Sunday, September 13, 2009

More questions than answers about the NNPA's claim that it canceled a mid-winter conference in South Carolina because of Joe Wilson

Friday I posted the announcement from the National Newspaper Publishers Association -- an organization of Black newspaper publishers -- that they had canceled their mid-winter conference in South Carolina due to the "racist" outburst from congressman Joe Wilson.

As soon as I posted the item I felt something was fishy.

I went to the NNPA web site (here), and things got even more suspicious. I couldn't find any mention of a mid-winter conference at all -- in South Carolina or anywhere else. The only upcoming event posted on the site is a "Champions Reception" in Washington DC in September. There is nothing on the site about the supposed press release. Normally these organizations post their press releases but the NNPA site had nothing.

And the whole matter of the South Carolina boycott seemed odd: the boycott of South Carolina has been in effect 10 years. Why would the NNPA plan a conference in South Carolina in defiance of the boycott?

Same goes for the web site of the Black Press USA, which is connected to the NNPA (site here). This site posted an article saying the organization was considering holding the conference in North Carolina.

There might be reasonable explanations for these questions.

So I emailed president Danny Bakewell Sr. An excerpt of the email:

Hello, I'm wondering if you could provide some additional details about the mid-winter South Carolina conference that has been canceled.


- where was the conference scheduled (city and hotel)?
- why would your organization schedule a conference in South Carolina, if you have been supporting the boycott of South Carolina which began in 1999?
- why is there no information about the mid-winter conference on the NNPA website?
- how many attendees did you expect at the mid-winter conference?



This looks to me like the NNPA wanted to assist the Democrats in DC and focus attention on Joe Wilson instead of Obama Care, and they issued a hoax press release.

But as I say, my instincts could be completely wrong and the NNPA may have legitimately canceled a planned conference. I'll let you know the response from Bakewell.
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8 comments:

Anonymous said...

MNPA's cancellation claim is as phony as their racist charge.
All of this phony outrage is boring not to mention hypocritical.

Anonymous said...

The same lawmakers who booed Bush are going to condemn Wilson for a lack of decorum.
Every time one of these people talks all I can see is the word hypocrite flashing over their head.
Wilson apologized.Obama accepted it. Time for the outrage lobby to move along.
Let's take not of who it is that tries to milk this the longest...it will help identify those who see outrage as an advantage.

Anonymous said...

Perhaps these workshops are regional, this one is in Las Vegas. That would bring up the question, how many would actually attend the SC workshop? This sounds like lip service to me.
This boycott really helps the black people working in the hotel business in SC. Geeez

2009 NNPA MID-WINTER WORKSHOP CONFERENCE.
BUILDING COALITIONS FOR PROGRESS IN OUR COMMUNITIES.
JANUARY 21-25, 2009. VENETIAN RESORT HOTEL (Las Vegas)
...www.nnpa.org/news/media/pdfs/1249.pdf

Anonymous said...

It looks like community organizing pays off.
Danny Bakewell Sr. History: Newspaper publisher, Developer, and Leader of Brotherhood Crusade
---
Simmonds, Yussuf J.
Los Angeles Sentinel
08-10-2005
In a move that will change the landscape of Black Los Angeles, Danny Bakewell Sr., the [controversial leader of the Brotherhood Crusade] will
announce his retirement as its president after being at the helm for over thirty years.

However, his retirement will not be a "goodbye," but merely a
"farewell" to a job he has done so well that it will take a long time for the impact of his departure to be really understood. But, he will still be working within the community, on behalf of Blacks on other fronts and in other capacities, to improve the quality of life for Black people, for the
down-trodden and the voiceless in society.

Anonymous said...

What if Joe Wilson was speaking to Obama's white half?
Would 'You Lie' still be racist?

Anonymous said...

Nothing says failure quite like, "Our Boycott is 10 years old."

Anonymous said...

I think NNPA should boycott Chicago. Rev. Wright called Obama 'Whitey'! One half of Obama should have been screaming at him for being a racist. Grandma was under the bus, so she couldn't hear him. I wonder what Rev. Nasty calls his white golfing buddies? Millionaires, I think.

Anonymous said...

You mean two room nights might be cancelled in some flea bag hotel and we will "lose" 14 meals at a chain restaurant? Oh My! Depression is coming to SC. That boycott is really beginning to bite!