his locker: 
                That's so when I forget how to spell my name, I can still find my clothes."
             
            10. Lou Duva, veteran boxing trainer, on the Spartan regime of heavyweight Andrew Golota: 
                  "He's a guy who get s up six o'clock in the morning, regardless of what time it is."
             
            11. Chuck Nevitt , North Carolina State basketball player, explaining toCoach Jim Valvano why he

                  appeared nervous at practice:

                  "My sister's expecting a baby, and I don't know if I'm going to be an uncle or an aunt."
                   I wonder if his IQ ever hit room temperature even in January.
             
            12. Frank Layden , Utah Jazz20president, on a former player: 
                  "I told him, 'Son, what is it with you? Is it ignorance or apathy?'  He said, 'Coach, Idon't know

                   and I don't care."
          ;    
            13. Shelby Metcalf, basketball coach at Texas A&M, recounts what he told a player who received four

                  F's and one D: "Son, looks to me like you're spending too much time on one subject."
             
                14. Amarillo High School and Oiler coach Bum Phillips, when asked by Bob Costas why he takes his wife on

                  all the road trips:

                  Phillips responded:"Because she is too damn ugly to kiss good-bye."
             
            15. Bobby Bowden , Florida States football coach, when asked why he didn't invest in condos, said: 
                  "I am too old to use th em now."

For decades, Black America has been the victim of all kinds of media distortion. It doesn't take a keen eye to see the regression of images in the past twenty years, in the eighties Cosby was America's number one sitcom and twenty years later VH1's "Flavor of Love" held television's highest rated African American program. Historically, one critical form of communication – Black radio - was the antidote to that distortion, consistently standing as a reliable source of news, information and culture throughout local communities nationwide.

Unfortunately, Black radio is swiftly becoming part of the problem, not the solution. It began, of course, with black-owned stations losing their independent voices and turning into sterile corporate jukeboxes limiting both information and community access, while feeding us music that reinforced the same stereotypes that for decades radio helped to defeat.

Now the few surviving  Black-owned radio stations are abusing their unique influence in the community to misinform listeners about the impact of a new Congressional bill designed to support the kind of independent, creative and positive  musical artists we all have demanding.Cathy Hughes, Founder of Radio One, as one example, has been leading the charge against HR 848, an act of legislation that Hughes charges will “end black radio.” Nothing could be further from the truth. The facts on HR 848 are clear if you take the time to read them. Formally called The Performance Rights Act, the bill proposes what should be simple - paying performers royalties for radio airplay. Only the United States, North Korea and Iran don't pay royalties for performers on free AM/FM radio.

Currently performers and recording owners are only paid in the States when their songs are played on satellite radio, cable stations and internet radio. Songwriters and publishers continue to be paid by AM & FM radio. So why should the performers be excluded? The fact is that most of music we love is not made by people who are that rare combination of singer/songwriter.

When performers lose a route to compensation – especially in this age of the download – we eventually lose those performers. The equations is easy: no money=no performers, no performer=no music, no music=no Black radio in the long term. U.S broadcasters argue that they don't compensate foreign performers when they play their music. That argument loses an estimated 70 to 100 million dollars abroad for U.S. performers under the current law. Without reciprocity, American performers lose twice for their work here in the U.S. and abroad.

The Copyright Act of 1909, was implemented before there was a record industry or recording artists. If H.R. 848 passes, it would finally allow the people whose talent makes the work come alive to be fairly compensated for it in any country where it gets played. American music makes up nearly 30 to 50% of foreign radio airplay. It's time for the U.S. to catch up with the rest of the free world.

Naturally, radio stations – particularly Black radio stations – consider any new compensation for artists to be a financial burden, even as they continue to ask artists to perform free for radio promotions. Popular syndicated hosts Tom Joyner, Al Sharpton, Michael Baisden, Warren Ballentine, Yolanda Adams and hundreds of radio stations have all followed Hughes' lead, merely reinforcing the broadcasters’ mandate. Hundreds of public service announcements and interviews about the bill have lacked clarity and an opposing side of the debate. Still, Black radio's cry to "Save Black Radio" has been heard loud and clear by legislators who have added several safety measures to help broadcasters in these tough economic times. H.R. 848 takes into account smaller radio stations.

Noncommercial stations such as NPR and college radio stations would pay only $1,000 per year. Religious broadcasts would be exempt. And any station making less than $1,250,000 would pay no more than $5,000. Chairman John Conyers and his committee also have stated there would be no payment for any station making less than $5 million annually for two years due to the tough economic times. The facts when debated are quite clear. But Black radio has a problem much larger then any pending legislation. It's been suffering on life support for a while but no one's leading.

While minorities make up well over a third of the population, less then seven percent of stations are owned by minorities.Radio broadcasters have done a number on Black America over the past fifteen years. First, by allowing a "pay for play" list of hip-hop that distorts or alters the mind set of the next generation with a steady diet of misogyny, violence and drug culture. We all sat back and watched while BET and Black radio simply mirrored the local news at eleven, reinforcing stereotypes and replacing lyricists with the lyrically challenged. Black radio is syndicated 25 times more than its white counterparts, reducing the historic community connection of local personalities.

When you limiting the voices you can control the messenger and the message. Sadly, Black radio is black these days only in name. From Radio One to Clear Channel, the independent voices have been silenced and critical information has been replaced with jokes, condensed play lists and little to no local community or grassroots outreach of the kind that established Black radio’s power. There's more to H.R. 848 than radio is telling you.

Paul Porter is the co-founder of Industry Ears, a non-profit that seeks media justice.

The media consistently shows us the negative side of Black Men in America. All that negativity is finally turning around. Here's something I thought you and someone you know could benefit from. SPREAD THE WORD!

Here's an email from someone doing their part. Hopefully you'lll read this and NOT keep it to yourself.  We make a difference by everything we do and DON'T DO.  So please do your part and help save a BLACK MAN! NOW!! TELL SOMEONE!

"My dean and I are launching an 18-month Academy here at Pennfocused on preparing Black males for admission to Ph.D. programs in education immediately upon completion of their undergraduate studies. We will begin the Academy this fall with 10 Black males who are in their junior year of college; I would love to have some juniors from the Univ. of Wisconsin apply.

Check it out here:http://www.gse.upenn.edu/blackmen

Each Academy participant will receive a 4-day all-expense paid visit to Philadelphiathis fall; opportunities for meaningful engagement with our dean, faculty, graduate students, and Black male alumni; free enrollment in a 3-month Kaplan GRE Prep Course (for which Penn is paying $1,200 per participant); a current Black male Ph.D. student who will mentor him through the application process; and an application fee waiverwhen he applies for Fall 2011 admission to Penn (valued at $85).

Please forward this link to Black male undergraduates on your campus and encourage them to submit applications by August 21st:

http://www.gse.upenn.edu/blackmen.

Again, the Academy is only for Black men who are starting their junior year this fall and planning to graduate in Spring 2011. Many thanks,

 _____________________________________________

Shaun R. Harper, Ph.D.Higher

Education Management Program

University of Pennsylvania,

Graduate School of Education

3700 Walnut Street, PME 425Philadelphia, PA 19104
Phone: (215) 898-5147
Website: http://works.bepress.com/sharper

Now that you know better, you can do better!

You do have a choice to make something happen, or sit by and watch what happens.  Which one are you?