Whitney says black artists treaty unfairly by media

Jet, March 7, 1994

Whitney Houston says she and many other Black artists, like Michael Jackson, are victims of media racism.

"I see White folks do a lot of things-a lot of things that I wouldn't even think about doing-and nobody cares," Houston said in a recent issue of TV Guide. "I think a lot of emphasis is placed on Black people because there are not many who are able to succeed. So when one does, it's, |Uh-oh'."

The 30-year-old singer-actress also cited rap artists as examples of Blacks who are treated unfairly in the press. Houston said she first recognized the problem last year when tabloids falsely reported she was hospitalized for an addiction to diet pills. Her awareness grew during the media frenzy over allegations that Jackson sexually molested a young boy.

"You do not convict someone of a crime that you have no idea they committed," Houston said. "I hate the media for doing it to him."