"I will not bow down to - racism. I will not bow down to - sexism. I
will not bow down to -- injustice. I'm gon' stand. I'm gon' stand."
-- Sweet Honey 'n the Rock.
Poynter's Al Tompkins has chosen to re-publish and expand in his column
the racist, revisionist, myopic reports of the editor of the small paper
in Jena, Louisiana regarding the Jena Six... with Dr. Karen Dunlap's
approval and protection. If I understand her correctly, as long as what
Tompkins selectively prints is someone's version of the truth, it's okay
by her. If I understand her correctly, she has no issue with Tompkins
if those selective truths perpetuate racism in its most lethal fashion.
Nor does she have an issue with sexist/lookism remarks Tompkins has
published/recommended in his column, if I understand her correctly. His
"column's" have been, "racist, revisionist, myopic and sexist/lookist.
I thought Dunlap would want to see evidence regarding my assessment so I
have copied her with the articles (and link to the BBC documentary that
was refused by US broadcasters some say) that I have also sent to AEJMAC
and DAC 07. Her response to receiving the articles I have forwarded was
to have me removed from the Diversity Across the Curriculum 2007
listserv to which I belonged as a result of having done that work this
summer. That's her prerogative.
This is not academic theory folks...This is concerning six black boy's
lives on the line...Six black boys who only represent what is going on
in so many places around the country. This is playing out as if it were
the '50's, not the 21st Century. I am in no way alone in the notion
that the Jena paper, its editor's CSM piece and Tompkins reprinting
portions of that publication, and Tompkins giving that editor a broader
forum -- perpetuates deadly racism. I have forwarded articles to
AEJMAC and DAC07 listservs and ASU faculty that support this position.
Now the Jena paper editor Craig Franklin I have called a "racist idiot."
Those are the kindest words I have for him and represent my considered
professional evaluation. If I have offended MACers by these two words
then that is sad but that is calling a, "spade a spade." Tompkins is
helping Franklin do terrible harm to the planet regarding race equity
and race relations. Is Tompkins himself racist or sexist, as Dunlap
asked me? I don't know. I just know he is helping a bad person do very
bad things to the very people MAC, CSW and my life are dedicated to
protecting, training, liberating. I don't consider what I have said or
done to be a personal attack against Tompkins. I will NOT, however,
speak words that pretty up what he's doing, or be silent about it in any
group of which I am a part.
Dunlap has kicked me off of her DAC07 listserv. I have had myself
removed from Tompkin's and all other Poynter newsletters/lists. I
consider the case closed. Welcome to the AEJMAC listserv Dr. Dunlap.
If as a result of the above and the work I have done, the powers that be
here choose to silence me on the MAC listserv that I have labored over
and served through since Dr. Carstaphen created it, then I can exit
stage right from "up in here" too. There may be other divisions,
commissions and organizations who value my contributions and may need me
more now. If that were to happen, I know it would be my Creator again
redirecting me. I want to go where, and do what, She has for me to do.
At the end of a semester we all have too much work with classes, papers,
Midwinter, prof. org. paper reviews, research, etc. to deal with this
mess. So I consider the matter closed and still valued MAC membership
chair until told differently. If at least left alone, I will of course
not have to absorb our precious time and email inbox space with this
anymore. Happy Holidays.
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/
<http://home.earthlink.net/~ekdaufin/>
________________________________
From: FOR THE MINORITIES AND COMMUNICATION DIV. OF AEJMC
[mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Carstarphen, Meta G.
Sent: Thursday, November 29, 2007 6:48 PM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Post from Karen Dunlap
Dear all,
Karen Dunlap requested that the following be shared with the AEJMAC list
and I am doing so. According to the time stamp, she made this request
about two hours before E.K. Daufin posted her comment. In the interest
of facilitating a full dialogue, I am honoring her request. I have also
adapted her subscription to the listserv so she can speak directly to
the group if she chooses.
Finally, I shared this with her in an e-mail and believe it is worth
repeating to the entire list:
"I don't moderate discussions on this list by design, but I am committed
to the proposition that all voices should be heard and that, as a group,
we are able to resolve issues constructively. Thank you for taking the
time to participate. I know this group and I know this discussion will
adopt the tone it should."
With that said, here is Karen's post:
---------------
Please post.
K. Dunlap
From: Karen Dunlap <[log in to unmask]>
Date: Thu, 29 Nov 2007 16:23:39 -0500
To: "E. K. Daufin" <[log in to unmask]>, <[log in to unmask]>
Cc: Al Tompkins <[log in to unmask]>
Conversation: What Al Thompkins should have read before writing his
racist Jena 6 columns
Subject: Re: What Al Thompkins should have read before writing his
racist Jena 6 columns
To the AEJMAC listserv,
I can't tell you how troubled I've been by the on-going discussion of
the Jena Six
reporting and references to Al Tompkins' column.
I could outline a number of problems with the level of conversation
and the casual treatment of facts.
I'm most troubled by the personal attacks upon those with whom there is
disagreement,
and I'm troubled that this comes from educators.
Educators are assigned to teach students how to think critically and
clearly,
assess facts dispassionately and maintain civil discourse even while
disagreeing.
I don't see those qualities in many of the exchanges that I've followed.
A disagreement
on facts or interpretation of the facts does not make one party a
"racist." That is a loaded
term and we need to use it wisely.
I have conversed with Dr. Daufin on more than one area in which we
disagree.
I now bring my concerns to the MAC listserv.
Most of you know me. In years past I have worked with you in AEJMC-MAC,
at Poynter and elsewhere. We know the battles that we've been through
and the struggles that we face. I'm appalled that we seem to be
allowing
the kind of personal attacks that we have condemned in the past.
Yes, Tompkins is a colleague and friend and a person with whom I
sometimes disagree.
He sometimes disagrees with me. We do so respectfully.
The exchange below does not represent the character of MAC. It does not
present an acceptable level of discourse.
I hope this level of exchange ends.
Best wishes,
Karen
Dr. Karen Brown Dunlap
President and Managing Director
Poynter
801 Third St. S.
St. Petersburg, Fl. 33701
888/Poynter (769-6837)
[log in to unmask]
On 11/26/07 8:02 PM, "E. K. Daufin" <[log in to unmask]> wrote:
A woman of integrity and fellow Poynter Diversity Across the Curriculum
07 participant sent this more balanced response to the !@##$$% racist
idiot Craig Franklin, editor of the local Jena Times newspaper. This is
a link to Howard Witt's response to questions about Franklin's Christian
Science Monitor piece that is so like Al Thomkin's racist Poynter
article. It includes a link to the response by Alan Bean the pastor who
told Witt about the case and the director of a civil rights group called
Friends of Justice. The CSM piece is UGLY and full of
revisionist/apologist propaganda.
here is a response i send out whenever i get emails about franklin's
piece:
Dear xxx:
Thanks for your inquiry. I am familiar with the article Craig Franklin,
editor of the local Jena Times newspaper, wrote for the Christian
Science Monitor. Unfortunately, that article was filled with revisionist
history.
If you care to read a pretty thorough debunking of
Franklin's claims, I would recommend the following, written by Alan
Bean, director of a civil rights group called Friends of Justice, who
was the first outsider to investigate the Jena case. It can be found at:
http://friendsofjustice.wordpress.com/2007/10/24/the-story-you-havent-he
ard-unless-youve-been-paying-attention/
<https://web.cms.wwu.edu/exchweb/bin/redir.asp?URL=">http://friendsofjus
tice.wordpress.com/2007/10/24/the-story-you-havent-heard-unless-youve-be
en-paying-attention/>
<http://friendsofjustice.wordpress.com/2007/10/24/the-story-you-havent-h
eard-unless-youve-been-paying-attention/>
I'm afraid I have neither the time nor the inclination to engage in a
point-by-point refutation of Franklin's article. I'll let my extensive
reporting on the Jena story, available at www.chicagotribune.com/jena,
stand as my rebuttal.
But I will give you just one example of where Franklin twists the facts.
Franklin contends that the nooses were not a threat directed at black
students. I can tell you that my reporting in Jena over the last six
months reveals otherwise.
Fact: The principal at Jena High School did not regard the nooses as a
harmless incident. He recommended that the three white students who hung
the nooses be permanently expelled from school. That recommendation was
overridden, however, by the school superintendent, who announced that
the nooses were just a youthful prank. Soon afterward, the principal was
transferred to a different job in the school district central office.
Fact: LaSalle Parish District Attorney Reed Walters-the same man who is
prosecuting the Jena 6 teenagers for the beating of Justin Barker-did
not believe the nooses were an innocent prank.
"This was an awful act," Walters told reporters on the day before the
Sept. 20 civil rights march through Jena. "It was not a prank but a
vicious and crude statement.... The people who did it should be ashamed
of themselves and mortified at the havoc they have unleashed on this
community."
Walters added, however, that he could find no Louisiana statute that was
violated by the youths who hung the nooses, so he did not charge them
with any crime.
Fact: The U.S. attorney for the Western District of
Louisiana, Donald Washington, declared that the hanging of the nooses
constituted a hate crime, although he declined to prosecute the students
because of their ages.
"Yes, hanging a noose under these circumstances is a hate
crime," Washington testified before the House Judiciary Committee in
Washington last month. "If these acts had been committed by others who
were not juveniles, this would have been a federal hate crime, and we
would have moved forward."
hope this answers your questions. good luck with your seminar.
regards,
howard witt
Meta G. Carstarphen, Ph.D., APR
Gaylord Endowed Family Professor
Gaylord College of Journalism & Mass Communication
Associate Professor
395 W. Lindsey Blvd Room 3510C
Norman, OK 73071
PHONE: 405-325-5227