OPINION
Chronicle?
Ernest H. Pitt Publisher/Co-Founder
Elaine Pitt Business Manager
Michael A. Pitt Marketing
0
T. Kevin Walker Managing Editor
Bob Johnson is
on the wrong
side of history
George
Curry
Guest
Columnist
Now that Hillary Clinton has
finally acknowledged that she
lost to Barack Obama, it appears
that the only person still
unaware of that is Bob Johnson.
After embarrassing himself in
South Carolina, Johnson is act
ing like the loser is supposed to
determine the makeup of the
presidential ticket.
Consequently, he is leading a
campaign to pressure Obama to
pick Clinton as his Democratic
running mate.
Like before, Johnson is
fighting a losing battle. Just as
Clinton didn't want anyone to
push her out of the race, even
after it became clear that she had
no mathematical chance of
overtaking the front-runner,
Obama will not allow Johnson
or anyone else force him to
place Clinton on the ticket.
Would Bob Johnson, Charlie
Rangel, Maxine Waters, Mary
Frances Berry and other Black
Hillary supporters be pushing as
hard for the addition of Obama
to the ticket if Clinton had
defeated Obama? I doubt it.
They are among the last
African- Americans in the coun
try still mesmerized by the
Clintons.
In Johnson's case, I some
what understand his attachment
to the Clintons. As editor of
Emerge magazine, which was
owned by BET, I had a chance
to attend social functions in
Bob's home that were attended
by the president. As a big time
Democratic fundraiser. Bob
exercised considerable clout,
making sure that President
Clinton and other newsmakers
did not slight BET when they
were dolling out exclusive inter
views.
But his supporting Hillary to
the end - some say, after the end
- will contribute to his mixed
legacy.
Let me say upfront that dur
ing my seven years as editor of
Emerge, I could not have asked
for a more supportive boss. Bob
Johnson not only supported me
when we published covers that
were admittedly over the edge,
he actively encouraged me to
stir up controversy. Not once in
seven years did he ever ask me
to tone down our coverage. And
he gave me the financial
resources to put out a magazine
that won more than 40 national
journalism awards. In 38 years
of journalism, being editor of
Emerge was by far the most
exciting and fulfilling years of
my career.
When I was at Emerge, I
was also a regular panelist on
"Lead Story," the Sunday morn
ing roundtable of reporters host
ed by Ed Gordon and later,
Cheryl Martin. It, too, was
unique. In addition to "Lead
Story," there was "Teen
Summit" and 'BET News." In
fact, BET carried more Black
oriented public affairs programs
than all of the other cable chan
nels combined.
What most people don't
know about Bob Johnson is that
he closed his company on the
Bob Johnson
day of the Million Man March
and took out a full-page ad in
USA Today expressing his sup
port for the march called by
Minister Louis Farrakhan. He
attended the march and had Ed
Gordon doing special reports
throughout the day. Name one
other major business. Black or
White, that offered a paid holi
day to its employees so that they
could attend the Million Man
March? I can't think of one.
Bob never gets enough cred
it for the positive things he has
doneo That's largely because the
good deeds were overshadowed
by the rump-shaking, degrading
videos that ran and continue to
run on BET. They were so vile
that Bob Johnson didn't allow
his kids to watch them. Even
before he became a billionaire
by selling BET to Viacom, every
public affairs program, includ
ing "Lead Story ,"cwas taken off
the air.
A group of BET magazines,
including Emerge, were sold to
Keith Clinkscales in preparation
for the Viacom sale. Within sev
eral years, they were dead or in
bankruptcy court. That, too, will
remain a part of the Johnson and
Clinkscales legacy.
Given Bob's unequivocal
support for Emerge and the
Million Man March, it was not
unreasonable to expect him to
support Obama. But like too
many Black leaders, he was
already wedded to the Clintons.
Campaigning in South
Carolina, Johnson said the
Clintons "...have been deeply
and emotionally involved in
black issues when Barack
Obama was doing something in
the neighborhood that - and I
won't say what he was doing,
but he said it in his book - when
they have been involved."
After strongly denying that
he was referring to Obama's
experimentation with drugs as a
youth, Johnson finally 'fessed
up and apologized to Obama.
In contrast to standing tall at
the Million Man March, Bob
Johnson is on the wrong side of
history. And even as Obama
continues to make history,
Johnson is still trying to foist
Clinton off on the history maker.
When it comes to Hillary
Clinton, African- Americans did
n't listen to Bob Johnson in
South Carolina and there's no
need to listen to him now.
George E. Curry, former
editor-in-chief of Emerge maga
zine and the NNPA News
Service, is a keynote speaker,
moderator, and media coach.
He can he reached through his
Web site, www.georgecurry.com.
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AIDS - Ttirn Words into Action
Phil]
Wilson
Guest
Columnist
Black America's response to
the AIDS crisis is finally gaining
momentum. More Black people
than ever before know someone
with HIV/AIDS and/or are talk
ing about it.
In light of this progress, it is
tempting to think that the AIDS
epidemic in our community is
under control. But this is no
time to be complacent. Black
people are still being diagnosed,
progressing to AIDS and dying
from the disease more often than
any other racial group in
America.
To be fair, the progress
we've made against AIDS is
remarkable. High-profile com
munity members ranging from
Oprah to Obama have taken
HIV tests in front of the televi
sion cameras in a bid to encour
age other Black Americans to
get tested.
And just last month, many of
our community leaders came
together with the Centers for
Disease Control in Atlanta to
plan the next phase of the
"Heightened National Response
to the HIV Crisis among African
Americans," which is spawning
innovative HIV prevention cam
paigns across the United States.
This is exactly what's need
ed - we need to taice responsibil
ity for the health of our commu
nity. And in some ways, all this
increased public education is
beginning to pay off. In a recent
survey. Black people were the
only ethnic group to say that
HIV is the number one health
problem in America.
So why do I still say, "AIDS
in America today is a Black dis
ease?" The truth is, while aware
ness - and lip service - about
this disease may be rising, too
many of us still don't know our
HIV status, aren't in appropriate
care and treatment, and aren't
taking concrete steps to protect
ourselves and our loved ones
from becoming infected. When
it comes to this disease, we've
got to walk the talk.
The facts remain startling.
Over 50 percent of HIV-positive
African- Americans do not know
they are HIV positive. For those
who do get tested, it is often too
late: Too late for treatment to be
fully effective, too late to stop
the progression from HIV to
AIDS and too late to prevent
significantly more AIDS-related
deaths in our communities.
And there is a cruel irony
here: Many of our people are
dying just as HIV treatment
reaches new heights. Today's
medications mean HIV can be
successfully treated over the
long term with just 1 or 2 pills a
day. This is amazing progress
compared to just a decade ago,
when treatment was difficult to
take and involved lots of pills.
But because we're not getting
tested for HIV early and often,
many of our brothers and sisters
are missing out on these
advances.
Behind all of this is the
ongoing challenge of HIV stig
ma.
Too many people are still too
scared to take the test for fear of
how others may react to a posi
tive diagnosis. And too many
people are discouraged by dam
aging misinformation and myths
in our community about HIV.
But times have changed.
Today, the stigma Black
America really needs to be con
cerned about is the shame of not
getting tested, and thereby not
doing what it takes to end the
AIDS epidemic in our commu
nities. It is time for each one of
us to take responsibility for the
health - and the future - of our
community.
I am one of a growing army
of Black folks who are deter
mined to safeguard our future.
For now, AIDS is a Black dis
ease. But when we have a clear
plan, with specific goals and
objectives, we do overcome. We
learned that with the civil rights
movement in the 1960s. And I
can assure you, we will learn
that as we work to end the AIDS
epidemic in Black America,
oln fact, at the Black AIDS
Institute, we already have a plan
to stop AIDS. Our 'Test One
Million" campaign will:
? Reduce HIV rates in Black
America;
? Dramatically increase the
number of Black people who
know their HIV status;
? Build an army of Black
testing and treatment advocates;
Increase the number of Black
people seeking early treatment
and care; and Decrease HIV
stigma in Black communities.
Black America can win the
battle against HIV/AIDS. But
it's going to take all of us to play
our part - and be part of the
solution. We need regular HIV
testing for all Black people,
access to early treatment for
those of us who test positive,
and education to combat the
misinformation and stigma that
surrounds HIV.
Yes, Black people are finally
talking about HTV/AIDS. And
now it's time to turn words into
action. Take control. Talk to
your family and loved ones
about HIV and get tested at least
once a year.
Phill Wilson was diagnosed
with HIV over a quarter century
ago. He is the founder and chief
executive officer of the Black
AIDS Institute. For more infor
mation about the Test One
Million campaign or to find free
confidential HIV testing in your
area, go to www.blackaids.org.
The Nov. 4 vote will count most
Eleanor
Holmes
Norton
Guest
Columnist
Rev. Dr. Martin Luther
King, Jr. put Black Americans
at the center of history almost
45 years ago when he won the
Nobel Prize for leading a non
violent revolution against
American racism and racial
discrimination in our country.
Black Americans last week
stood with Barack Obama at
another crossroad, when the
Senator made history by win
ning the Democratic nomina
tion for president of the United
States. The accomplishments
of both these African
Americans were liberating -
for Black people and for our
country. With the Nobel Peace
Prize, the world recognized
not only King, but the signifi
cance of our non-violent
movement for human rights
and equal citizenship. Senator
Obama's achievement has
equivalent significance.
The high road he paved for
hope and unity, and against
division, moved voters beyond
the old racism, just as King's
non-violent resistance and his
lyrical masterpieces of lan
guage, laced with love of
country and of his white oppo
nents, changed our country.
Both men had magical
appeal, but personal charisma
alone could not have broken
the barriers of the ages. The
courage of King's campaigns,
defying violence with the
brave and brilliant use of non
violence, was central to the
direction he and the movement
took, and to the ultimate victo
ry of our movement.
Dr. King reached his goals
with the huge 1963 March on
Washington and the achieve
ment of three great civil rights
statutes - the Civil Rights Act
of 1964, the Voting Rights Act
of 1965, and the Fair Housing
Act of 1968.
Whatever happens in
November, Barack Obama,
too, has changed America. A
Black American has defeated
not just any opponent, but the
most' formidable, Hillary
Clinton, whom we salute as a
champion of the same issues
and causes that Senator Obama
and African Americans regard
as fundamental.
Yet, Obama rose from com
munity organizer and little
known senator, and came from
nowhere in the polls to win 33
contests from South Carolina
to Montana, to Clinton's 18,
and the delegate majority nec
essary to capture the nomina
tion.
Rarely has so sensational a
turning point been a beginning
and not a finale. Barack
Obama has won the
Democratic nomination. Now
he mttst win the presidency.
His nomination gives him mil
lions of Americans who
already have voted that he
should be our president. Now,
all of us must be mindful that
we must vote again and bring
many more with us because
the vote that counts most will
be cast on Nov. 4. Victory is in
sight, but not yet achieved. ?
Most challenging will be
the winner-take-all arithmetic
of presidential elections.
Democratic primaries distrib
ute delegates to each candidate
oaccording to the proportion he
wins. To become president, the
nominees must win entire
majorities in a sufficient num
ber of states. Even then, some
states will count more than
others because they have larg
er populations and therefore
are assigned more electoral
votes. It is this electoral vote
total count that determines the
presidency. Senator Obama
has set new records for votes
from young Americans,
African Americans and many
others. He must rtow win a
cross-section of America itself.
In our country, where most
Americans share his values but
not his race or background.
Senator Obama's work has just
begun. We must not let this
unique moment in history and
a path-breaking new future slip
from our country.
The finale due on
November 4th does ncn depend
on Barack Obama alone. The
presidency lies with us and in
the hands of other Americans
who understand that Barack
Obama, who has already
changed America can also
change our posture in the
world and with it bring the
return of the best and highest
use of American power.
Delegate Eleanor Holmes
Norton, a Democrat, repre
sents Washington, D.C. in the
U.S. House.