Full Transcript of the Rutgers team press conference

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Forwarded by the Haitian Lawyers Leadership Network
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Recommended HLLN Link:
Here is the full, one-hour video of the press conference, including head coach
C. Vivian Stringer's very moving speech.
http://www.scarletknights.com/webcasts/media.asp


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- Full Transcrip of the Rutgers team press conference: Female Athletes On
Rutgers Basketball Team Respond To Racists and Sexist Comments By Radio jock,
Don Imus | http://scarletknights.com/news/release.asp?prID=5226


- Take a stand against indecency and cruelty
http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/page2/story?page=hill/070410


- No suspending a mother's anger
Vaughn's mom wants Imus off air for good BY EBENEZER SAMUEL |DAILY NEWS SPORTS
WRITER, April 10th 2007
http://www.nydailynews.com/sports/more_sports/2007/04/10/2007-04-10_no_suspending_a_mothers_anger_print.html


- The former coaches of the Rutgers' players respond in article entitled
"Prince: I comb my hair"
http://www.nydailynews.com/sports/more_sports/2007/04/08/2007-04-08_prince_i_comb_my_hair.html


- Women need to raise voices on Imus insult by Gwen Knapp, April 10, 2007,
SFGate
http://sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/chronicle/archive/2007/04/10/SPGMDP5OAQ1.DTL


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April 10, 2007 Press Conference Transcribe
http://scarletknights.com/news/release.asp?prID=5226


Rutgers Head Coach C. Vivian Stringer, Athletic Director Bob Mulcahy; President
Richard L. McCormick, April 10, 2007


Opening statement: "I see 10 young ladies who have accomplished so much that we,
the coaching staff, and the State University are proud of. These young ladies
who sit before you are valedictorians of their classes, doctors, musical
prodigies, and yes, even girl scouts. These young ladies are the best the nation
has to offer and we are so very fortunate to have them here at Rutgers. They are
ladies of class and distinction; they are articulate, they are brilliant. They
are God's representatives in every sense of the word. What you have to realize
is less than a year ago half of these ladies were planning to graduate from high
school. There are five freshmen who, as they graduated from high school, thought
about the opportunity they would have by coming to Rutgers University and by
playing basketball at the highest level. Before you know it, everyone here found
themselves on a national stage playing for the world to see, playing basketball
at the highest level. This group of women is bright, gifted, hard-working and
has persevered through so much.

You have all come to talk about this story, this Don Imus story, but we've lost
what this is all about. At the beginning of the year we were humiliated as we
lost to Duke, the number one team in the country. But through perseverance and
hard work and dedication, through eight to ten hours working and going through
film and studying, ultimately they alone became what they could be when no one
else believed in them—that's the greatest story. It doesn't matter where you
come from but where you're going. It doesn't matter where you started but how
you end because that is the story. Perseverance, hard work, determination. This
group of classy young women represents all of us. I have pride and respect for
them. What's amazing is less than 24 hours after they accomplished so much to
have people insult us. We are all physically, emotionally and mentally spent. We
are hurt by the remarks that were uttered by Mr. Imus. But these girls
understand that no one can make you feel inferior unless you allow them to. My
role as a coach is one to love, nurture and discipline these ladies to
leadership roles in this society. In all that we do, this group of young women
have been represented as nothing less than class in every aspect of all that
they do. While they worked hard in the classroom and accomplished so much and
used their gifts and talents, you know, to bring the smiles and the pride within
this state in so many people, we had to experience racist and sexist remarks
that are deplorable, despicable and abominable and unconscionable. It hurts me.

As a sixteen-year old girl, I was a victim of racism but I had a group of people
that stood up for me. We (my high school) never had an African American
cheerleader and so the chancellor came to my house late one night and asked if I
would speak up to the board of education. I initially said no but my dad said
some things to me that rang true. He said if you don't stand up for something
you'll fall for anything. He said it might not be about you but about future
generations of young women. So I went to the school board. I was placed on the
cheerleading squad and I became the best I could be. I felt what Mr. Imus said;
I've experienced it and I told the team I have experienced it. In my mind, this
is a time for change because it's not about just these young women. I ask you,
no matter who you are, who could have heard these comments and not been
personally offended? It's not about the Rutgers women's basketball team, it's
about women. Are women hos? Think about that. Would you want your daughter
called a ho? It's not about us as black people or as nappy-headed. It's about us
as people—black, white, purple or green. And as much as I speak about that, it's
not even black and white—the color is green. How could anyone not have been
personally hurt when there is no equality for all or when equality is denied?
These young ladies have done nothing wrong. Some of you might point to the fact
that he (Don Imus) makes comments about other political figures or other
professionals. But these ladies are not professionals or political figures. They
are 18, 19, 20 year-old women who came here to get an education and reach their
gifts for all to see. These are young women little girls look up to and we as
adults, at what point do not call upon people to stop? There is a bigger issue
here, more than the basketball team. It's all women athletes, it's all women.
Have we lost a sense of our own moral fiber? Has society decayed to such a point
where we forgive and forget because it was just a slip of the tongue? I'm going
to !
suggest
that people give thought before they speak.

As a coach, I love them and I cherish them and I appreciate the opportunity to
prepare them for the world and prepare them for life. We are preparing them for
leadership roles in society. It's never just been a basketball game here for us
at Rutgers. It's always been about life. We were so excited, my staff and I, to
talk to the recruits because what they saw was a group persevere and beat Duke
on Duke's floor. They saw a team that heard people say if you're going to
succeed you have to face Michigan in front of 15,000 people. And then they said
you have to take on the mighty Duke just to get to the finals. And then face
mighty LSU that beat Tennessee a week earlier. Everyone said it wasn't possible
with this group of five freshmen and five upperclassmen but this was a group
that broke all kinds of NCAA records in defense. They showed the world it's not
about where you come from but where you're going. It's not about where you start
but where you finish. They have restored my confidence and faith as a coach. I
respect that their parents would entrust their daughters to me.

Are we as adults responsible enough for nurturing dreams and standing up for
what is right? We have to recognize this issue speaks to a bigger issue. To
utter such despicable words is not right, whether they are spoken by black,
white, purple or green, male or female, tall or short, skinny or thin, it is not
right. It is time for everyone to reflect on what is going on. It is time ladies
and gentlemen.

I have had the privilege of taking three teams to the Final Four. The first time
was with Cheney but I wasn't able to experience it with great joy because my
daughter was stricken with meningitis at 14 months and was confined to a
wheelchair. With Iowa, my husband died suddenly. My heart has never been light
when going to the Final Four. When I came to Rutgers we went to the Final Four
in 2000 but we never got to the championship game. It took me personally 25
years to come to get to a championship game. This was a team that had so little
and gave so much. This was a team that was so young. This was a team that
restored all my faith and confidence in young people. They grew and they
matured. They all worked together and became a powerful group.

Rutgers University has had a proud reputation for many years as being one of the
highest academic institutions in the country. I say to them (the players) and
their parents, I thank them for trusting me with their lives and I understand
the magnitude of my responsibility and I honor them and am so proud of them. I
thank them. They have no reason to drop their heads. I ask everyone who can hear
my voice, please understand that we all need to make changes, all of us beyond
Imus. We need to serve as examples of how to be winners on the basketball court
and we also need to serve as examples of how to be winners in life. I am
thankful to serve as coach and I trust that the President of Rutgers, the
governor of New Jersey and our Athletic Director to continue their support,
respect and honor of these young ladies. I thank you very much."

Bob Mulcahy: "Those of you have followed the team this past month have had the
opportunity to talk to them in lockerrooms, in Hartford, Michigan, Greensboro,
and Cleveland and know what they (the players) are like. The rest of the world
doesn't know them and understand why we are so proud of these women."

On whether ignoring the issue was discussed:

Bob Mulcahy: "First of all, I don't think there was ever any thought to ignore
it. I think you have to understand on Thursday (April 5) we had two celebratory
events—we had the ringing of the bell and the celebration with the team and
about 2,000 people here Thursday night. We did not want to take away from that
but simultaneous with those events, the President issued his first statement and
consequently issued another with NCAA President Miles Brand and Coach Stringer
issued her personal statement on Friday (April 7). There was never a question in
my mind to ignore.

On the parameters of the meeting with Don Imus:

Bob Mulcahy: "It will take place at an undisclosed location, away from the
media, away from everybody so that everyone involved can express themselves and
will subsequently be made public afterwards. This came about because of a
requests made through me to the team and the team discussed it."

On the decision to meet:

Coach Stringer: "It was always the team's decision. They decided and I was proud
of their decision."

On the appropriate punishment for Mr. Imus:

Bob Mulcahy: "The purpose of today's meeting was not to discuss that. The
purpose of today's gathering was to show people the quality of these young women
and give their accomplishments their due. It is up to them to decide, once they
have had the opportunity to meet face-to-face, and let us know how they feel
about it what they think should be done. I think all of us to a person think
that when it is done it will be an opportunity for our society to look at this
issue and create more sensitivity and tolerance so that these things don't get
said."

President McCormick: "Our exclusive attention on this has been the well-being of
our students and their families and their abilities to complete their work at
Rutgers. Don Imus' future has not been on the table for us. This is a learning
community and our entire endeavor is to make sure we do learn from this event.
We want to move forward from this event as a community that understands better
how powerful words can be. From the outset we have put our arms around our
students and protected them. We cannot say in any way Mr. Imus' future should
be."

Coach Stringer: "We have to evaluate the sincerity of the apology and that's one
of the reasons we need to do this face-to-face. As I said before, the color is
'green,' not black or white or yellow or brown. We need to look and determine
what our moral fiber is. What is important? What message are we sending to these
young ladies and to young people across the country? To grandfathers,
grandmothers, everyone? This is an opportunity to give back. It's important that
we hear him with a clear conscious and give him the opportunity to explain some
things but he also gets the chance to meet some young women. But I can't answer
that question (on whether Don Imus should be fired) so how can the players
answer? We need to do some intraspection after the meeting."

On how the team got to the Championship game:

Coach Stringer: "They had no idea the work that is required to reach the
pinnacles of success. This was a team that did not pass what we consider the
minimal physical standards. They worked hard from that point. Yes, their cell
phones were taken during competitions. On New Year's Eve at 10:30 at night we
had several players who are playing professionally come back to meet with the
team, this after six to seven hours of drills, and they were so amazed to the
love and support that past players had for them. They talked to them and let
them know they were honored to be Scarlet Knights. They worked extremely hard,
they practiced at five o'clock in the morning. They watched film, they wanted to
learn. To see the smiles, to see the same ones do what they doubted they could
do, to see them do what they thought they couldn't do. They represented the
University at the highest level. They are strong women."

On the terms on which the meeting with Don Imus will take place:

Bob Mulcahy: "The meeting will take place on our terms."

On the reaction from alumni:

Bob Mulcahy: "We have received many, many emails relating to this from people
both within and outside of the state. I am not aware that the alumni have
scheduled anything at this point."

On private, less public, support:

Coach Stringer: "We have gotten a tremendous amount of support from so many
people."

On whether anything compares to the Championship game experience:

Coach Stringer: "This year is particularly special because no one thought this
team would make it to the national championship game and it taught me about the
resiliency of young people. Nothing can compare to this."

On Imus' future and whether it hinges on money lost:

Coach Stringer: "That's for all of you to determine. The corporate sponsors have
taken steps, however big or small, and have at least acknowledged that something
wrong was said. Time has to be taken to look at and consider why it happened and
consider what would have if we had said such things. We need to reduce it to its
core—what it means to be a human being."

Heather Zurich and Essence Carson Statements

Player Q&A Period

Heather Zurich: Good morning, I am Heather Zurich; A sophomore and a proud
member of the Rutgers women's basketball team. This week and last we should have
been celebrating our accomplishments this past season; many of the media here,
may not realize my team started the season 2-4, we were at the lowest of lows,
Coach Stringer called us her worst defensive team ever; but we- the ten of us
here- , prevailed, we fought, we persevered and most of all, we believed in
ourselves. We won 22 of 25 games to finish the season, before falling to
Tennessee in the national championship game. .. We won the BIG EAST championship
along the way, the first ever and advanced to the NCAA Tournament. We know we
shocked a lot of people along the way, but this team did not settle for just
showing up- we reached what many only dream about – the NCAA title game. But
all of our accomplishments were lost …. Our moment was taken away- Our moment
to celebrate our success, our moment to realize how far we came on and off the
court as young women; we were stripped of this moment by the degrading comments
by Mr. Imus last Wednesday. What hurts the most about this situation is Mr. Imus
knows not one of us personally; he doesn't know Mat is the funniest person you
will ever meet; Kia is the big sister you never had but always wanted; and Piph
would be an unbelievable lawyer someday. These are my teammates, my family. And
we were insulted and yes, we are angry. Worst of all, my team and I did nothing
to deserve Mr. Imus nor Mr. McGirk's deplorable comments. Our families are upset
and with good reason; instead of enjoying our first day off in months to
celebrate Easter with our families, this was the topic of conversation. We
attend the eighth oldest institution of higher education in the country and not
to mention, one of the most difficult academically. (I think many Rutgers
students can agree on that) We ten are simply put --student-athletes. But
instead of attending study hall this morning, I address you about something that
should n!
ever hav
e taken place. I am extremely proud of my teammates – I am proud when we walk
through an airport on the way to or from a road trip; dressed alike, in Rutgers
gear with pressed pants and nice shoes. The ten of us, love getting dressed up
for banquets and I believe we present ourselves well – both on and off the
court; even though Mr. Imus seemed to think differently. But then again, he
knows not one of us. Thank you for your time.

Bob Mulcahy: When you hear these young women, you begin to understand why we
felt the support them and bring them out to let you see, and let the country
see, what they are. What they stand for. And how they respond to the comments
made and how high-class of a respond they have. Essence Carson, the leader of
our team, is a straight 'A' student and an accomplished musician. She could go
to a piano and play 'Moonlight Sonata' without any notes. This is the kind of
thing that people don't focus on, that we have here, and make us so special.
That's why these women are so special and our coaches are special and that's why
this university is special. Because of the manner in which they have come
together from top to bottom. It would be wrong if I didn't acknowledge the
support that the governor has given by being here and Reverend DeForest Sories
who has been through all of this with us and has been a tremendous. They have
been guides to the team, the coaching staff and the athletic director as we
handle all these things. We have set aside a couple of minutes for the
student-athletes to take questions before they go to their classes. We have a
policy and that freshmen do not respond to public questions in the media. But we
have the five upperclassmen: Essence, Heather, Kia, Matee and Katie would be
happy to respond to any questions you would like to ask.

Essence Carson: Good morning, my name is Essence Carson and I am a junior
student-athlete here at Rutgers University. I would like to express our team's
great hurt, anger, and disgust towards the words of Mr. Don Imus. We are highly
angered at his remarks but deeply saddened with the racial characterization they
entailed. Not only has Mr. Imus stolen a moment of pure grace from us, but he
has brought us to the harsh reality that behind the faces of networks that have
worked to convey a message of empowerment to young adults, that
somehow…someway…the door has been left open to attack your leaders of tomorrow.
You must not forget that we are students first and then athletes…and before the
student lies the daughter. On collegiate athletics' grandest stage, under the
brightest lights, with the focal point being nothing other than a trophy that
symbolizes the hard work and perseverance of a team so deserving, the curtains
were closed on an act that deserved nothing short of an encore. This Rutgers
Women's Basketball team has made history. We were the first team in the school's
history to reach a national championship final game. We are a team full of
bright-eyed youth that aspire to be great…not only great on the basketball
court, but in the fields of medicine, music, and psychology. I would like to
pose a question…not a question of insult, but one of pure thought…Where were
these major networks when the youth were making history for a prestigious
university? Now we are bombarded with cameras, phone calls, and emails that
invade our privacy and place us between a rock and a hard place. We haven't done
anything to deserve this controversy, but yet it has taken a toll on us mentally
and physically. Driven to a point of mental and physical exhaustion, we ask that
you not recognize us in a light as dimly lit as this, but in a light that
encompasses the great hurdles we've overcome and goals achieved this season.

Now with that said, we have agreed to have a meeting with

Mr. Don Imus. This meeting will be a private meeting at an undisclosed location
in the near future. We just hope to come to some type of understanding of what
the remarks really entailed, his reasons why they were said. And we'd just like
to express our great hurt. The sadness that has been brought to us is more than
the game of basketball, is more than the Rutgers women's basketball team.

As Coach Stringer said, we realize that it's about women across the world,
across this nation. It just so happens that we finally take a stand. And we ask
that you continue to support us and not look at it as we're attacking a major
broadcasting figure. We're attacking something — an issue that we know isn't
right. And we just continue to ask for your support and thank you for your
support thus far.

Player Q&A period

On the meeting with Imus:

Matee Ajavon: "I have to say that we honestly don't know what to expect in the
meeting with Don Imus. But we will plan on asking him: what are his reasons? And
how could you just say things that you had not put any thought to? Right now, I
can't really say if we have come to a conclusion on whether we will accept the
apology. I think this meeting will be crucial to us, the state of New Jersey and
everybody representing us."

Essence Carson: "We as a group have decided that this meeting with Mr. Imus will
help. We have thought about it, the thought of him cleansing his image with a
personal apology has definitely crossed our minds. We understand that this isn't
the first time this has happened, it's not the second and it sure isn't the
third time so there must be a lot of cleansing that's going on. But we do hope
to get something accomplished during this meeting."

Kia Vaughn: "I have no comment on towards whether or not he should be fired.
Within this meeting, I'd like to know the reasons for saying what was said and
you might look at it as being a harsh meeting, but I'd like for him to get to
know us, as a whole, and understand why we're great people and why, for us, that
statement is false."

On the demeaning of women in society:

Essence Carson: "I know that rap, hip-hop and music of that genre has
desensitized America and this world to some of the words that they choose to use
in their lyrics. I understand that, but it doesn't make it any more right for
anyone to say it. Not only Mr. Imus, but, if I was to say it, it doesn't make it
right. It doesn't make it right if you're African-American, Caucasian, Asian, it
doesn't matter. All that matters is that it's wrong. As a society, we're trying
to go and trying to surpass that to the point where we don't classify women as
hoes. We don't classify African-American women as 'nappy-headed hoes'. Or
anything other than that. Other than they classy women that I believe every
woman at this press conference is."

On the apologies released:

Essence Carson: "I'm sorry ma'am, but we haven't personally received an apology.
These apologies have been written and released to the media. Personally, if
someone were to apologize to me, I'd feel better, if they were apologize to me
themselves. Reading it in the newspaper, watching it on television, or hearing
it over the radio doesn't serve any justice to what he said."

On what the last week has been like:

Kia Vaughn: "During Easter, I have seven brothers, as everyone does know,
instead of spending time with them and having fun, I had to cut off my phone.
The media was trying to get through to talk to relatives and even people, being
fans, were showing up in this moment of hurt. It was good to hear from some
people, but to have to repeatedly express how I felt, I became really agitated.
[What is happening] takes away from school, study hall, things we should be
doing and things that we are capable of succeeding in. But, instead, we have to
address a situation that should never have been spoken upon."

On what is to come from this:

Essence Carson: "I believe there are a lot of positives that can come from this.
One thing is that we finally speak up for women, not only African-American
women, but all women. That's just going to be a major step forward in society,
just to finally understand thatthere isn't that equality that we all wish was
there. It's something we all hope for, but until we make those great strides to
achieve that, we're going to continue to fall short. I'm glad we're speaking up.
I feel like we can achieve that [equality]."

On the suspension:

Essence Carson: "I can't quite characterize the suspension. I believe that his
employers have done a great job, especially with the apologies that they have
sent out to the media. At the same time, the situation isn't over. There is
still work to be done."

On those who have taken up the cause:

Essence Carson: "I believe that Reverend Sharpton is using this as another
example for something that he's been fighting a long time. It just happens to be
us. It just brings us to a harsh reality that the things that we're discussing
today, aren't over. They haven't been resolved. I haven't been personally
contacted, but I like my privacy so the phone calls have been quite annoying and
aggravating. I wish that they could stop. But, I believe that he's doing a good
thing, just as he always has done."

On the networks that carry Imus' program:

Essence Carson: "As far as his employers, the radio station that broadcast the
show, we all know it's about how many people are listening and your ratings. I
can't blame them for supporting his show prior to this incident. He does have
pretty good ratings, so I've heard. I believe they have taken action with his
suspension. I don't know what else will happen. We haven't really come to the
conclusion on what we'd like to happen, that's still up in the air."

On the impression accepting an apology will give to people across the country:

Essence Carson: "We haven't really discussed accepting his apology. That's what
I believe the meeting will be for and that's what we'll cover. I think then
we'll get a better understanding of his apology that has been released to the
press. There's still a lot more contemplation that has to go on. We have to
discuss it as a team, as a program, as a university, together, because this has
not only affected us, but women across the nation.

On message to convey to NAACP youth and college chapters

Matee Ajavon: "I think the message that needs to be conveyed starts with women.
Black women, all colors. Women are equal. We need to start taking more head into
what women do in this world and women can accomplish anything they put their
minds to. As far as the NAACP, I would like to say that we really thank you guys
for coming out. It's not just about black women. We have a lot to say-women in
general. We have to show the world that we're worth more and we can't be bashed
for our gender."

On the thought of ignoring comments:

Essence Carson: "At first, as a whole, I believe our first thought was to let it
slide. But after reading the transcript of the conversation, it hit a little too
close to home. The remarks that were made were unacceptable. Not only because
he's a broadcaster that gets his show across to so many people because he's in
the nation's biggest media market in New York, but because he reaches so many
people, can you imagine how many people may have really did think there might be
truth behind his joke? Just growing up in a society as a 20-year-old, I've seen
a lot of things. I've seen things happen to women and I've heard about things
that happen to women—you learn about them in school. You don't get too many
opportunities to stand up for what you know is right, I know we're at a young
age and we know what's right and what should be done. We're glad to have the
opportunity to stand up for what is right.

Heather Zurich: "Besides the fact that the comment was something we didn't want
to ignore, it was kind of hard. The media was calling our houses, our cell
phones, following us around campus. We went home for the weekend and you
couldn't ignore the issue. The media wanted to know our opinion so it was kind
of hard to ignore."


******************************************

Take a stand against indecency and cruelty By Jemele Hill
http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/page2/story?page=hill/070410



The oversexed Jezebel. The welfare mother. The mammy. And now the latest catch
phrase to be added to the lexicon of stereotypes about black women: the
nappy-headed ho.

Thank you, Don Imus, for your valuable contribution.

If it were up to me, security would have escorted the longtime radio jock out of
his CBS Radio cocoon with belongings in tow days ago. But for now, I'll have to
settle for a two-week suspension that doesn't begin until next week. That'll
show him.

Days have passed since Imus, executive producer Bernard McGuirk and sports
announcer Sid Rosenberg took turns taking cheap shots at the Rutgers women's
basketball team, but I'm still boiling because too many people continue to
defend Imus behind lame free-speech arguments -- remember, speech is free, but
consequences are not -- and the idea that black women just don't know a good
joke when they hear one. Tell you what, if this "nappy-headed ho" comment is as
harmless as some of you say it is, say that phrase to your wives and girlfriends
tonight (or even a woman on the street). If they laugh, I'll write an entire
column about how humorless I am.

Imus' comments were harmful to all women -- especially for female athletes who
still struggle to gain acceptance in our society -- but they really cut black
women deep.

Our looks have been the subject of ridicule for decades. While history has
kindly portrayed white women as bastions of purity and decency, black women have
been characterized as hypersexed and indecent since the 17th century. So the
phrase "nappy-headed" didn't bother me nearly as much as the "ho" part.

In case you're wondering, I would have been equally outraged if Imus were black,
Asian, Latino, Portuguese or Italian. The ethnicity or skin color of the
perpetrator matters none.

And since some of you -- actually, a lot of you -- have done the predictable
thing and used Imus' predicament as a platform to hold African-Americans
responsible for hip-hop, I'll briefly address that. Although I hope you know
hip-hop didn't become the No. 1 music genre in the world because only black
folks support the music.

For the record, I am equally offended by the rappers who make music videos and
songs that demean women -- although hip-hop artists didn't invent the concept of
objectifying women.

Many African-Americans have been outspoken about those destructive elements of
hip-hop. Instead of just taking his lumps, Imus tried to challenge Al Sharpton
on his stance on hip-hop when Imus appeared on Sharpton's radio show Monday. I
don't stick up for Al Sharpton often because I consider him an agitator, but
Sharpton's views on "gangsta" rap have been consistent and clear.

Last week, Sharpton and hip-hop mogul Russell Simmons held a public protest
against rapper Tony Yayo -- who is associated with 50 Cent -- for his alleged
assault of the 14-year-old son of a rival record company executive. Sharpton
even called for a 90-day, FCC-mandated ban on all gangsta music.

But that doesn't air on CNN and Essence magazine's Take Back the Music crusade
-- a nationwide campaign that promotes up-and-coming hip-hop artists with
positive values -- and it doesn't make the front pages of newspapers.

But none of this has anything to do with Imus, whose apology I can't accept or
take seriously. Imus has become a Hall of Fame broadcaster using race-baiting,
offensive tactics. He is routinely offensive to people of color and women, and
if he needs to lose his job to understand that there is no place for that, so be
it.

As a society, there are times when we need to stand together against indecency
and cruelty.

Jemele Hill, a Page 2 columnist and writer for ESPN The Magazine, can be reached
at jemeleespn@gmail.com.

******************************************


No suspending a mother's anger
Vaughn's mom wants Imus off air for good

BY EBENEZER SAMUEL
DAILY NEWS SPORTS WRITER, April 10th 2007
http://www.nydailynews.com/sports/more_sports/2007/04/10/2007-04-10_no_suspending_a_mothers_anger_print.html

*
(Photo of Kia Vaughn)
*


Rutgers player Kia Vaughn might be smiling in NCAA Tournament but her mother is
steaming over what she feels were insults personally directed at her daughter by
Don Imus.

Don Imus may have drawn a two-week suspension, but the parent of at least one
Rutgers women's player believes the shock jock still should be fired.

Aja Ellington, the mother of Rutgers center Kia Vaughn, said yesterday Imus
should serve a more severe penalty for his statements made last Wednesday about
the Scarlet Knights.

"A suspension?" said Ellington. "That's it? I want him fired."

Ellington's reaction came despite a conciliatory tone set by Imus yesterday. He
opened the day by again apologizing on his morning radio show. Then he appeared
on Rev. Al Sharpton's afternoon radio show and continued in the same tone. Both
times, he stressed that he has done many things for the African-American
community, particularly furthering sickle cell anemia research.

He also asked to meet with the Rutgers players and staff to apologize in person.
The Scarlet Knights have remained mum but will announce their plans at a press
conference today.

Ellington and others with interest in the Rutgers program remain unimpressed.
It's been nearly a week since Imus referred to the squad as a collection of
"nappy-headed ho's," but the anger remains.

Before the suspension on both MSNBC and WFAN was announced last night, Sharpton
called for Imus' job, saying that such racial comments could not go unpunished -
no matter the apology.

"I don't know whether we can afford that a precedent be established," Sharpton
explained on his show. "That it just be glossed over. If you walk away from this
unscathed ..."

To Ellington, Imus is still walking. Before his most infamous line, Imus made a
remark about one of the Lady Knights' tattoos.

"She's the only one (on the team) with tattoos that you can (see)," Ellington
said.

When Vaughn returned to the Bronx for the weekend, she relaxed at her home near
Yankee Stadium. But Ellington says her daughter would not discuss Imus'
statements.

"She's quiet about it," Ellington said. "I'm talking about it more than
anything."

Ellington and others remain unsure of Imus' true intentions. Apache Paschall,
the longtime AAU coach of Rutgers freshman Epiphanny Prince, believes Imus was
pressured into saying he was sorry.

That's why Ellington will accept no apologies.

"That suspension - it doesn't do anything," Ellington said. "My child won't sit
in his presence for an apology at all."


*****************************************

Prince: 'I comb my hair'
Lady Knights have last laugh at Imus

BY MARK LELINWALLA and MATT GAGNE
DAILY NEWS SPORTS WRITERS

Posted Sunday, April 8th 2007, 6:54 PM

http://www.nydailynews.com/sports/more_sports/2007/04/08/2007-04-08_prince_i_comb_my_hair.html


Four days after falling to Tennessee in the NCAA championship game, and two days
after radio host Don Imus called the Rutgers women's basketball team a group of
"nappy-headed hos," New York City hoops star Epiphanny Prince spent yesterday
afternoon watching AAU basketball from a baseline chair at her old junior high
school on Adelphi Street in Brooklyn.

When the tournament's final game ended shortly after 4:30, Prince grabbed a ball
and began swishing mid-range jumpers as young kids heaved two-handed set shots,
mostly airballs, from every direction. At one point Prince, all smiles and
wearing a white Rutgers Basketball T-shirt with red lettering, played a game of
keep-away with two young boys whose laughter could be heard across the gym.

"When we were talking about (Imus) she was laughing, like a disbelief laugh,
like she couldn't believe this guy came out of nowhere and said this," said
Apache Paschall, Prince's former AAU coach. "She opened the conversation with a
joke - 'Nappy hair? I comb my hair!' - and people around her just started
laughing."

Rutgers officials asked players not to address the media, and Prince, who
averaged 29 minutes and 12 points a game for the Scarlet Knights as a freshman,
declined multiple interview requests before leaving the gym with a group of
friends.

Although Prince deflected Imus' remarks with humor, many people aren't laughing
at the racism that came across WFAN's waves last Thursday: Friends and family of
local players are in an uproar, and Reverend Al Sharpton said yesterday he is
planning to march on the station if Imus is not fired.

"I'm glad he stepped in to shine some light on it," Aja Ellington, the mother of
center Kia Vaughn, said of Sharpton.

"(Imus) is ignorant ... and it's a shame he would make a comment about
successful ladies who have a future and will do very well."

Of the 10 players on Rutgers' roster, seven are from either New York or New
Jersey, and the people who watched them grow up on the local basketball courts
aren't buying Imus' apology, which he issued in a prepared statement, calling
the comments an "insensitive and ill-conceived remark."

"Someone's first reaction is their true feeling," said Charles Thompson, who
coached junior guard Essence Carson at the AAU level. "Was that apology sincere?
I truly don't think so. I don't think it should be taken so quickly. He needs
counseling."

Said Darius Burton, the former AAU coach of guard Judith Brittany Ray: "They
realize they made a mistake, (but) their true colors came out for that moment.
Totally ignorant."

Paschall, who has three former players attending Rutgers - Prince, Vaughn (he is
Vaughn's godfather) and freshman Rashidat Junaid - said he wasn't shocked by
Imus' comments, which he called "disgusting" and "deep-rooted."

"They're well-kept ladies - they speak elegantly and represent themselves well,"
Paschall said of the players. "For him to make a statement like that is
demeaning ... They're performing at the highest level and you still get an idiot
saying these things."

Last year, as a senior at Murry Bergtraum High School in Queens, Prince made
national headlines by scoring 113 points in a single game. While Prince didn't
comment on the current headlines, Paschall said his former player understands
the effect of Imus' words and doesn't consider them to be a joking matter.

"I don't think she'll let something like this build up and get her angry or
anything like. For now she's doing her best to brush it off," said Paschall, an
African-Indian, adding: "The ripple effect is that no matter how far we try to
get away from it, racism is always going to be there."

Seeing Scarlet

Get to know the Rutgers women's basketball team:

Heather Zurich
Class: Soph.
Position: Forward
Height: 6-1
High School: Pascack Valley Hometown: Montvale, NJ
"It's a completely off-handed comment. If they walked by him, he'd never know
it. You have to consider the source when a comment like that is made."

-Paul Talbot, coach of Zurich's AAU team, the Central Jersey Hawks

Essence Carson
Class: Junior
Position: Guard
Height: 6-0 High School: Rosa Parks (Eastside High School)
Hometown: Paterson, NJ
"It makes you very upset hearing something like that. There's a lot of low
viewing of black athletes and he has one. It is unfair that he made this comment
because it overshadows their accomplishment for the year."

- Charles Thompson, coach of Carson's former AAU team, the Jersey Pioneers

Judith Brittany Ray
Class: Freshman
Position: Guard
Height: 5-9
High School: Aquinas
Hometown: Bronx
"I think he realized what he said. Brittany is a great, very intellectual young
lady. Her work ethic is unbelievable. She's definitely a girl that you would
love to have on your roster."

- Darius Burton, coach of Ray's former AAU team, the L.I. Lightning

Kia Vaughn
Class: Sophomore
Position: Center
Height: 6-4
High School: St. Michael's Academy
Hometown: Bronx
"It's upsetting to know someone could get on a broadcast and say something like
that. She is a great kid. She comes from a tough neighborhood in the Bronx."

- Apache Paschall, coach of Exodus, Vaughn's former AAU team

Epiphanny Prince
Class: Freshman
Position: Guard
Height: 5-9
High School: Murry Bergtraum
Hometown: Brooklyn
"It's not right to stereotype anyone, especially kids who are in college and
working toward a goal in life. What he said is more a reflection of him than
anybody else. With his power and background, you have to be more sensitive than
to make a comment like that."

- Ed Grezinsky, coach of Prince's former high school team, Murry Bergtraum

Matee Ajavon
Class: Junior
Position: Guard
Height: 5-8
High School: Malcolm X Shabazz
Hometown: Newark, NJ
"He should get to know those kids a little bit. I'm sure he's never had a
conversation with those kids and if he did, he would never make those comments."

- Earl Elliotte, coach of the Gauchos, Ajavon's former AAU team.

******************************************


Women need to raise voices on Imus insult by Gwen Knapp, April 10, 2007, SFGate
http://sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/chronicle/archive/2007/04/10/SPGMDP5OAQ1.DTL


Al Sharpton and Jesse Jackson have made their plays against Don Imus. Now it's
time for women to get into the game.

So far, Imus' incendiary comments about the Rutgers women's basketball team have
burned him only because of the racially repulsive element. He was suspended
Monday for calling the players "nappy-headed ho's" last week after the national
championship game, in which Rutgers lost to Tennessee. Sharpton and Jackson
called for his dismissal. People everywhere retched.

Imus said Monday, in another fruitless apology, that he had gone too far. One
has to wonder, though, how many words he would take back if he could. Had he
just said "ho's," stripping away the most blatant racism, would his career be in
jeopardy now?

The misogyny in his remarks has been downplayed for a lot of reasons. For
starters, there are no women with the brand of clout wielded by a Jackson or
Sharpton. The two reverends do what women wouldn't dare. They scare people. They
don't back down, because they're playing to win, not to be liked.

Alexis Gray-Lawson, a sophomore on the Cal basketball team, heard about the
remarks from her teammates and then read more online. "It brings up so many
issues of racism, and I thought we were done with that,'' she said. "It was kind
of a slap in the face.''

As a women's basketball player, though, she wasn't surprised that Imus had
insulted the femininity of the Rutgers team. She knew we weren't done with that.

Nobody has rebelled enough. The most prominent women in this country -- Hillary
Clinton, Nancy Pelosi, Condoleezza Rice -- work as insiders, walking the
corridors of power rather than kicking down doors. They could take on Imus. They
could react as if the Rutgers women were their little sisters, but then they'd
risk losing public support in his audience. Worse, that would be considered
shrill, strident, and so terribly, unforgivably unattractive.

Ultimately, that's what holds back women. It keeps them from standing up for
themselves and for each other. Somebody might question their femininity.

That's exactly why Imus and his producer went too far. Most of their
conversation dwelled on comparing the "cute" Tennessee players to the more
rugged Rutgers team. For the record, both rosters contain a majority of African
American players, so the radio exchange wasn't as simple as black and white. It
was about who could "pass" as part of mainstream culture.

Discussing that in racial terms is a known taboo. Applying the standards to
powerful women is almost a reflex, particularly in the sports world. If Imus
felt safe that day, it's because he thought he was only splitting women into two
camps.

The best thing women can do now is emphasize that they don't want to be divided.
If they're competing, it's not for acceptance, and when they play basketball,
they're not conducting a simultaneous beauty pageant.

Gray-Lawson thinks the Tennessee women should be offended by the remarks, too,
because casting them as the pretty team demeans their national title. "When men
play, people will talk about them being aggressive going to the basket,'' she
said. "Women just want the same respect.''

She is a wise young woman. She knows that Imus and his ilk, for all their claims
of boldness, expect her to conform, conform, conform.

"Everybody wants to look like the glamour girl, and the thing about basketball
is it's a release from all of that," she said. "Or it should be a release from
all that, all the worries you go through your entire life like that, to the
point where you're able to be just yourself. When you're not able to be
yourself, I think that kind of changes the game for a lot of women. And when you
have to look a certain way to play basketball, you can't be yourself."

It's a relief to hear a young woman speak that way, and sad to realize that a
lot of us give up on those ideals. We get tired of fighting. We want to fit in.
We let men be gentlemen and fight for us, and they usually deliver. But we have
to do more.

I admit I didn't want to deal with this issue at first. Among other things, I
didn't want to type the words "nappy-headed ho's" and have them appear under my
column mug. I didn't care to bring more attention to Imus, either.

But the whole thing festered, and then I remembered the way I felt when an Imus
sidekick said something almost as ugly about tennis' Williams sisters a few
years ago. I was disgusted, but I let it go. A lot of people did.

The Rutgers remark seemed to be a product of that apathy. We have allowed our
culture to become so coarse that what once passed for satire had morphed into a
verbal assault on eight college students.

Gray-Lawson expressed things perfectly when she said: "I don't know how anyone
can talk that way about someone else's child. It's just cruel."

She's right. This goes beyond a racial or gender issue. It's a matter of decency
that needs to be attacked from all angles. The National Organization for Women
joined the fray, but individual women with star power have stayed silent. They
need to get off the bench and start taking their shots.

E-mail Gwen Knapp at gknapp@sfchronicle.com.

http://sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/chronicle/archive/2007/04/10/SPGMDP5OAQ1.DTL

This article appeared on page B - 1 of the San Francisco Chronicle


******************************************
Forwarded by the Haitian Lawyers Leadership Network
******************************************


Radio jock, Don Imus, must be fired for irresponsibility and unaccountability
for his racist remarks about Black women | Join Ezili's HLLN in demanding
Imus be fired: What to do about the obscene, racist and sexism remarks of Don
Imus about the black women at Rutgers University.
https://lists.riseup.net/www/arc/ezilidanto/2007-04/msg00002.html