Attention Brought to Censorship of Positive Voices on Mainstream Radio

n a recent Thursday, representatives of Black Waxx Recordings, The Troops Out Now Coalition, International ANSWER, and radio celebrity Bob Law joined Council Member Charles Barron in a press conference on the steps of City Hall. They were there to announce the release of the new Troops Out Now CD and to focus attention on the censorship by mainstream radio and major record companies that stops thought provoking, positive music and rap – such as that found on this CD – from being heard.

Stated Tylon Washington, the creator and producer of Troops Out Now, "This censorship profoundly hurts our communities, particularly those who are most vulnerable – our impressionable youth. We want fair access for emerging artists to mainstream sources, free from payola of any kind."

He went on to say that if we can hear the n-word, references to thugs, pimps and gangsters, women referred to as female dogs and garden tools, "then these stations owe it to us to give equal, if not more, time to works that are mind-nourishing, uplifting and provide positive direction."

Washington also pointed out that we are a nation at war, and during previous wars, songs opposing war were played - Edwin Starr's "War: What Is it Good For," Bob Dylan's "Masters of War," and John Lennon's "Give Peace a Chance" to name a few.

Speaking next was Bob Law, a long-time activist and a respected leader in the struggle against the censorship of wholesome, socially conscious artists by the music industry. He noted that it isn’t just an issue of what the radio stations play; it’s what they refuse to play. That refusal is censorship. Censorship is illegal. And Law explained that the radio stations get away with this illegal activity by arguing that they’ve done research and they’re just playing what "the street" wants to hear. "But we say that is not true," Law declared. "The street, as it is called, wants to hear a lot more. We have done our research as well."

Singer and activist Nana Soul then read a resolution proposed by Tylon Washington calling on the City Council to hold public hearings to investigate these charges of censorship and to present their findings to the FCC for the purpose of challenging the radios stations' broadcasting licenses.

She was followed by Council Member Charles Barron who said that he takes these charges of censorship very seriously, and that he will take the proposed resolution, get it into the proper form, and submit it to the council so there can be hearings on the issue. "I want my colleagues in the City Council to realize that this is a very serious issue," Barron stated. "We have a responsibility as elected officials to be the voice of our community. We need to make sure that all the voices that are not given access to the airwaves get an opportunity to be heard. We need to take this to the FCC."

Several of the artists featured on the Troops Out Now CD added their voices as well, including Kahlil Khan, Spiritchild, Hasan Salaam, and Nana Soul.

Other performers also features on the CD are Sparlha Swa, Fifth Column, Pam Parker & Jobari, Rochester’s Raging Grannies, Latisha Divine, and Goldie Braun. The CD includes, too, commentary by Mumia Abu Jamal, Brenda Stokely, Larry Holmes, Teresa Gutierrez, Narciso Castillo, Nellie Bailey and others. For more information visit www.blackwaxx.com or www.TroopsOutNow.org.