The same day the Hip-Hop Summit Action Network released its plea to the record industry to bleep out offensive words (April 23), the NAACP's Youth and College Division formally launched a new program to "combat recent remarks and continual visual depictions that cast African Americans in a negative light," according to Interim NAACP President & CEO Dennis C. Hayes.
The STOP initiative issued the following tenets:
The STOP Campaign targets the record and television industries, recording artists and the African American community. The campaign asks participants to:
STOP Defaming Our Women. by respecting all African American Women and not describing them in profane and derogatory terms.
STOP Degrading Our Community. by not supporting hurtful images that portray negative images of the African American community.
STOP Denigrating Our History. by not supporting words and media that diminishes our proud history and insults our ancestors.
STOP Accepting Disrespect. by not patronizing companies and artists that put forth demeaning and disrespectful images in our community.
START Standing Up. by standing against anyone who diminishes the capacity of young people.
START the Diversity. by supporting balance and diversity of content in the entertainment industry, urging creation of positive role models for young people and by demanding that more African Americans and other people of color be placed in decision-making positions in the entertainment industry.
STOP's future goals include "formulating a national STOP Advisory Committee with music, movie and television industry executives, artists, insiders and other national organizations to stop negative African American imagery in the media; creating local STOP Coalitions - a network of NAACP units and stakeholders in cities across the country - that will strategize ways to engage local media outlets, artists and the community in the campaign; increase the number of African American decision-makers/executives in leadership roles at record companies, television networks, and radio stations; mobilizing NAACP youth units and branches to address issues of image degradation within their communities through education, peer-to-peer communication and positive imagery."
April 24, 2007 @ 11:47 am
NAACP Wants Ban on Offensive Images
"STOP Campaign" denounces denigrating lyrics, images.
Page printed from:
http://www.vibe.com/news/news_headlines/2007/04/naacp_offensive_image_ban/
Comments
1.
giridharan says:
sex
November 15, 2007 at 12:41 am
2.
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June 15, 2007 at 8:14 pm
3.
Carl Wamble says:
This is only the tip of the iceberg. The stop campaign is on the right track. We can enhance their initiatives by simply not participating in the negative activities. ADDITIONALLY the Start initiatives are certainly on the right track. We should seek out and commend artists who portray a positive image. Surely someone has the skill and intellect to develop an exclusively positive genre that celebrates the beauty of our culture.
Many other culutres use the Rap/hip hop genre in a positive way. WE CAN ALSO ........THE QUESTION IS ....WILL WE???????
May 29, 2007 at 10:55 am
4.
Brian from Bk says:
I'm sick of these uncle Tom leaders turning on there own kind. No one is putting together a movement to stop the Hollywood industry, Advertising firms or the porn industry. They do more damage than rapper. But I guess if young black males become rich theres a problem.
May 9, 2007 at 9:09 am
5.
Gregory Bryant says:
I don't use any of those offensive words and truly think the N word should not be used at all. I would like to leave a poem for everyone to think about.
The “N” Word
The use of the “N” word is a total disrespect to me. Because of that word some of our people were found hanging from a tree.
I know some of our young people are trying to give the word a new meaning. But the word was and still is totally demeaning.
There is no derivative to make the “N” word right. It’s a word to keep us enslaved and destroys the will to fight.
We try to keep it in house and change the spelling to make a perfect fit. But if you keep slinging it loud and proud you open the door for others to call us it.
We have over 400 hundred years of disrespect and the “N” word we were called. We need to realize to use it we should all be appalled.
All I am saying is our ancestors are rolling uncomfortable in their grave. Our use of the “N” word is denouncing the lives they gave.
(Copyright 2007 Gregory Bryan for Feel the Flow Publishing)
May 4, 2007 at 3:35 pm
6.
M TAYLOR says:
And Venus, I agree, the executives carry some of the blame (a lot of them are white from what I've been told). I've heard artists say, "I am being pressured to put out albums that sell/that the people want by producers/executives. I wish I had my own label so I could be more creative." I understand that. I can see how again, white people can be 100% behind this whole issue. Why not head up these labels and not let artists but out positive albums? What better way to control black people than to teach their youth through these explicit and derogative lyrics how to be idiots and failures in life? Teach their women how to have low self esteem? This is a cool idea...........yeah, I can hear them in that country club meeting.
May 4, 2007 at 10:03 am
7.
M TAYLOR says:
A lot of the lyrics in hip hop songs are degrading. They call black women b**ches & hos, etc. They talk about backing that ass up and dropping it like its hot and showing somebody how to "twurk it." Its negative and foul. There are some people that can listen to such lyrics and separate reality from fiction and not be affected, but most people--especially young black people, are not so versatile. Snoop said, something like, "but we ain't talking bout those basketball girls, we are talking about hos in the hood not doing anything for themselves trying to get our money." Well, Snoop, you shouldn't even be talking about them. The Bible instructs us to speak words that edify. If you don't have anything good to say--especially about your own people, then keep your mouth shut. I don't care if some black women are hos...don't air your dirty laundry on the street. Besides that, hip hop is influential...it has been proven that young people listen to and try to imitate the artists. If we know this is true, artists should be responsible enough to keep it kosher, positive, and motivating. They are affecting young black minds and even the minds of those that think they aren't affected...listening to negativity all day (the lyrics) can have a subliminal affect on an individual. I challenge artists to keep it clean for the sake of their people, their own children, and themselves. I challenge every other black person to abstain from purchasing and promoting rap artists who refuse to stop putting their own people down & star promoting earned success & excellence.
May 4, 2007 at 9:56 am
8.
Chris AKA. NAACP Member says:
i am a member of the NAACP youth division for New Haven In Ct were the President is Scott X. we feel the same way about the issue but in my opion is that if rappers and artist dident use the word or exploit are woman just to make a good video or song it wouldent be a problem.I think in order to be the best rapper alive you can do it by not talking about Sex, Money,and Drugs i bet you will go straight to the top.
May 1, 2007 at 7:13 am
9.
J Ward says:
We as a people, brothers and sisters, definitely need to clean up our act. By the way Vibe, some of your DVD advertisments are questionable.
April 25, 2007 at 8:02 pm
10.
Cliff Biggers says:
It's not a black thing, it's a right and wrong thing. No race of people have a market share on right and wrong. Let's go back to church, start all over again and clean up this mess. race is what I am, not who I am. You heard it from ME.
April 25, 2007 at 5:34 pm
11.
Venus says:
The best strategy is to go after the top executives at record companies. As long as the recording industry has the cashflow to pimp young black people into producing degrading rap music, it will continue - just like prostitutes and drug dealers remain on the streets. There's always someone out there (black, white, latino, asian, etc.) to go for these trashy, money-making opportunities. Also keep in mind, African Americans are not the #1 (ligitmate) revenue driving consumers of the rap music genre. Sure you can do good by encouraging black people to stop buying the music, but it will not put much of a dent in the record company profits.
Shame the record companies! Blast their executives as today's biggest pimps!
April 25, 2007 at 5:11 pm
12.
msfinance72 says:
I stopped buying rap or other music with denigrative lyrics towards my race (black) or gender (woman) more than 10 years ago. They may not have missed my 12.50 per CD, but I certainly do not miss paying my own money to be disrespected. I think Ms. Sophia said something to the effect of: "I've had to fight all my life, I don't want to fight at home."
April 25, 2007 at 3:44 pm
13.
will says:
I agree to a certain degree about what's going on in the black community. But everything they're asking for is not going to be met because "alot" of the black community feel like show they A S S! Just because we have the freedom to do so, meaning, the killings and violence, there was a time when the black community was "SUPER STRONG" when brothas you didn't even know would ask "you ok little brotha" and the "UNIITY" was too much for the President on down who were against the "Black Movement" WE the black community have to reflect on the way things used to be to how they are now!! We have taken 2 steps back, meaning the way "black men" treat our "black women" the beatings, the rapes, the DEFAMATION OF THE BLACK WOMAN'S CHARACTER, or how about the way our black children are raised, some of them know more about sex at 10 then I ever had at that age. How about how the our children talk back, or disrespect the parents who raised your little funky ass!!!!! We have to get control of our mind, body and soul and DO THE RIGHT THING meaning, let's slow our thinking down, begin to look at the BIG PICTURE! What is that you say, if you have children make sure they can help turn this dark cloud over the COMMUNITY in to a ray of sun for the FUTURE! Help rid our neighborhoods of the heavy drugs, make the laws more powerful on those who want to "KILL FOR THE THRILL" We have reduced our status as far as UNITY and it's about TIME FOR CHANGE!!!!!!!!
April 25, 2007 at 7:33 am