I am passing on an exerpt of Poynter's Al Thompson news leads about the Jena 6 today. Though I am grateful for the privilege of knowing about/viewing a music video with extensive classic and new TV news clips and the wonderful song, it seems to me that Al again shows his nasty racist undertone in the post I have copied for you below. Notice how he says that, "spineless callers have been threatening threatening everybody from the Jena librarian to the local sheriff's department." Funny how Al doesn't mention that the story leads with how the relatives of the 6 African American boys are being threatened since a white supremacist group released all their contact information to the public. Also Al and the story itself classify insulting phone messages (calling Jena white media and officials "white devils") as threatening. As an African American woman who has been viciously racially harassed by the media (newspaper) and "fine" citizens of Durango, Colorado and Fort Lewis College -- police did not even categorize insulting anonymous messages as threatening So Al's more worried about the white. Even the other message the article classifies as threatening said, "somebody ought to put a noose around your neck," would not have been classified as a direct threat because the harasser didn't say he/she was going to put a noose around the white person's neck. Perhaps because anything done to African Americans is not seen as being as serious or damaging as any assault to those so used to White privilege. So I would like for Al and the Town Talk writers to consider if those messages were threatening or merely insulting and to compare them in number and severity to those received by the Jena 6 African American family members and allies AT HOME by MULTIPLE METHODS as a result of a White supremist groups direct action! Again this is White privilege rearing it's nasty head in the media and Al Thompson's news notes. We sometimes have problems with our server rejecting incoming email. If your reply to this email is returned to you, PLEASE call me at the number below. Apologies...We are working on it. Sincerely, Rev. Dr. E-K. Daufin, Professor Department of Communications Alabama State University 915 South Jackson St. Montgomery, AL 36101-0271 334.229.6885 Thank you in advance for your Scholarly & Creative Activity Referrals - Lectures, Performances, Workshops, Consultation Related Info: http://home.earthlink.net/~ekdaufin/ -----Original Message----- From: Poynter Institute [mailto:[log in to unmask]] Sent: Thursday, October 04, 2007 6:10 AM To: E. K. Daufin Subject: Al's Morning Meeting - Thursday Edition: Posted, Oct. 4, 2007 'Jena Six' As a Music Video ... By Al Tompkins 'Jena Six' As a Music Video John Mellencamp just released a new single called "Jena." (http://news.yahoo.com/s/thenation/20071002/cm_thenation/4239242) He said he wanted to get it out to the public right away, so he released it online, for free. Here are some of the lyrics: An all white jury hides the executioner's face Is this how we are, me and you? Everyone needs to know their place And here we thought this blackbird was hidden in the flue Oh oh oh Jena Oh oh oh Jena Oh oh oh Jena Take your nooses down At the same time, I read in The Town Talk (http://www.thetowntalk.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20071003/NEWS01/7 10030332/-1/) newspaper that spineless callers have been threatening everybody from the Jena librarian to the local sheriff's department. Click here (http://www.poynter.org/column.asp?id=2&aid=130598) to read a Q & A I put together with The Town Talk 's editor, Paul V. Carty. Just two weeks after the march on Jena (http://www.khou.com/news/local/houstonmetro/stories/khou070920_ac_jenas ix.f0b9f764.html) , the story has already fallen off the national radar again.