Listeners, programmers and supporters of WPFW converged on a WPFW LAB meeting last night at the WPFW radio station at 2390 Champlain St., NW in Washington, DC. WPFW is the DC area's Pacifica station.
On Wednesday, June 11th WPFW members convened to protest the firing of interim General Manager Tony Regusters. A petition to the iPacifica National Board was circulated, tying the firing of Regusters to the LAB and asking for the dissolution of the LAB.
One listener who was asked at the meeting to sign the petition called into the LAB show the next day. She stated that she was concerned about the rancor directed at the LAB and asked why the LAB needed to be dissolved. She was told "because they do not like Tony."
Members of the audience were angry that the LAB did not suspend their regular meeting to address the Regusters issue. Chairing the meeting was Jabari Zakiyah, who explained that the meeting was a regular LAB meeting, and that the LAB needed to get work done before the issue was brought up. The issue had been placed on the agenda by LAB Chairman Sam Husseini.
The public seemed most interested in the report given by the GM Search Committee, Khalid Rosenbaum, chair. Khalid and KhaRabia Rayford (writer of this story), outlined the process. They iterated that the Executive Director, Dan Coughlin, did not pick any of their candidates for GM, and did not tell them why. Rosenbaum also explained that new criteria for a GM were instituted at the end of the process. KhaRabia explained to those gathered that the first question the GMSC asked of Dan Coughlin was why Tony Regusters was fired. She reported that Coughlin refused to answer, citing legal reasons.
The meeting included listeners, programmers and staff, all livid at the way Regusters was fired and the way the LAB was handling the meeting. Biggest criticisms were that the LAB was not reflecting the community's wishes, and did not succuumb to the community's demand that the GM issue be put to the forefront of the meeting. "We will NEVER forget this," roared Black Voices for Peace leader Damu Smith.
Fahima Seck, a member of the LAB, explained on the WPFW LAB show that she has attended many LAB meetings and generally the hot topic is left until the end "in order to get work done." Zakiyah pointed out that the community was allowed to really express themselves, everyone was allowed to speak, and the issue was given almost three and 1/2 hours of attention.
The board passed a motion that vowed "To support the reinstatement of Tony Regusters as the interim General Manager until a permanent General Manager is selected." The motion passed 5 for, 2 against, 4 abstaining. For votes were cast by KhaRabia Rayford, Notre Marshall, Dr. Jawara Hunter, Jim Brown and Jabari Zakiyah. Against were cast by Sam Husseini and Norberto Martinez. Abstaining were Billy Ray Edwards, Fahima Seck, Paul Mokhiber and Sylvia (last name?).
Also on the floor was a motion that "the community would resolve to support Ron Pinchback as the iGM of WPFW during this time of transistion."
Suggested also was the motion that, "the community demands that Dan Coughlin meets with the community in an open meeting ASAP." Damu Smith asked that the motion amend to community, LAB and GMSC.
All motions were suggested by KhaRabia Rayford.
The following is from a follow up email from someone attending the meeting, and response by KhaRabia Rayford.
June 11, 2003
I was asked to forward this to you.
Warren
----------------
Forwarded Message:
Subj: WPFW Resolution
Date: 6/12/2003 9:55:41 AM Eastern Daylight Time
From: joena.l.bennett@verizon.net
To: NBEJN029Damu@aol.com, TEEKAY47@aol.com, anyanwu@igc.org
Sent from the Internet (Details)
Greetings,
I had a thought at the LAB meeting which I was unable to express last night because the discussion was closed. However, I thought that I'd share it with you because you may have communication with the LAB members.
The popular consensus was to reinstate Tony Regusters as interim general manager until the appointment of a permanent GM. Attendees urged the LAB to adopt a resolution to that effect. It was not until the LAB was pressured to adopt the resolution that a few LAB members expressed their support of Ron Pinchback as interim GM. In fact, throughout the meeting no one criticized Mr. Pinchback's performance as WPFW's program director nor his ability to act as interim GM. I realize that this was not the focus of the meeting; however, it would seem that at such a heated meeting, if Mr. Pinchback's credentials were questionable, someone would certainly have raised that point. Considering these observations and that facts that Mr. Pinchback was hired as the PD by Mr. Regusters and then appointed interim GM by Dan Coughlin, I assume then that Mr. Pinchback is a viable candidate for WPFW's permanent GM position. At the meeting, Mr. Pinchback stated that he is considering applying for the permanent GM position.
My concern is that we do not "throw the baby out with the bath water." I am concerned that the wording of the proposed resolution does not leave room for interpretation by Pacifica as a vote of "no confidence" for Mr. Pinchback and thus hurt his chances should he decide to apply as permanent GM. I am certain that this was not the intention of anyone present at the meeting. However, it appears that Pacifica (i.e., Dan Coughlin) being vengeful and disrespectful of the community could use the wording of the resolution against the community whose main objectives, I believe, is to bring diverse programming to WPFW, ensure that strong Black leadership is respected and that the will of the people prevails.
We have seen many examples wherein racists have used the tactic of saying that when they've given Blacks a chance to lead that we blew it. They then argue that they must take over to keep the ship afloat and then appoint some Negro, other minority person or a White female to give they appearance that they've really done all they can to achieve diversity (e.g., Sharon Pratt Kelly, Clarence Thomas, Surgeon General David Satcher who replaced Joycelyn Elders,etc.) Please do not interpret this statement to mean that I think Ron Pinchback is an Uncle Tom. To the contrary, although I do not know him, I was very impressed by him at the meeting as he attempted to remain impartial, constantly reminded the audience to be respectful of all speakers, and his expressed support of Mr. Regusters. In fact, I will assume that as an African-American male he is probably even more qualified for the GM position than his competitors. And his hiring by Mr. Regusters himself indicates that Mr. Pinchback understands and shares his vision for WPFW.
I am suggesting that the resolution not only state that the LAB wants the reinstatement of Tony Regusters, but also express its support of Ron Pinchback so as not to leave any room for interpretation of dissatisfaction with Pinchback whatsoever. Suggestion: We resolve to demand that Pacifica immediately reinstate Mr. Tony Regusters as interim general manager of WPFW until such time that Pacifica selects a permanent general manager for this station. Although we fully recognize the talents, proven dedication, competency and have faith in Mr. Ron Pinchback's appointment as interim general manager, we recognize that Mr. Regusters's reinstatement is the will of the community, which Pacifica is bound to serve and that this LAB is obliged to express. We further resolve that should Messers. Regusters and Pinchback decide to apply for the permanent general manager position that both men's candidacies will be respected and considered by Pacifica without prejudice or malice.
I know that at the end of the meeting heated words were exchanged between individuals. I am not sure how to get this message to the LAB members. Perhaps is someone knows Rabiya's e-mail address, this message to be forwarded to her, if indeed you are uncomfortable meeting in person. I do feel strongly about this, however and hope that my message can somehow get though to the LAB members.
Thanks for your consideration.
FROM KHARABIA (RABIA)
Warren:
Firstly, I want to state that no Negroes or non progressives got past this GMSC. In fact, two of our four candidates could only be described as fire brand serious-to-the-core black revolutionaries who would have gotten WPFW community, national and international attention for hard, serious and progressive work. Perhaps that is why they were not chosen!
Can you please send back to this person that I did, in fact, set a motion supporting Ron: In fact, these are the motions I suggested:
The LAB votes to support a resolution to support the reinstatement of Tony Regusters as the interim General Manager of WPFW until a permanent GM is selected;
The LAB votes to support the resolution that the community resolves to support Ron Pinchback as the interim GM of WPFW during this time of transition;
That the community demands that Dan Coughlin meets with the community at an open meeting ASAP. Damu asked to amend that to say, that the meeting would include Coughlin, the LAB and GMSC. I assumed that, but it is good to state it.
The first motion got voted on and passed, the second got distracted when folks started posturing and pontificating, but when I called Dan's phone with the community and left a message, we said all three.
I am thinking that Dan should be present at the next LAB meeting, July 9th. The only problem is that meeting is so close to the fourth of july, lots of people are not there.
PS. One of the reasons that I did not want to vote on the motion as Tony being reinstated until LAB elections is because that is so chancy. I mean, if the community really organizes, the elections could be tommorrow or next week! I keep putting that out there, because I agree that we do not have to wait until the bylaws are done to do elections. I want to move because as you know our number one problem in DC is apathy; if we can get people excited about elections AND about setting up ways to do the programming at WPFW that will help us all, then please let us go for it. However, I don't want the focus only to be on getting rid of the LAB; people don't realize it, but if the community does not find a way to really support the candidates after they are elected, then those people, too, will become the enemies of the community! Get rid of the LAB, if you must--but have in mind what the program is to be for doing the work!
Everyone currently on the LAB got on the LAB because of a deep love for community and serious issues and the desire to see WPFW address issues that are not addressed anywhere else. Yet we have been made into the enemy. People who know me know that all my life I have been in service to my family, my community, my nation. Yet just because I am on the WPFW LAB, I am not of the community? Me, who grew up here, lived from Southeast Simple City to NW Glover Park and Mount Pleasant to NE Brookland, who went to Plummer, Nalle, Sousa, Taft, Mckinley, Trinity College and the University of Maryland, who have fought drug dealers in my neighborhood and helped prostitutes, who has worked construction, written for the Afro, fed the homeless, worked at a Drug Rehab Center, worked with elders, who have taught from preschool to University, taught teachers how to teach, performed poetry and music for and about DC since I was eight, who has helped organize marches and rallies and conscious bus rides and concerts and anniversaries and festivals, who has raised two grown children as conscious, thinking African adults in this day and time, whose children were born, at home, right here in DC, I am not from the community because I am on the LAB? Deep.
And the rumours that fly about us all. The nasty things said of us. The nasty and untrue things said about me. The guts it takes to even go to meetings where you know people are going to attack you relentlessly, shamelessly, loudly and constantly. The guts it takes when you know people talk about you like a dog to your face and like a bitch behind your back. To look at these people and keep working with them anyway. It is deep.
I want to see other people involved in this process, just so they can see what it is like from the other side.
But maybe then, a new thing will happen. Maybe, just maybe, if a new LAB is elected, maybe all of this rancor against the LAB will drop off. It certainly didn't drop off from before (the LAB was expelled from WPFW before the settlement agreement).
One of the most heartbreaking thing for LAB members, people like Sam and Jabari and Frank and Khalid is that after the battle to save Pacifica, they thought they would be welcomed, if not commended for a job well done. After picketing in the rain and snow and getting into debt and putting countless, countless hours, they are still vilified, and criticized for even existing. It's disheartening.
Yet, in the midst of all of that, people on the LAB keep coming back, keep trying. People in DC have no idea about the caliber of people on the LAB. Last night, even though Dr. Hunter was talking about me, I felt so proud of him. I can't get mad at a Black man standing in front of a crowd and passionately speaking about something that he believes is for the good of the community. I just felt proud of him. I felt proud of Jabari too, really proud, because, with all of the pressure coming down, he agreed to chair that meeting, and despite all of the criticism, heckling, shouting, he did as good a job as he could.
We all did, everyone in the community, from Hodari to Kwasi to Juliette to Star to the 23 year old sister to Sidrach to Sam to Khalid to Ron to the beautiful African woman with the blond hair, to my son sitting there getting his homework done in the midst of allat. Everyone. Because even though we were yelling and screaming and yes, disrespecting each other, wasn't it beautiful when Ray stood up and checked himself that way? Wasn't it beautiful the way the people kept demanding resolution until they got it?
I can't be mad at anybody, even though I did jump up in Damu's face after the meeting when he said y'all LAB members and included me and I just wasn't taking it.
But ya know what? Sam and Damu were in it for a minute, Fahima--Kwasi and Ray and Juliette, accusations flew around, but still, do you know the next thing comes up, we will work on it together? We find a way amid all of that rancor, to work together. At the last meeting with Dan on June 4th, I got so mad at John Jakulevicus (sp?also on the GMSC) I had to leave the meeting to keep from going SE on him. Child, the battles we fight with each other, that I could tell you about! But we come back to each other.
My point? We are community. We fight like hell. Yet, we are Warriors. Warriors all.
My concern, my prayer, my desire, my wish, my heartfull hope is that this will instill in people the desire to make the changes in programming that will help us to do the work! Keep coming to the LAB meetings, please. Consider yourself on the LAB. Everybody there was there because they have some particular issue they need, need, need to have discussed, to have put on the air! Nightwolf alone carries the burden of millions! Don't we all? Don't we see the child prostitutes and the mamas nodding out and the elders losing their homes and the AIDS children dying? Don't we see them taking over this city for the rich? The way they are using up the water--the water! And destroying the land? The way we are treated like we don't even count? Less than not count.
That is one of the issues I have with Dan, honestly. Someone said that the LAB influenced Dan's decision. How could we have done that? Dan is a man who does not return phone calls or emails; he will not talk to us when we go to his office. HOW do you influence someone you cannot even get to? He doesn't return the calls or emails of anyone on the LAB unless it is some dire emergency, and then his response is tepid.
The woman who said that also said the issue is not Dan, and sort of warned us away from even trying to deal with Dan. Yet the issue is Dan. Because Dan calls the shots. Check this: Dan did not consult with the LAB on Tony's firing. He did not even tell us that he had fired Tony. And then when we found and confronted him he did not give us a reason. And we have influence? Pu. Leeze.
And this, too: Eva Georgia, GM of LA, was lighting up the airwaves at KPFA, getting rid of flotsam, hiring new and good folk, making brilliant moves. She did a million dollar fundraiser. Dan fired her on her birthday right after the fundraiser. When he was forced to reinstate her, he put her in a lock--clamped a hiring freeze and a programming freeze on her. Shut her down. Excuse me, but maybe it is about Dan, folks.
And of course, people are going to say that I have a personal vendetta against Dan. Last night someone said that the phone call to him was "clever." Someone else has suggested that I didn't even really call him on my cell phone.
To those folks I will say this. Being on the WPFW LAB is exactly like being Black in racist America. Exactly: No matter what you do, they're going to hate you;
They hate you not despite what you do, but because of what you do. In fact, you are hated because of what you are; No matter what you do, it will never be good enough; If you do a job well, it does not matter, because well, because you did it. And last but not least, if you really are working for your community, they are going to find a way to get rid of you, usually using what? The community. Check our history.
Last point: The GMSC was voted on by the LAB. There are people on the GMSC who are not on the LAB, but that doesn't count. The call is for the GMSC to be disbanded. Be careful what you ask for. Because this is what is trying to come down: Rob Robinson, in his email, said that Dan should appoint a new GMSC. Why is that a problem? Because the one staff position that Dan cannot appoint is the GM. I think he has a problem with that. BUT if he can appoint the GMSC, then he can appoint people who will agree with his choice, so he can appoint by proxy.
Secondly, Dan has suggested that we use a professional firm for the search. When he suggested it in the GMSC meeting, I told him those searches do not reflect the community, and that he cannot take the search out of the community's hands. A head hunter? Puleeze. Dan responded that it was just a suggestion. I replied that it was a dangerous suggestion, and to take it off the table. In a follow up email to us, he included it as a suggestion anyway. He listens to nothing. He doesn't have to.
Now, what is the community going to do? This is my vision: that there are so many people from the community at the station working on programs, on community events in conjunction with the station, on forums and concerts and open dialogue, that the station is bustling with people ALL OF THE TIME the way it was bustling last night, that we have so many people in there all of the time, working on shows, working on community events, on news, on music programs, live musicians coming into the studios to do live shows, children doing shows, teachers, so many people that we have to get a bigger place to fit all these folks coming up in there.
My vision? That anybody who wants to can be on the LAB. That the thing is not that they come to meetings and sit up front and pontificate, but that the criteria be that they are working! Look at all of the work that needs to be done in this city, in this world! Joni Eisenberg, for whatever anybody says about her, is a worker! If every single listerner and staff and programmer was a member of the LAB it would not be enough! Of course, everybody is not going to join the LAB. But can you imagine that--I could imagine that everybody at that meeting last night become a LAB member. Every single person. And that whatever issue they brought to the meeting with them--peace, AIDS, housing, health, that they gather around them the people they need to make changes in this city, nation, world. That they work out shows and a town hall meetings and a concerts and forums and festivals and storming of the Hill and Council chambers, all of it recorded for airing on the station, or broadcast LIVE. Why not? If you really want to differentiate, then make officers. But anyone working, really working at WPFW, on outreach or programming or fundraising or events--open up the LAB. Open it the heck UP!!!
Alright. My son needs the computer to do his science report. I didn't mean to write so much. This is off the top of my head. Ron has my support. I think the thing about him is that he will try to listen to new ideas and float it within the existing framework. Help him out, though. Ask him what can you do to help. Something as simple as that. Now, all you LAB haters, take these words and turn them around like you do, and try to make them into something ugly. Something grasping and negative. Find all of the faults in it, don't even try to get what I am trying to say. Go for the ugliest interpretation possible. That's what haters do.
As for me, I send you love. Love, love, love, love, love. And for me, these words come from my heart. My loving heart. And my loving, God filled heart? Why, t'is beautiful....
Peace!!! KhaRabia Rayford, KhaYUMbia. I'm going to post this on dc indymedia.com. Peace.
