FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
January 3, 2008
500 to Protest the BET Honors Award Show
Enough is Enough Campaign Demands Corporate Responsibility in Entertainment
Washington, DC – Hundreds have agreed to protest peacefully yet persuasively outside the Warner Theater where the BET Honors award show is scheduled to be taped on Saturday, January 12, 2008 @ 7:00 p.m. EDT. The protest rally starts at 6:00 p.m. with assemblies on the corners of 13th and E Street and 13th and F Street N.W.
Enough is Enough Campaign supporters regard the BET Honors as a red herring – an attempt to mask the offensive musical content that is being aired on BET Networks by spotlighting the achievements of prominent African-Americans. In a December 17, 2007 Washington Post article entitled, “Positively Honored”, BET Networks CEO, Debra Lee, said, “People are clamoring all the time for positive images.” In point of fact, what the Enough Is Enough Campaign and others have been clamoring for is for BET to address the negative music video images and messages that degrade women and glorify violence and criminal activity. In a September 12, 2007 letter to Rev. Coates, Ms. Lee stated that BET does not air programming or music videos that endorse or condone illegal drugs, gratuitous violence, or contain graphic or excessive sexual activity.
Despite these written guidelines, BET continues to air music video content that does not conform to these guidelines on video shows geared towards youth and teens. Enough is Enough Campaign Organizer, Rev. Delman L. Coates, said that BET can best honor Black History Month by removing those videos that do not conform to BET’s own programming guidelines.
Since mid-September 2007, the Enough is Enough Campaign has demonstrated each Saturday outside the Washington, DC residence of Debra Lee and the New York City home of Viacom CEO, Philippe Dauman. The campaign, featured in this month’s Essence magazine, is supported by Dr. E. Faye Williams, National Chair of the National Congress of Black Women.
Citizens, students, and activists are encouraged to come out and let their voices be heard at the Saturday, January12th protest outside the Warner Theater. Buses will depart from the Mt. Ennon Baptist Church in Clinton, Maryland @ 5:00 p.m. for arrival at the rally site at 6:00 p.m.
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Visit the www.EnoughIsEnoughCampaign.com website
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Send an email to: EnoughIsEnoughCampaign@hotmail
