After Imus: Blacks champion women, civility and decency

Jet, April 30, 2007 by Clarence Waldron

Women and Blacks across the nation are applauding the recent firing of Don Imus' by CBS Radio and MSNBC and see it as a step forward in fighting racism and sexism in America.

During a radio interview that was simulcast on MSNBC, Imus called the Rutgers women's basketball team "nappy-headed hos." Imus' producer went on to call the team "jigaboos." Rutgers had just lost to Tennessee in the NCAA championship game the night before.

Two days after the radio host made racist and sexist remarks about Rutgers University's women's basketball team, the National Association of Black Journalists (NABJ) was the first to demand the ouster of Imus (JET, April 23). NABJ was quickly joined by the Rev. Al Sharpton's National Action Network, the National Urban League, the National Organization of Women, the National Association of Hispanic Journalists and other groups.

"Something happened in the last week around America," said NABJ President Bryan Monroe. "It's not just what the radio host did. America said enough is enough. America said we don't want this kind of conversation, we don't want this kind of vitriol, especially with teenagers."

Rev. Sharpton, Rev. Jesse Jackson, and other civil rights leaders were outraged by Imus' remarks and led protests at CBS and NBC stations across the country, demanding that Imus be fired. They also met with the head of CBS to express their concerns. That same day, Imus was off the air at MSNBC. The next day, he had been removed from CBS Radio as well.

"This is a victory for public decency," said Jackson. "I believe in free speech, but not indecent speech. Network stations have tolerated this behavior for much too long. He cannot use the air-waves as a conduit to spout racist and gender-bashing language."

Urban League President Marc Morial told JET: "There's no gloating or celebrating. We took an important stand on principle and CBS and NBC followed suit and I hope that we have broadened the conversation to include diversity in the newsroom, in front of and behind the camera and we got to talk to the people who make music, the entertainers about discontinuing the disparaging language about women."

Soon after Imus made the racist and sexist comments, Rev. Sharpton asked him to explain his action on his radio program. "I wish I hadn't said it, I'm sorry I said it," said Imus, who at times appeared both contrite and angry.

"We cannot afford a precedent established that the airways can commercialize and mainstream sexism and racism," said Sharpton.

Leslie Moonves, CEO of CBS Corp., added: "He has flourished in a culture that permits a certain level of objectionable expression that hurts and demeans a wide range of people."

Although the news initially broke over the Easter weekend holiday, it quickly came to a boil after the women of Rutgers held an emotional press conference. Soon after, more than a half dozen of major advertisers--including Procter & Gamble, Staples, American Express, Sprint Nextel, General Motors and the Bigelow Tea Company--pulled out as sponsors of his show.

The day he was fired, Imus had a private meeting with the women's team at the New Jersey governor's mansion, where he apologized directly to the team, which was accepted.

"We, the Rutgers University Scarlet Knights basketball team, accept Mr. Imus' apology, and we are in the process of forgiving," said C. Vivian Stringer, Rutgers coach. "These comments are indicative of greater ills in our culture. It is not just Mr. Imus, and we hope that this will be and serve as a catalyst for change. Let us continue to work hard together to make this world a better place."

"They gave us the opportunity to listen to what they had to say and why they're hurting and how awful this is," said Deirdre Imus, wife of the radio host.

"He feels awful," she said. "He asked them, 'I want to know the pain I caused, and I want to know how to fix this and change this."

Deirdre Imus also said that the Rutgers players have been receiving hate email, and she demanded that it stop. "If you must send (hate) e-mail, send it to my husband," not the team.

The Rev. DeForest Soaries, Jr., the spiritual advisor for the Rutgers team, moderated the meeting of Imus and the team.

"It was the most intense experience I ever had in my life," Rev. Soaries, senior pastor of the First Baptist Church of Lincoln Gardens in Somerset, NJ, told JET. "These young ladies were passionate, but they were polite. They were vocal, but not vulgar. They were so expressive and articulate in describing their pain. It was gut-wrenching, soul-searching and so authentic and so mature. These are teenagers. They weren't cursing, they weren't sassy. They just sat down and spoke their minds. I honor them. They are my heroes. One student actually told Don Imus that she would pray for him. I sat there at times, asking God to make sure I treat my wife right and raise my boys to treat women right. This was powerful stuff."

Asked if Imus' apology was heartfelt and sincere, Rev. Soaries told JET: "We will know when we see his actions and that's what I told him. And that's why Coach Stringer's statement said 'we are in the process of forgiveness.' Forgiveness is a process and is directly related to behavior. If your behavior changes, then my forgiveness increases. If your behavior doesn't change, then my forgiveness is withheld."