasukeli labo bantu ngoba bezama ukwenza okwehlukile, okuwumgomo oncomekayo, kodwa akulungile ukuqala “umsakazo okhululekile” futhi ungabanaki abantu abangamakhaladi, osekuphele amashumi eminyaka beyizinsika. Umphakathi waseMelika okhululekile. Abakhululekile kufanele basekele ukulingana nokufakwa, kodwa baphindaphinda ukungalingani okufanayo komphakathi omkhulu ezinhlanganweni zabo. Uma i-Air America iphumelela ngohlelo lwayo lwamanje, mancane amathuba okuthi bangaze bafinyelele kwamanye amaqembu. Kungani uphambanisa nefomula yokuwina? Yingakho inkinga idinga ukulungiswa manje.
Ngemuva kokuhoxiswa kwemikhawulo yobunikazi ngo-1996, inkampani yaseSan Antonio-based Clear Channel yaqala ngokushesha ukuhlanganisa ukulawula kwayo imakethe yomsakazo, ikhula isuka eziteshini ezingama-40 yaya ngaphezu kwe-1,240. Kwabaningi abakhululekile, i-Clear Channel imele konke okungalungile ngabezindaba kuleli zwe. Uhlu lwayo lwabasingathi luhlanganisa uxhaxha lwezazi zemibono ephiko lwesokudla (yize zisanda kuphakamisa i-Air America eyodwa futhi zanikeza u-Jesse Jackson umbukiso). Kodwa-ke, ukuchema okucacile kwesiteshi sesiteshi akuyona ukuphela kwento engalungile ngakho. Ukuhlanganiswa kwemidiya kube nomthelela omubi ezindabeni zasendaweni nasemculweni wendawo. Iziteshi zomsakazo ezincane ezibhekelela umphakathi wendawo azikwazi ukuncintisana nezikhondlakhondla zikazwelonke ezifana ne-Clear Channel futhi ziyathengwa noma zixoshwe ebhizinisini. Okuxakayo ukuthi, lona umphumela ofanayo ncamashí ne-Air America eke yaba nawo kuze kube manje. I-CEO ye-Air America (kanye nalowo owayeyisikhulu se-DNC) u-Mark Walsh usanda kusola abakhululekile ngokucabanga nge-Clear Channel ngokuthi “uSathane” futhi wathi i-Air America cishe izosebenzisana neziteshi ze-Clear Channel esikhathini esizayo. Ngentshiseko yabo yokuthola enye indlela ye-Clear Channel, abakhululekile baye basekela inethiwekhi ebukeka njenge-Clear Channel-lite. Inkinga ayifani naseNew York kuphela. I-Air America ixoshe iziteshi zomsakazo zolimi lweSpanishi eLos Angeles naseChicago, kodwa zasuswa emoyeni ngesikhathi iMulticultural News Radio, umnikazi walezi ziteshi ezimbili, ebasola ngokubhampa isheke. I-Air America maduze izosusa umsakazo wohlanga lwase-Asia endaweni yase-Bay eCalifornia. Kubukeka sengathi ngeke baneliseke kuze kube bacasula wonke amaqembu amancane alelizwe.
Yebo, iningi lama-liberals elimhlophe limatasatasa ligcwele injabulo ukuze linikeze inhlonipho. “Ekugcineni sesinezwi!” Ubani onendaba uma siqhubeka sibandlulula abantu base-Afrika baseMelika kule nqubo? Sawubona, bekungeke kube okokuqala sikwenza. URussell Simmons usanda kuhlasela ukunganaki okuqhoshayo kwabamhlophe embuthanweni “weSociety of Ethical Culture.” Umhlangano wawuhlanganisa amalungu amaningi e-liberal elite yaseHollywood. Isikhathi esiningi sachithwa kuhlelwa amaqhinga okuthi uBush uzomnqoba kanjani kukhetho oluzayo. Lapho enikezwa ithuba lokukhuluma, uSimmons wazisa ababekhona ukuthi “I-s—y’all doing is corny! Kufanele okungenani ufake abantu. Asifakiwe!” Amalungu ezethameli aphendule ngokuhlahle amehlo anikine amakhanda. ULaurie David, umhleli womcimbi, kamuva wathi, “Ngangingaqondi kahle ukuthi ukhuluma ngani. Bengingenalwazi ekuqaleni kwe-diatribe yakhe futhi ngingenalwazi ekugcineni kwayo. " Ngokusobala.
Omunye owayekhona ngusomahlaya u-Al Franken, owaphendula ngokubhuqa, “Wathi ‘singama-corny,’ okuyinhlamba embi. Lokho kungithinte kakhulu.” Manje uFranken unombukiso wakhe ku-Air America, awubize kabi ngesihloko esithi The O’Franken Factor. Ngandlela thize ngiyangabaza ukuthi abantu abamnyama bazobe belalele ukuzwa u-Al Franken ethula ama-line-liners ashibhile ngoBill O'Reilly. Ababuyekezi abaningi bombukiso wokuqala kaFranken bakuthola kudumaza futhi kuyisicefe. Bekungamele balindele into engcono kuFranken, obekhuluma amahlaya amahlanu afanayo eminyakeni emibili edlule noma ngaphezulu. Uhlelo belunengxoxo engasho lutho nesigebengu sezempi u-Bob Kerrey mayelana nekhomishini yangomhla ka-9/11 elandelwa yingxoxo nomdidiyeli wefilimu odayiswayo uMichael Moore. Lolu hlelo lwafinyelela umvuthwandaba lapho lowo owayeyiphini likamongameli u-Al Gore engena. UMoore wasebenzisa leli thuba ukuze azipholele. Wakhipha isixoliso esidabukisayo ngokusekela uRalph Nader okhethweni luka-2000 futhi wathembisa "ukuphonsa iqembu elikhulu" lika-Al Gore uma uBush elahlekelwa ukhetho olulandelayo.
Ephendula lesi sihloko, isishoshovu saseLatina sidlulise isipiliyoni esibi esinaso noFranken nabalandeli bakhe esigcizelela iphuzu lami. “Ngisebenzela inhlangano OKUTHANDA futhi ngimeme abantu emcimbini wokwethulwa kwe-Al Franken e-D.C.,” kusho yena. “Njengomunye wabantu bebala abangaphansi kweshumi ababekhona, ngangivame ukubuzwa, ‘Kufanele ngilengise kuphi ibhantshi lami?’ empeleni okwakuyindlela enhle yokungicela ukuba ngithathe ijazi lalowo muntu, ngoba babecabanga ukuthi ngiyizisebenzi. umcimbi kunokuba umhlanganyeli! U-Al Franken WAYENGEKHO into ehlekisayo, futhi umcimbi awuzange ube yimpumelelo kunoma ubani omunye ngaphandle kwabamhlophe 'abathuthukayo' D.C. ababonakala bechuma endaweni lapho bevunyelwe ukuphuza khona, bezimbambatha emhlane, bakhulume ngokuthi 'bahlelwa kanjani abavoti. umbala,’ futhi usibale njengesikhathi somsebenzi.”
I-O'Franken Factor ilandelwa yi-Randi Rhodes Show, ebonise umdlalo wokuklabalasa phakathi kwe-Rhodes no-Ralph Nader ekuqaleni kwayo okubi. URhodes wazise uNader ukuthi "ucasukile" ukuthi "udale ukhetho olwedlule." Naphezu kobuntu bukaNader, uRhodes waqhubeka emthethisa waze wagcina evale ucingo. Phakathi nomdlalo wokuklabalasa, uNader waqamba kahle inethiwekhi ngokuthi “Hot Air America Radio.” U-Rhodes noFranken bobabili bangama-hacks asebenzisa isikhathi esiningi egijima phezu kukaBill Clinton. Ukuhlaziywa okuwumphumela kugcina kungenalutho futhi kuhlangene njengombukiso kaRush Limbaugh. Okuwukuphela kwemibukiso ethembisayo yi-Majority Report kaJaneane Garofalo kanye ne-Laura Flanders Show (ukudalula okugcwele: Ngangimthanda kakhulu uGarofalo ngisemusha). U-Garofalo uthi uNoam Chomsky no-Howard Zinn baphakathi kwalabo ayelala nabo. U-Laura Flanders wake wasebenzela i-Fairness and Accuracy Reporting. Incwadi yakhe entsha emnandi, ethi Bushwomen: Tales of a Cynical Species, ibonakala yenza kahle. Ngethemba ukuthi ukuzimela kwe-Flanders kanye ne-Garofalo kuzolinganisa ubumbano lwe-Franken ne-Rhodes.
Ngokudabukisayo, kubonakala sengathi akukho okuzoba khona ukulinganisa ubumhlophe obuphelele befomethi yenethiwekhi okwamanje. "Senze amaphutha ekwethulweni kwethu, futhi elinye lawo kwaba ukuntula ukuhlanganiswa," kusho iPhini likaMongameli Omkhulu uDavid Goodfriend. UGoodfriend uthi kwenziwa imizamo yokulungisa le nkinga: “Okokuqala, u-Chuck D nethimba lakhe, ngemva kokuveza udaba olufanayo nathi, bayasisiza ukuthi sithole futhi siqashe kokubili abasebenzi basemoyeni nabangekho emoyeni. Okwesibili, esiphakamisweni sikaPepe Sutton, sisebenzisana no-Henry Rivera ukuze sihlakulele ithalenta eyengeziwe emphakathini waseLatino. Okwesithathu, sithinta noma ngubani nawo wonke umuntu oveze lokhu kukhathazeka ukuze athole imibono, amagama kanye nabazongenela ukhetho.” Le mizamo izwakala ithembisa, kodwa ukuthi izoveza imiphumela noma cha kusazobonakala.
Uma kubhekwa ukuthi iDemocratic Party izoba yinto engeyona eyepolitiki ngaphandle kwabavoti abamnyama, iqiniso lokuthi bavalelwa ngaphandle futhi bakhishwe inyumbazane ngaso sonke isikhathi lingaphezu kwenhlamba. I-Air America ingesinye nje isiqephu emlandweni omude wokunganaki nokungaqondi okungenangqondo kweDemocratic Party kanye namaliberals amhlophe ngokujwayelekile akukhombisile emphakathini omnyama. Abamhlophe abakhululekile kufanele bavuke futhi baqaphele ukuthi lolu hlobo lwebhizinisi ngeke lusanqamula, futhi abakhululekile abamnyama badinga ukukhuluma ngokuzwakalayo futhi babazise. Ukugcina ingcindezi ku-Air America ukuthi ihlukanise abasebenzi bayo futhi ihloniphe izintshisekelo zemiphakathi yasendaweni kungaba yisiqalo esihle.
UJustin Felux ungumbhali nesishoshovu esizinze eSan Antonio, eTexas. Angathintwa ku [i-imeyili ivikelwe].
I-ZNetwork ixhaswa kuphela ngokuphana kwabafundi bayo.
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