BLACK WOMEN AND CIVIL RIGHTS LEADERS SHOW SUPPORT FOR JEMELE HILL DEMAND THAT ESPN REINSTATE JOURNALIST IMMEDIATELY Hill Defended for Her Passion and First Amendment Rights
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BLACK WOMEN AND CIVIL RIGHTS LEADERS SHOW SUPPORT FOR JEMELE HILL DEMAND THAT ESPN REINSTATE JOURNALIST IMMEDIATELY Hill Defended for Her Passion and First Amendment Rights
October 12, 2017 (Washington, DC) – In a letter received by ESPN’s President John Skipper today, http://www.unitycampaign.org/news/blackleadership_espn_letter, a number of African American women, civil rights and
social justice leaders are voicing their support of Jemele Hill who has been
suspended for two weeks by the sports network for her tweets about President
Trump and Dallas Cowboy owner Jerry Jones.
The letter campaign is being led by the Black Women’s Roundtable (BWR) and Black Women For Positive Change, stating
that they “object to the suspension
of Jemele from ESPN,” and go on further to say that “She is entitled to comment
on the actions taken by Jerry Jones, who knelt with athletes last week and then
turned on them this week…explicitly impending upon the First Amendment Rights
of his players…We strongly request that Jemele be reinstated immediately.”
Says NCBCP President and
Convener of the Black Women’s Roundtable, Melanie
Campbell, “What’s happening here, and what ESPN seems to be directly
endorsing and perpetuating, is a total subjugation of the rights and freedoms
of all people of color, men and women.
Everyone needs to understand that we are using our constitutionally
granted rights of expression to draw attention to the violence against innocent
victims of color in this nation. Co-Founder and Co-Chair, Stephanie Myers shares, “The actions of our athletes, and this
journalist, are not protests against the flag, the military or even
America. It is an attempt to draw
attention to what is wrong in hopes that it can be corrected. Jemele’s suspension by ESPN only confirms
that the racism we are protesting does, indeed, exist.”
To date, in addition to the 35
Black national and regional organizations, who have signed on in support of
this letter, the A. Philip Randolph
Institute, National Action Network, NAACP, National Urban League, National
Council of Negro Women, Leadership Conference on Civil & Human Rights, 100
Black Men of America, Incorporated, Moms Rising and Women’s March have also
signed on in support of this letter.
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The National Coalition on Black Civic Participation
(NCBCP) is one of the most active
civil rights and social justice organizations in the nation “dedicated to
increasing civic engagement, economic and voter empowerment in Black America.”
The Black Women’s Roundtable (BWR) is the women and girls empowerment arm of the NCBCP. At the forefront of
championing just and equitable public policy on behalf of Black women, BWR promotes
their health and wellness, economic security & prosperity, education and
global empowerment as key elements for success.
Black Women for Positive
Change is
a national policy-focused network of predominately African American women and
“Good Brothers” from States including: California, Colorado, District of
Columbia, Florida, Georgia, Maryland, Massachusetts, Mississippi, North
Carolina, South Carolina, Pennsylvania, Nebraska, New York, Texas and Virginia.
The network has two primary goals: (1) To positively contribute to ideas
and methods that can strengthen and expand the American Middle/Working class,
with an emphasis on the African American community; and (2) To Change the
Culture of Violence in America.
