Blacks Need Radio News, Not Michael Baisden's Slanders

By Glen Ford, Black Agenda Report. Posted November 21, 2007.

Syndicated hustler Michael Baisden, eager to become kingpin of Jena Six fundraising, launched a slanderous campaign against every black group that doesn't have access to ABC

Radio's corporate reach. Baisden's principal target: Color of Change, the mass-based internet organization that raised and distributed over $200,000 for Jena defendants' legal fees in record time.

Baisden used his 50-station network to defame Color of Change, in "reckless disregard of the truth," and was soon forced to issue a fraction of an apology. But Baisden's crimes only serve to dramatize the fact that near-extinction of black radio news -- the mechanism that could have stopped the junkyard dog in his filthy tracks -- has left African-Americans at the mercy of "media leadership." We must reclaim the commercial airwaves that reach 80 percent to 90 percent of blacks.

"The perception of my staff is that he's a little shady, he's a little shady," said nationally syndicated pimp-jock Michael Baisden, on Nov. 5, viciously slandering James Rucker and the courageous organization he helped found, Color0fChange.com. Baisden and his idiot crew of radio sidekicks were on the howl, urging black listeners in over 50 markets, "Don't be sending [sic] money to people" other than himself to assist in the legal defense of the Jena Six. "Speaking of the money that's not getting there ..." Baisden passed the mic to Marcus Jones, father of Michael Bell, one of the teenagers caught up in the racist Louisiana black roundup that led to a massive protest in September.

"James Rucker," said the father, "we want you to quit collecting money for our kids." Jones claimed "the families" hadn't seen any of the money, that a $10,000 contribution from British rock star David Bowie had somehow "wound up in the Color of Change's hands" and that the defendants' relatives "don't know who they are."

"You heard it here!" hollered Baisden, claiming "I made him [Jones] wait two weeks so we could get all the legal aspects of it down ...and that's why we have to step up and DO IT" -- meaning, Michael Baisden should become the money-raking kingpin of Jena Six fundraising.

Every word from the junkyard dog's mouth was a lie. By Nov. 9, Baisden, who calls himself the "Bad Boy" of radio, was forced to tuck his tail between his legs and issue a half-hearted, disingenuous "apology" to Color of Change. As thoroughly documented by James Rucker and his team, the organization had already distributed $210,809.90 of $212,039.90 collected to attorneys for the Jena Six -- including the lawyer for Michael Bell, Marcus Jones' son. They had the cancelled checks and funding requests to prove it, as well as signed authorizations from the teenager's families -- including Mr. Jones. David Bowie's high-profile $10,000 contribution had gone directly to the NAACP, which had promptly published a press release to that effect, back on Sept. 18.

"Michael Baisden ... is using his show to recklessly attack an organization that has a clear record of doing the real work he claims is important, in Jena and beyond," said Color of Change. It is true -- and, we at black Agenda Report believe, legally actionable -- that "Michael Baisden has shown a reckless disregard for the truth." We urge Color of Change not to let that squealing pig go. His written and internet-posted "apology" is insincere and incoherent, while his slanderous and libelous radio message, repeated and recorded over the course of weeks -- that Color of Change, the ACLU, Friends of Justice and others were engaged in fraud -- cast doubt on the victims' reputations in the minds of hundreds of thousands of listeners. Any recantation must have the same force as the original allegation. That means Baisden, the low-life with no shame or scruples, should be required to give as much radio time to his apology as he invested in his brazen assault.

See more stories tagged with: radio, black community, jena, michael baisden, color of change

Glen Ford is the executive editor of Black Agenda Report. Contact him at: Glen.Ford@BlackAgendaReport.com.

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