Women's Coalition Promotes Dignity and Diversity in the Media

September 5, 2007

By Lisa Bennett, Communications Director

Dr. Dorothy Height at women's coalition press conference.

When life gives you lemons, make lemonade, or so the old saying goes. NOW offers this update: When the media give you a cranky, old white man who belittles black women for fun and profit, make a coalition. And so the Women's Coalition for Dignity and Diversity in the Media was born.

After 10 days of furor, the storm over radio host Don Imus' racist, sexist comments about the Rutgers women's basketball team was winding down when a long list of women's and civil rights groups came together for an April 13 press conference. NBC and CBS had recently announced their cancellation of the Imus in the Morning show, following meetings with NOW President Kim Gandy, Rev. Jesse Jackson and other advocates, and local protests from New Jersey to California, so the groups had much to celebrate.

However, NOW and groups such as the National Congress of Black Women, the National Coalition for Black Civic Participation, Feminist Majority, National Council of Negro Women and others were determined not to rest on their laurels. "The Imus controversy was a call to action, and we were not going to let it go unanswered," says Gandy. "We all recognized that it was about so much more than one offensive, overpaid man. It was about the negative and degrading images of women, and the lack of women in front of and behind the microphone. Everyone has the right to free speech, but no one is guaranteed a platform on the public airwaves for words that amount to hate speech."

Many of these groups, NOW included, had worked for decades on issues related to the image and contribution of women, particularly women of color, in the media. At the press conference, many speakers recalled the work of the late, great C. DeLores Tucker, who took on misogynistic, racist lyrics in rap music so many years ago.

The broad range of women leaders present announced that from that day forward they would rededicate themselves to creating a media environment that respects women, and particularly women of color, and incorporates their voices and viewpoints, instead of demeaning and marginalizing them.

During the past five months, the Women's Coalition for Dignity and Diversity in the Media has grown into an expansive, vibrant and busy group, meeting weekly by conference call and determined to live up to its promise. Gandy and coalition representatives have already met with top executives from ABC, NBC, CBS, BET and MTV. The response has been mostly positive, and more meetings are planned.

The goals of the coalition are wide-ranging and ambitious. In addition to seeing more respectful portrayals of women of color in the media, the coalition is calling for more women expert guests on news programs and political talk shows. Compiling an extensive databank of qualified women speakers is on the coalition's agenda. Individual committees within the coalition are working on legislative strategies, community and youth outreach, developing women's advisory councils, and much more.

Coming up later this month is a Congressional hearing organized by Rep. Bobby Rush (D-Ill.) on degrading and stereotyped images in the media. Panels of industry executives, musical artists and producers, and political advocates and academics will speak, including Gandy.

"The work of this coalition is critical to achieving women's equality," said Gandy. "The media are currently owned by a handful of huge conglomerates, so the task can seem quite daunting. But we aren't afraid to speak out, and the media are starting to listen."