Lighting The Road To The Future Goins Twins Platinum Celebration Data Zone Page 6 “The People’s Paper” November 17 - November 23, 2012 47th Year Volume 28 www.ladatanews.com Paul Beaulieu The Voice of the Voiceless Page 2 Newsmaker State & Local A Healthier Honoring our New Orleans Veterans Page 4 Page 11 Page 2 November 17 - November 23, 2012 Cover Story www.ladatanews.com Paul Beaulieu The Voice of the Voiceless A Data News Exclusive WBOK Station Owner, Danny Bakewell, Sr. loyd Dennis L Photos by WBOK celebrates with staff, family and friends its 5th Anniversary of ownership by Danny Bakewell, Sr. and the talk WBOK General Manager, Paul Beaulieu show format as well as the promotion of Paul Beaulieu to General Manager. “I wrote a column for the Louisiana Weekly and Data News Weekly, in addition to writing for the States-Item and for a time I published my own By Edwin Buggage newspaper “The Spectator News Journal ” Continuing he says, “I felt then as I do now that the Black perspective is important but it is often ignored A Life of Service to Community in the mainstream media, so we need to continue to have outlets that talk Paul Beaulieu is a passionate advocate of African-American uplift On weekdays about who we are and what we think about the issues of the day,” says from 3-6 PM he can be heard on WBOK-1230 AM With his unmistakable New Or- Beaulieu of what has become his life’s work and mission leans accent and unapologetic words he is one who does not mince words and for During his lifetime of activism Beaulieu has been involved in empower- many citizens of the City he is a breath of fresh air with his refreshingly politically ing African-Americans on many fronts He is rooted in the tradition of giv- incorrect analysis and insight Over several decades he has been on the frontlines ing and service As a graduate of St Augustine High School and throughout of the struggle for racial equality and access Today he continues to be an impor- his life he’s worked in a variety of capacities but one thing has remained a tant voice in the City of New Orleans, looking back at his storied career he says, constant, uplifting and giving voice to African-Americans “Outside of my On the cover: L to R, Gerod Stevens, WBOK Program Director, Paul Beaulieu, Cover Story, Continued WBOK General Manager and Danny Bakewell, Sr., WBOK Station Owner. on next page. DATA NEWS WEEKLY P.O. Box 57347, New Orleans, LA 70157-7347 | Phone: (504) 821-7421 | Fax: (504) 821-7622 INSIDE DATA editorial: [email protected] | advertising: [email protected] Terry B. Jones Contributors CEO/Publisher Edwin Buggage Lloyd Dennis Glenn Jones Cover 2 Commentary 8 Michael a. Rashid VP Advertising Marc Morial & Marketing Julianne Malveaux Original Button Man Edwin Buggage Newsmaker 4 Health 9 Terry Jones Editor Art Direction & Production Calla Victoria MainorMedia.com Editorial Submissions Executive Assistant [email protected] Data Zone 6 State and Local News 10 June Hazeur Advertising Inquiries Accounting [email protected] Please call 504-309-9913 for subscription information or to obtain a back issue of the paper ONLY. Dated material two weeks in advance. Not responsible for publishing or return of unsolicited manuscripts or photos. www.ladatanews.com Cover Story November 17 - November 23, 2012 Page 3 Cover Story, Continued from previous page. work in media, I worked with the the issues facing our City and Real Talk in Black Paul Beaulieu: Talk Back would stand up like a Dr King, I Urban League under Clarence our community And one day and White and Talking Black remember there was a time when Barney; it was a different kind of Danny Bakewell Sr a native New He is someone who has come Over several decades there has our leadership spoke for us and leadership more of a boardroom Orleanian living in Los Angeles to be known for being outspoken been an increase in the number of were working to bring jobs and type activism, I was able to design had just purchased WBOK was and provocative, “I try to deliver Black political leaders, but Beau- resources to the community, but and implement several affirma- in town and staying at the Wind- the truth as I see it and some- lieu, sees a troubling trend among now more often than not it is tive action programs that Moon sor Court Hotel and while he was times it may be offensive to some, some who are charged with the about them and their small circle Landrieu funded My goal was to shaving he heard these strong but it is designed to get people to public trust He feels right now benefitting and not the masses of get African-Americans in jobs of opinions on the TV and came to think about issues and become the African-American community our people ” all sorts ” see who it was and realized it was civically engaged Also it is about needs more quality leaders mov- Cover Story, Continued But what he has come to be me so he called me and I signed putting our issues at the forefront ing forward, “In our leadership, on page 11.. garner great acclaim from is his on I thought it would be some- of the discussions of our City ” I cannot think of any person who work in the world of media, “I had thing new to explore because Most notably in post Hurricane a television show called “Dimen- I’d worked in television as well Katrina New Orleans he sees an sions” which was a news maga- as print but never in radio, so I overt attempt to erase Black pow- zine format, it was something the thought this would be a unique er both politically and economi- City had never seen at the time I opportunity to reach the commu- cally “From the African-American incorporated a lot of things in the nity in a different way ” perspective I see what’s being at- show including entertainment Excited about his new role as tempted is a takeover; it is in your I felt then as I feel now that you the station’s GM he says the team face something that the Whites of have to give people some of what he has in place is key to WBOK’s the City are saying right now is they want to give them what they continued success and growth we want our City back ” Continu- need In the area of print I won moving forward, “I am fortunate ing he says, “ In my office I have the Press Club Award for politi- that I have people like Gerod Ste- a copy of the Times Picayune that cal column writing, also I was the vens who is the stations Program shows all the places that were slat- first Black op-ed columnist for the Manager and Assistant General ed for green space and one of the States-Item; but what’s interest- Manager and Gary Williams who dots was where I live and I keep ing is that the same stuff I wrote is our Sales Manager and the en- it not because it was my house about from 1970-73 are the same tire staff is vital to our success but because it is significant And issues different faces ” Continu- But moving forward I would like some of these plans are not new, ing he says, “I have always fought to reach out to a younger demo- before Hurricane Katrina the against the system that’s tried to graphic and bring that audience Whites were more politically cor- roll over us and being informed is in as well because they are our rect in their agenda, today that is important so we know what we’re listeners also and we would like to not the case ” up against, and that is why Data grow it moving forward by bring- Beaulieu calls what is happen- News Weekly, The Louisiana ing programming that is targeted ing “The Big Takeaway and feels Weekly, The New Orleans Tri- to that audience ” that African-Americans must bune and WBOK are important to Its current slogan is “Real fight to retain its institutions and our community ” Talk for Real Times, and its for- foothold in the City of New Or- mat “Talk Back, Talk Black” is leans “Race Relations are at an WBOK: Real Talk significant as many Black voices all time high as far as it being di- for Real Times have been muted since Hurricane vided Through their action the Recently, he has taken on a Katrina Now in its fifth year as a Whites have said we want the new role as the General Man- talk radio station it fills a void ac- City back and they have basical- ager of WBOK-1230AM, a station cording to Beaulieu, “In five years ly given crumbs to the African- that’s dedicated to talk radio tar- it has become a forum for African- American community And with geting African-American listen- Americans to discuss issues and all the billions of dollars that’s ers Of this new path down his give voice to our community and come into the City post Katrina journey to serve his community how they affect us It has been not they give our community 35 per- and give them a forum he says, only a source of information and cent and what’s worse they pat “I was on cable access for 8 years inspiration but education for our themselves on the back and on a show hosted by myself and community Also for other com- get on the soapbox and say look Lloyd Dennis called “Between munities it is a window inside of what we’ve done for the African- the Lines,” that was centered on the Black community ” American community ” Page 4 November 17 - November 23, 2012 Newsmaker www.ladatanews.com AMFC, LSUHSC-NO and David Raines Community Health Centers: A shared passion for building a healthier Louisiana health education opportunities prove health outcomes in the By Michael A.