Whew, well this day is over. If you thought the hearings were long tedious and boring, you were wrong. What happened on camera was nothing like the circus off camera. Like caribou locking antlers in a battle of a territory, we watched the melodrama of the Black Elite Establishment play out in front of our eyes. It would make you laugh, make you cry, make you want to see it again and again.
Debra Lee's House Party
Apparently Debra Lee is in some distress that Pastor Coates has decided to throw a party outside of her house on the weekends. Debbie confronted Dr. E. Faye Williams of the National Congress of Black Women during one of our breaks to say that she was disappointed in Dr. Williams for participating in the protest outside Debbie's house. Debbie mentioned her concern for the safety of her child(ren). Apparently during one of the Saturdays, Debbie was actually at home. Debbie felt betrayed because BET had started a dialog and Debra Lee reminded Dr. Williams that she had donated money to Dr. William's organization. Also apparently BET has dispatched spies to the local congregations to report back on what the preachers are saying about BET from the pulpit. Sounds like some J Edgar Hoover type foolishness, but I take it as a sign of weakness.Debbie Lee
It is always nice to put a human face with the person you call the devil on occasion. She didn't have horns.I am going to have to stop doing that. She's delusional, not demonic. (I THINK). She appeared friendly to everybody that walked up to her. I didn't bother, I just would have gotten her Stepford Wife "We're BALANCED" response.I decided to introduce myself to Dr. E. Faye Williams since she was standing next to pastor Coates at the end of the hearings... Debbie, you ain't the only one Dr. Williams HATES BWAHAHAHA. Maybe Debra Lee and I need to start a "People E. Faye Williams Can't Stand" Support Group. We have a "history" But y'all would have been so proud of me. Y'all really would have. I didn't want to cut up in front of Pastor Coates so I let it ride. I'm still defrosting from the glare. Brrrr
Congressional Black Caucus Week
Every single Black person I met asked me if i was staying for CBC week. I was like "Um NO." Y'all have fun though. Apparently CBC week is like NBA All Star Weekend for Hill-a-holics. I don't ever want to become oneProtesters Outside
Pastor Coates did have about 10 protesters outside the Rayburn Blgd. My friend says that one man was saying that he wasn't a "pimp."
LESSONS LEARNED
The main lesson is the one I pointed out at the beginning of this blog. The negative depiction of Black women is not a matter for Capitol Hill, it is a matter for the capital markets. Its not abotu free speech, but the free market. Its not a constitutional issue, but a customer service issue.WE DON"T NEED CONGRESS! Yes, the FCC needs to regulate what is within it's jurisdiction and yes, we need cable choice, but we have to at least TRY to remove the financial incentives to package and sell the dehumanization of Black women for profit.
The only answer is for Black women to STOP FUNDING AND ENGAGING IN FOOLISHNESS! Cut off the flow of our money both directly and indirectly. I'll tell you how in Defunding the War on Black Women, out November 1, 2007
Viacom's CEO basically said he didn't give a flip.
Representation of Women at the Hearings.
All the women were on the final panel for several reasons. First, all the CEOs of the media conglomerates are men. On the second panel, Congressman Rush, said they tried to get a female artist to counteract David Banner's foolishness. He said they could not find one.So the only women to speak all day IN FRONT OF A NEARLY EMPTY ROOM and completely empty podium, the only Congressman that heard was Rush. But they actually had some of the best information for us.Archived Hearings
Someone said the archive of the hearing should be up soon. I'll lookThanks!
EVERYBODY was so nice to me all day long ( Except Dr. Williams, but she has "issues"). I really had a good time. I want to thank SheCodes for coming down. We had our own little section of the hearing room all day. She was working the room. I stuck to my little corner.Lots of folk apparently read this blog.
