August 27, 1998
NAACP National Headquarters, Office of the President
Mr. Kweisi Mfume
4805 Mt. Hope Drive
Baltimore, MD 21215-3297
RE: Westinghouse, CBS, and the KKK at it again!
Dear Mr. Mfume:
Even as you digest my letter of August 24, 1998, Westinghouse, CBS and
Howard Stern provides you with some additional racist garbage to chew on.
Proving me to be 100% accurate on the issue of Westinghouse and CBS's corporate
policy of blatant racism, two days ago, on August 25th, Klu Klux Klansman,
Daniel Carver, made another appearance on The Howard Stern Show.
As I detailed to you in my August 24th letter, Mr. Carver routinely appears
on the Stern show under the guise of being a movie critic. Daniel Carver
is a Siskel, Ebert, Imperial Wizard, KKK Recruiter and Grand Dragon of the
Knights of the Klu Klux Klan all rolled into a white hooded bag of shit,
if you will.
In addition to encouraging him to give "burning crosses" as a
means of rating a movie, Westinghouse and CBS allow Carver to expectorate
his venomously vile diatribe of "porch monkey" racism as only
a Kard Karrying Klu Klux Klansman can spew.
Here are Mr. Carver's movie reviews for August 25, 1998 at 8:55 AM:
1) The movie ''School Ties'' received a 0 burning cross rating from Mr.
Carver.
2) The movie ''Trading Places'' starring Eddie Murphy received 3 burning
crosses. Howard Stern asked Carver if Eddie Murphy offered to have drinks
with him, would he do it. Carver said absolutely not. He wouldn't go out
for drinks with any black guy.
3) ''Planet of the Apes''. Carver opined that the reason Westinghouse/CBS/Howard
Stern wanted him to review this particular movie was for him to make the
comparison between apes and blacks.
Quoting Mr. Carver's remarks on the subject of "niggers" and
"monkeys" in his many previous appearances on The Howard Stern
Show:
Carver gave 'Planet Of The Apes' 3 burning crosses.
Daniel Carver typifies the swamp-water, Bayou-cracker racism that is being
broadcast all across America and Canada by Westinghouse, CBS and Howard
Stern, and that ain't why Martin walked across the Pettus Bridge. And,
it's more like a nightmare than the 'Dream' he envisioned.
You are not the first person in the leadership of the NAACP that I have
written to regarding the racist corporate policy of Westinghouse and CBS.
More than a year ago I wrote to NAACP Deputy Director, Mary Anne Lee in
Detroit (February 27, 1997 and June 21, 1997); Regional Director, Ernestine
Peters in Los Angeles (February 16, 1997 and June 21, 1997); and Regional
Director Paula Edme in New York (February 19, 1997 and June 21, 1997).
To date, all of those letters to the NAACP leadership have gone unanswered
and unacknowledged.
The lack of response causes me to wonder if I care more for my brother
than he cares for himself.
The above cited radio broadcast was made just two days ago on The Howard
Stern Show which is owned, produced and syndicated to more than 30 radio
stations and more than 25,000,000 listeners each day by Westinghouse and
CBS, including Westinghouse/CBS owned WJFK-AM right there in Baltimore.
But, don't take my word for it or the unimpeachable documentation that
I have provided to you. Just put WJFK on your radio and listen to Westinghouse/CBS's
number one cash cow, Howard Stern. You will hear, first hand, the backwoods
racism that engulfs WJFK's bandwidth.
As you drive around Baltimore, I suggest you tune your car radio to WJFK
and think about all of the other cars in Baltimore and across the nation
that are also tuned into the Stern show.
How many cars are listening to Daniel Carver giving 'burning crosses' to
movies and making comparisons between "niggers" and "monkeys"?
How many other cars are listening to Stern's "Nigger Hatin' Hats"?
Is the guy in the car next to you a Stern fan? Why is he looking at you
like that and why is he laughing?
The obvious question is why would any African-American continue to spend
their hard earned money buying goods and services from those companies that
sponsor Stern's racist radio program?
The obvious answer is they should not and the pro-active answer is to boycott
Stern's sponsors!
Westinghouse/CBS's racist broadcasts of "Nigger Hatin' Hats",
"Guess My Color", "The Homeless Game", KKK hate messages,
"Black Jeopardy", "Coons", "Porch Monkeys",
KKK recruitment and "niggers" hanging from trees are being made
right under your nose. It is more than an embarassment that Westinghouse/CBS's
racist broadcasts are being made just a few blocks from the National Headquarters
of the NAACP. I would paraphrase a quote to say, "NAACP heal thyself."
The fact is, Westinghouse/CBS's racism is "in your house".
The question is, Mr. Mfume, what are you and the NAACP going to do about
it?
Sincerely,
______________________________________
Al Westcott
cc:
Roy Innis
CORE
30 Cooper Square
New York, NY 10030
Post Script: _______
One of those 'life realizations' happened to me this evening. You know,
one of those coincidental matters of happenstance that tests one's deep
inner convictions and makes you wonder if you are doing the right thing.
As I was writing this letter to you my son, Sean, called me from his home
in Baltimore. He began the conversation with a chilling sentence that no
parent wants to hear. He said, "Dad, I have to tell you something,
but before I do, I want you to know that I'm alright."
He then told me that, on Monday, a 17 year old crack addict boy who lives
across the street from him didn't think that Sean was home and broke into
my son's house. When he found that Sean was home, the kid ran across the
street into his house. Sean ran after him and was met by the kid's sister
standing on the porch.
Sean told her he wanted to speak to her parents. As the parents came out
of the house, the crack addict kid was right behind them. Fists swinging,
he came after Sean who is a 30 year old, 6 ft, 200 pound construction worker
and my son was easily able to fend off the kid, that was, until the kid
pulled a knife. The kid lunged at Sean with the blade and, fortunately,
he missed. Sean knocked him to the ground and when he rose to his feet,
he came at Sean again. Sean wrestled the kid to the ground and during the
scuffle the kid gashed Sean's finger and sliced his leg. A wound that required
17 stitches to close.
A neighbor called 911, the kid was arrested and, because he is a juvenile,
he was released later the same evening. Last night, Sean returned home
from work to find that his house had been vandalized and robbed.
My son will be married in just a few weeks and intended to raise a family
in this house. Today, angered and physically wounded by the events of the
past two days, he called the bank and told them to forclose on the house
because he simply can not bring his family into such a neighborhood and
can not afford to pay for a house that he can not live in.
Here, Mr. Mfume is a young man who, with only regard for the safety of
his family and without an eye towards the negative financial repercussions
of a forclosure, is forced into a position where he must tell the bank to
take the house.
You should know, Mr. Mfume, that Sean lives in a rapidly racially changing
neighborhood off Bel Air Road and the crack addict kid is an African-American.
You should also know that I am not an African-American nor is Sean, and
during our two-hour telephone conversation this evening, the word "nigger"
was never used by either of us.
Although literally forced to vacate his home, his leg and hand cut, physically
assaulted, his home robbed and in fear for the safety of his family, my
son did not use the word 'nigger' to describe the individual who rained
this turmoil upon him. I trust you will agree that such a test would be
failed by a lesser man.
Before we finished our telephone conversation this evening, I remarked
that it would have been very easy for Sean to have used the word 'nigger'.
Sean said, "Dad, calling him a 'nigger' won't bring me back my home."
Sean is a grown man with a family of his own, but like all parents must
feel, he is still 'my baby' and in viewing his heart on the issue of racism,
I am reminded of the phrase "out of the mouths of babes."
Although impacted as any parent would be when harm befalls their child,
no matter the age of that child, it was a greater impact to see that, somewhere
in his 30 years, my son has indelibly learned the meaning of racial tolerance.
I simply ask that you help me teach Westinghouse, CBS and Howard Stern
the same lesson.
Did the assault really happen?
Verification that it did can be found in the reports my son filed with
the Baltimore City Police Department.
Did the word "nigger" come up in tonight's telephone conversation
between my son and I?
Verification that it did not can be found in this letter which asks your
help to bring Westinghouse, CBS and Howard Stern to the table of accountability
for their corporate boardroom policy of racism and, thereby, their creation
of a hostile working environment for all of Westinghouse/CBS's African-American
employees.