WBAI Justice & Unity Election Mailer Color
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Vote for the Justice & Unity Team Lynne Stewart Nia Bediako Russell Dale Sister Betty Wellington Nana Camille Myriam Decime John Brinkley Berta Silva Sharonne Salaam Carlos Canales Terrence Longstanding Current member, Brecht Forum leftist Dopson Echegaray Yarbrough Haitian immigrant; Member, People’s Current member, Exec. Director and Salvadoran organ- Podolsky human rights attor- WBAI and Pacifica philosophy instruc- Co-chair, CEMOTAP Ecuadoran labor Award-winning Westchester-based Organization for WBAI Local Station Founder, People izer; L.I. Workplace Take Back WBAI ney; defended many National Boards; tor; music teacher; (Cmte to Eliminate and solidarity film/theater actress; engineer; longtime Progress/NJ, Tri- Board; Chicana/ United for Chil- Project; steering Coalition; WBAI political prisoners; chair, Pacifica Audit engineer; former Media Offensive to activist with Cuba performance artist; active WBAI State Save “Like It Latina community dren; mother of one committee, May 1st tally volunteer; prosecuted and dis- Comm.; certified director of Internet African People); and Venezuela; for- book author; radio listener Is” Coalition; Hon. activist; labor of and fighter for Coalition for Immi- former 1199/SEIU barred by Bush financial analyst company former Public Rela- mer chair, Centro and TV host Marcus Garvey organizer with the falsely accused grant and Worker union delegate and regime tions Director, de Educación de Holistic Center 1199/SEIU Central Park Five Rights; FMLN-NYS Save CUNY organ- Harlem Hospital Trabajadores izer Current Justice & Unity listener board members: Nia Bediako, Tibby Brooks, Omowale Clay, Note: IDs are past or present political/activist affiliations for identification purposes. Lisa Davis, Sara Flounders, Ray Laforest, Father Lawrence Lucas, Berta Silva. Justice & Unity also endorses these activists from the Take Justice & Unity’s program Back WBAI Coalition: Ten-Point Plan to Save WBAI Behind WBAI’s Financial Crisis Action Plan for WBAI’s 1. Safeguard WBAI’s historic local autonomy. Financial Stability and e fiscal problems at WBAI have • instability of management—five 2. Guarantee the independence of WBAI’s Growth many roots: managers in past seven years • the years-long, relentless disinfor- transmitter. Joint work with staff and listeners to: • a national trend of declining listener donations for community radio mation campaign by pro-coup board members against Bernard White and 3. Reinstate fired managers. Lift the gag rule. • Mount capital campaign to buy our • rising costs for rent and utilities— other staff have taken their toll on Rescind removal of dissenting producers. own studio and pursue city loan/ five times those of any other Pacifica listener confidence and willingness grant programs for buildings station (see graph)—and salaries Sarah Klepner Gil Obler to donate. Social justice activist Member, Green 4. Pursue capital campaign to purchase a • longstanding economic recession/ WBAI facility and vigorous off-air fundrais- • Seek funds for nonprofits through e current majority opposed Justice involved in Black Party, Free Mumia Obama stimulus package depression in NYC, hitting many of & Unity’s plan for a capital campaign to history preserva- Abu-Jamal Coali- ing program for ongoing support. WBAI’s loyal supporters tion, former youth tion; Treasurer, NY raise money to purchase a permanent organizer, revolu- Power to the People 5. Stop union busting of Unpaid Staff • Find tenants to sublet part of WBAI’s home for WBAI, refused for a year to tionary humanist Committee current studios Pacifica Stations’ Annual Costs consider a detailed Organizing Committee. for Rent, Transmitter & Utilities off-air fundraising • Hire full-time development director Fiscal Year 2008 6. Protect locally based, social-movement $800,000 plan that we devel- to lead robust off-air fundraising— $736,348 oped jointly with Endorsements awards dinners, concerts and programming for peace with justice. $700,000 board members, planned giving The Justice & Unity Campaign slate has been 7. Demand transparency for local and staff, and manage- endorsed by (among many others): $600,000 ment, and still have national board meetings. Expand public • Recruit listeners and members via Individuals: Pam Africa, Charles & Inez Barron, Rosa grassroots multi-media, including not implemented it. comment. End abuse of closed sessions. $500,000 To regain WBAI’s Clemente, Fred Ho, Teresa Gutierrez, Larry Hamm, internet, Facebook & Twitter Drs. Leonard & Rosalind Jeffries, Bob Law, Esperanza financial strength 8. Open local board committees to broad $400,000 Martell, Dennis Moynihan, Kevin Powell, Don Rojas, • Greatly expand online distribution/ WITHOUT sacrific- Brenda Stokely, Michael Tarif & Evelyn Warren, Tim Wise membership. archiving of programs ing our vital role as a $300,000 Organizations: ACT UP; Alberto Lovera Bolivarian 9. Restrict campaign spending in local powerful outlet for • Do long-term multi-channel expan- oppressed commu- Circle (Venezuela solidarity); Asia Pacific Action; Dec. $200,000 12th Movement; Free Mumia Abu-Jamal Coalition; elections. sion of WBAI’s programming via nities, Justice & sideband, HD (hybrid digital) radio, $146,770 Harlem Tenants Council; Int’l Action Ctr.; Int’l Support $102,000 Unity needs to re- 10. Hold a national convention to rewrite $100,000 Haiti Network.; Jersey City Peace Movement; May 1st and audio signal on cable TV $72,325 $51,724 gain the board ma- Coalition for Workers & Immigrants Rights; NY Com- flawed Pacifica bylaws, including lack of jority. Source: Pacifica Chief Financial Officer, report 10/07 report Pacifica Chief Financial Officer, Source: mittee to Free the Cuba 5; Pakistan USA Freedom mandated board diversity. • Create Pacifica record label to raise $0 revenue and showcase progressive KPFT KPFA WPFW KPFK WBAI Forum; Queers for Peace & Justice cultural workers (full list at www.justiceunity.org) ATTENTION: PRESORTED PRESORTED NON-PROFIT ORG. Information Is Key. COUP AT WBAI FIRST CLASS MAIL STANDARD U.S. POSTAGE Can You Help? Important voting U.S. POSTAGE U.S. POSTAGE PAID PAID WBAI’sPAID CommunitySAN LEANDRO, CA. Voices information enclosed BERNARD WHITE SAN LEANDRO, CA. SAN LEANDRO, CA. PERMIT # 169 is mailing was created by donated PERMIT # 169 PERMIT # 169 for the WBAI Local Threatened By Coup funds and labor, and loans to protect Station Board election. & OTHERS PURGED WBAI as a vital progressive voice. It was Ballots must be received Vote Justice & Unity to Save This Precious Asset! not financed by the station. More funds by October 14. WBAI Justice & Unity Campaign are urgently needed to help with these For decades, WBAI has played a historic community voices by piping in expenses. Please use the enclosed PO Box 2690, Manhattanville Station #celebrity hosts. OPEN IMMEDIATELY! New York NY 10027 role as the “voice of the voiceless.” When coupon, or send a check payable to Sharonne Salaam’s son Yusef and oth- • Program Director Bernard White, “Justice & Unity Campaign,” Box 2690, ers were framed in the Central Park jog- with nearly 30 professional years at Manhattanville Sta., NY, NY 10027- ger case, WBAI was the only outlet that WBAI, was fired and banned without 2690. Please give generously. gave Sharonne a frequent platform. due process or mandated evaluation. HELP SAVE WBAI When Lynne Stewart was persecuted e firing followed years of unsub- stantiated charges and racist attacks by the Bush regime on trumped-up gram, “Wake Up Call.” VOTE TODAY FOR charges, WBAI was the only place where by some local board members. she could tell her story. • Anthony Riddle was summarily fired • Pacifica’s Spanish-language progres- JUSTICE & UNITY! But now our precious station is in as General Manager. sive news program, “Informativo danger. In January 2009, a new Pacifica Pacifica,” was cut by one day a week • New management has repeatedly vio- and moved to a less favorable time in National Board majority put Grace lated the contract of the Unpaid Staff L.A., cancelled in Houston, and— Aaron from Los Angeles in charge as the Organizing Committee and refuses until Justice & Unity protested—dis- network’s interim executive director. even to communicate with the union. appeared for three weeks at WBAI. is past May, Aaron—backed by • New management has imposed an WBAI’s current board majority—exe- • Nationally, 7 Black and Latino staff on-air gag rule, enforced only against and managers have been removed. cuted a coup that destroyed WBAI’s au- critics. One has filed a racial discrimination tonomy. Hiding behind the network’s suit. financial crisis, Aaron and her support- • “On the Count” producer Ayo Har- rington was banned without notice or ers have begun a purge and a program- e current WBAI board majority of cause. Wakeup Call producers Mimi “independents” was elected with the aid WBAI Justice & Unity Campaign • (212) 591-2111 ming shakeup that will drastically Rosenberg and Don DeBar were re- reduce real political content: of distorted, expensive mailings engi- www.justiceunity.org • [email protected] • Join our email list! moved. neered by multi-millionaire junk mail • In a quest for ratings, interim man- • New management slashed five hours king and board member Steve Brown agement plans to replace important of WBAI’s flagship community pro- and signed by current board candidate Justice & Unity Jonathan Asculai. In 2007, their mailing was found to violate several election rules. endorsed by: UNDO THE COUP AT WBAI How to Fill Out Your Ballot A growing movement is fighting back. Charles Barron is past June, listeners rallied at the • Bernard White fired & banned • You may vote for candidates by giving them a ranking number. station. In July, listeners and supporters Esperanza Martell • There are 9 board seats to fill. But you should rank 14 candidates. packed the Community Church to hear Pam Africa • Wake Up Call slashed • Please rank only J&U-supported candidates in the below order. author Tim Wise discuss racism as one Tim Wise aspect of the coup. Hundreds more have • Station Manager Tony Riddle removed • So J&U candidates aren’t a stranded minority on a hostile board, signed petitions to recall pro-coup local Fred Ho please rank all the J&U candidates.