(top) The spirited crowd marches down the historic Michigan Ave. in Chicago, IL chanting ?Listen, think and change!? (lower) Theologian, Dr. Linda E. Thomas pours libations at the Day of Decency Rally at Millennium Park as Chicago Mayor Richard M. Daley looks on. ?Our initiative is not against the rappers or the artists?they are the pawns. That?s like going after the guy selling reefer on the corner and not going after the drug dealer. The industry says what the (artists) can or cannot do. If the industry said tomorrow, ?we are not going to release records saying that? the artists right away would stop. The artists in many cases are being told ?this is what to do? and ?this is what to sell.? ?Reverend Al Sharpton

The “Day of Outrage” is an outgrowth of the “Decency Initiative,” which is planning to target legislation in state senates to bar any tax dollars or pension funds for any corporate entity promoting or producing lyrics using the ‘n’ word, the ‘h’ word or ‘b’ word. This is the first time legislation has been proposed targeting the record companies themselves as opposed to previously attacking the artists and those stores who sell their records.

“We cannot continue to allow our brothers and sisters to be called out of their names, while others are being protected from name calling,” Rev. Sharpton told The Final Call. “There are lyrics committees in record companies that if lyrics come out against police, or gays or Jews, they stop the records—and they should. Yet they can call us the ‘n’ word, call our women the ‘h’ word and the ‘b’ word.”

Protests held in Detroit, New York and Chicago

Rev. Sharpton led the rally in Detroit, Michigan at the Historic Motown Museum as a symbol of when music was uplifting and not denigrating and misogynistic.

At the New York protest, held at the Virgin Music Store in Times Square, Min. Kevin Muhammad, of Muhammad’s Mosque No. 7 in Harlem, said, “We stand here today with the National Action Network to eradicate the usage of three words, and to deal a death blow to the mind-set of an industry that continues to use these words.”

“We are determined to have our voices heard,” Min. Kevin stressed.

At the Chicago rally held at Millennium Park, the Rev. Otis Moss III, pastor of Trinity United Church of Christ and vice president of the Chicago Chapter of NAN electrified the crowd with a timely and enthusiastic delivery of truth.

“Just like [hip hop group] Dead Prez said, it is bigger than hip-hop, we have to recognize not only the corporate control, but also that the hip hop culture has been exploited to benefit those who are not within our community. As long it is rebellious music and not revolutionary music, no one has a problem with it, but as soon as it starts talking about poverty and how to change our condition, then they have a problem with it,” said Rev. Moss.

“What we want to do is inject a stream of consciousness in hip hop to then move from being just rebellious music, to being a revolutionary sound that can help propel us forward in our movement,” he told The Final Call.

Rev. Moss went on to point out that true hip hop is break dancing, graffiti and culture, noting that in its purest form, hip hop’s uplifting lyrics give hope and encouragement while the music now originates with those who care more about the financial bottom line than the culture. “We’re not talking about music that came from the street. We’re talking about music that came from the boardroom,” he added.

Targeting corporate interests, not artists

Rev. Sharpton said that rappers should understand that the “Decency Initiative” is not directed at them, but the corporate interests that fund and control what is released and marketed to the public.

“Our initiative is not against the rappers or the artists—they are the pawns. That’s like going after the guy selling reefer on the corner and not going after the drug dealer. The industry says what the [artists] can or cannot do. If the industry said tomorrow, ‘we are not going to release records saying that’ the artists right away would stop. The artists in many cases are being told ‘this is what to do’ and ‘this is what to sell,” said the civil rights leader.

“We want the world to know the same music industry that took Michael Jackson’s records out of the stores and took Ice-T’s records out of the stores and stopped Sister Souljah, is saying that it’s okay to call my momma a b---h, my daughter a h-- or me a n---a.”

The Honorable Minister Louis Farrakhan, since the early ’90s, has often criticized the profiteering and control of the record companies and record executives pointing out the hidden hand of those who promote lyrics that create conflict and disrespect of our women. He has continued to encourage the rappers to use their influence to raise the level of consciousness of the people by using lyrics that give life as opposed to cause death.

Minister Farrakhan, upon receiving the Source Youth Foundation Hip-Hop Image Award in 2004, said to the audience, “You are the new leaders of young people, and this is the generation that is feared because this is the generation that can produce change in America and change in the world. You, the hip-hop artist, have gone beyond the Black community that gave birth to Hip-Hop but 70-80 percent of those who buy your records are White, are Brown, are Red, are Yellow and you have formed a culture that has outdone religion in destroying racism, sexism, and even though you ‘bling-bling’ you know that beneath the diamonds, beneath the platinum there is an idealism in young people that you really want change in America and change in the world.”

Different walks of life represented at rallies

Sister Patrice Muhammad addresses the crowd at Millennium Park in Chicago, IL. Photos: Bill Parrish

Sister Patrice Muhammad representing several sisters present from the Nation of Islam told the crowd at Millennium Park, “I say emphatically that it is because the whole of society has fallen into despair which has led to the mistreatment of women,” she then led the crowd in a participatory chant of “Respect and protect the woman!”

Activists were on hand from Metropolitan Area Group for Igniting Civilization (MAGIC) and their Teen Talk as well as several other civic, social and religious organizations. Many who worked downtown in Chicago joined the rally and the subsequent march to the Chicago offices of Clear Channel Communications.

At the rally, activist-priest Rev. Michael Pfleger of the Faith Community of St. Sabina was very outspoken in his criticism of the investors, artists and consumers.

“We stand and tell the investors, stop bankrolling trash that demeans our mothers, grandmothers, sisters and daughters! We tell the artists—stop being used to disrespect and degrade women anywhere. We tell the consumer—stop buying and supporting music that calls women out of their names, and we tell the radio industry—stop playing it day in and day out!” Rev. Pfleger said.

“There are no Pontius Pilates here that can wash their hands and claim no responsibility pointing the blame at somebody else! The industry, the artists, the consumer and the radio industry are co-conspirators that are feeding the minds of a society that is becoming comfortable in the daily demeaning, degrading and disrespecting of women. Our message is simple—stop it and stop it now!”

Arewa Karen Winters of the Bobby Wright Mental Health Center said she has some words for the record executives and the artists.

“Stop exploiting our children and preying on the vulnerabilities and weaknesses of the things that have gone untreated in our culture,” said Ms. Winters. “They say that art imitates life, to me, it’s a sad day in Black America because I’ve never seen so many wealthy African Americans, but they are not exemplifying any mental wealth,” said Winters

LaKeisha Gray-Sewell, representing the Chicago Local Organizing Committee of the National Political Hip Hop Convention shared similar sentiments directed to the corporate exploiters of hip hop culture.

“Take your hands of profit out of our community. We don’t want anything to do with your profiting off of our denigration. We want you to get your hands out of our culture, out of our creativity get your hands out of the destruction of our community,” said Gray-Sewell adding that she was very happy about the turnout and spirited atmosphere of the rally.

“We came together, the Nation of Islam, Catholics, Christians, Baptists, the old, the young, men and women, this is what our community is about and it was represented here. If we keep this up and we keep at it, our community is going to take back what is ours and bring us back to what we should be which is speaking life into our communities.”

FCN Staff Writer Saeed Shabazz contributed to this report.