Why Blacks Should Care About Net Neutrality # 2

Internet freedom is under attack, but some black leaders are fighting against us.

Why Blacks Should Care About Net Neutrality
by Nadra Kareem | TheLoop21

Imagine an Internet where corporations could pay broadband companies to make their content travel faster across the Web than that of rivals or lone bloggers. Sounds like a sci-fi flick, right? But the end of “net neutrality” is a very real possibility. Activist group ColorOfChange.org says it threatens African American entrepreneurs, entertainers and bloggers who’ve long used the Web to reach the masses.

“The Federal Communications Commission is trying to protect Internet freedom …But big broadband providers want to create a new system where they can charge large fees to speed up some data while leaving those who can’t afford to pay behind,” ColorOfChange.org informed members in a Sept. 16 release.

The purpose of the announcement was not only to raise awareness about the threat to net neutrality but also to inform COC supporters that Congressional Black Caucus members, such as Rep. Bobby Rush (D-Ill.) and Rep. Greg Meeks (D-N.Y.), have reportedly taken large sums of money from telecommunications industry lobbyists aiming to make the Internet a non-egalitarian space. Accordingly, COC urged its supporters to sign a petition asking black Congress members to support “Internet freedom.” TheLoop21.com asked the Caucus for comment, but it did not respond to the request by press time. African Americans who’ve made names for themselves in the blogosphere, such as Latoya Peterson of Racialicious.com and Danielle Belton of TheBlackSnob.com, did weigh in on the issue, though.

Racialicious, which examines how race and pop culture intersect, attracts up to 250,000 visitors monthly, says Peterson. Owner and editor of the site, Peterson fears the impact net neutrality’s end would have on racial minorities.

“There are so many great sites that are owned and run by people of color, a situation that is not happening in other parts of the media world,” she said in a statement to TheLoop21.com. “Yet, if large corporations get to manage the Internet the way they have managed cable TV, radio, and print media, it’s the countdown to our voices being marginalized yet again.”

Read the Full Essay @ theLoop21.com

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Nadra Kareem is a Los Angeles-based writer and editor. Her work has appeared in the Los Angeles Times, Racialicious.com, About.com and other media outlets. Follow her on Twitter @NadraKareem

How Corporations Are Secretly Gearing up for the 2010 Elections

It’s About to Get Nasty:

How Corporations Are Secretly Gearing up for the 2010 Elections

by Davey D

There’s so much one can say and write about last month’s Supreme Court ruling that allows corporations to weigh in and spend unlimited amounts on campaign contributions. One thing is certain-it’s about to get nasty and ugly. The bottom line is, no matter how many ways people try to justify this ruling under the umbrella of ‘free speech’, it’s only a matter of time before the realization hits that it’s not exactly Free Speech when only the rich and powerful have access and can afford to voice their opinions on traditional powerful mediums.

We often forget that radio and other media outlets are corporations and with all the criticisms we have about the bias of news outlets like Fox or if you’re on the other side of the political spectrum, the so-called ‘left leaning’ media, that in itself should be proof that an unbridled corporate voice could be really, really bad. The fact that our airwaves are now dominated by over-the-top political pundits who have become more and more strident and divisive over the past 5-10 years should have rung a few alarms, but sadly we are at a day and time where people have been lulled into believing that

1-There’s always opportunity to lay out one’s ideas via the internet.

2-Things aren’t so bad as long as they can see or hear their own political viewpoint.

A couple of things to keep in mind… First and foremost, we better make note that some of these corporations who are now free to spend billions are spending billions of dollars on law makers via lobbying efforts to cripple the internet and stifle the opportunity for the little guy to reach millions. Companies like AT&T and Comcast have been working night and day to get rid of Net Neutrality, which has allowed a free and open internet up til now. As we noted in recent stories thse corporate telecoms outfits are spending millions to sponsor events put on by law makers that represent communities of color as well as traditional Civil Rights organizations.

As unbelievable as it sounds, the end result has been the majority of members in both the Congressional Black and Hispanic Caucuses siding with AT&T and other telecoms that want to bring about a restricted and consolidated internet. Even more disturbing is seeing organizations like LULAC and the NAACP who have held events heavily sponsored by AT&T take supportive positions.

What’s even sadder is noting that these expensive lobbying efforts were happening before the Supreme Court ruling, where these corporate telecoms still had constraints and rules that limited them. All thats about to change big time. One of the first places you are likely to see the impact of this Supreme Court decision will be in the form of aggressive campaigns launched by the telecoms supporting lawmakers who are willing to eliminate Net Neutrality and cripple ‘free speech’ for the average John Doe on the internet. How ironic that the granting of unrestricted speech to corporations will result in them using likely their far reaching destructive power to shut down free speech for others.

Many of these corporate telecoms simply don’t want a blogger who writes from home to be on the same playing field as a big newspaper or giant media outlets. They want faster and more efficient access to be granted to those who can pay and like I said earlier, millions of dollars have already been put in the coffers of Black and Brown leaders in both Congress and Civil Rights organizations who have had their votes and support brought and paid for…

Now that the Supreme Court has unbridled these corporations, you will see these efforts increase as these corporations will start looking for influencial groups and individuals who desperately need money in these economically challenged times for crucial projects and events or as was the case with Congressman Bobby Rush in Chicago, new computers for a school and write them big checks in an ‘unspoken’/'Unwritten’ exchange for votes, support or silence. Many law makers will go for the short-term relief and not concern themselves with long-term damage. We all need to pay close attention because we are about to see some strange and disturbing political pairings.

Read the Full Essay @ Davey D's Hip-Hop Corner

Whither the Black Political Brokers?

from NewsOne.com

LEFT OF BLACK
Black President Era May Challenge Black Brokers
by Mark Anthony Neal

There will no doubt be a few common threads of analysis that will emerge in the aftermath Senator Barack Obama’s defeat of John McCain in the 2008 Presidential contest. Many will debate the merits of the dominance of the Democrats in the Executive and Legislative wings of government. Others will remark on the near flawless execution of the Obama campaign. Much of the commentary though will center on how Obama’s election will impact the historical role of race in our national discourse.

Many pundits were quick to say that Obama’s victory will not erode centuries of anti-black racism in this country. But conventional wisdom suggests that traditional analyses of anti-black racism as a top-down phenomenon have to be rethought when an African-American sits as the so-called leader of the free world.

Obama’s election then raises critical questions about the role and continued relevance of advocacy organizations such as the NAACP, The National Urban League, and the Congressional Black Caucus.

Read the Full Essay @