wfn.org | Radio spots address continuing racism

[Beth Hawn]

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To:  'Worldwide Faith News'
Date: 1998-11-25 10:00
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Message ID: F9CFDCC33F84D211AE27444553540000
Conversation ID: Radio spots address continuing racism

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November 25, 1998
Mennonite Board of Missions
Beth Hawn
219-294-7523
<NEWS@MBM.org>

New MBM radio spots address continuing, yet subtle, racism

HARRISONBURG, Va. (MBM) - Nine public-service radio spots, each   
addressing a specific aspect of the insidious racism that pervades   
American culture, are scheduled for release by Mennonite Board of   
Missions'
Mennonite Media to radio stations nationwide by year's end.

The spots are part of a series designed to reach a relatively broad   
audience of people ages 25 and up living in the United States, and to   
raise awareness that racism in the United States has not ended; rather,   
it has taken on subtler
forms than those that dominated the news 30 years ago.  The spots will go   
to thousands of radio stations around the country as one stage of a   
multi-
layered promotional strategy that includes postcards and mailings of CDs   
containing the spots.

Each spot depicts a typical scenario from everyday life in which racism   
is a strong undercurrent.  The scenarios were developed from input   
provided by a group of professionals representing a diverse range of   
occupational and
ethnic backgrounds.

"In August 1997, we invited a group of church people and media   
professionals
to provide general input for this year's public-service announcement
campaign," said Ken Weaver, director of Mennonite Media.  "We went to   
people from a variety of backgrounds working in Christian communications   
to
identify key issues, and racism emerged as one of the top ones needing to   
be addressed."

This group identified several areas where subtle, but pervasive, racism
still is present in the United States:
* White privilege
* Racist policies and procedures in business and the workplace
* Housing
* Racist phrases
* Immigration
* Standards of beauty.

One spot that celebrates diversity is particularly designed for religious   

stations, since Sunday morning is still frequently the most segregated   
hour
in America.

Once the input was collected, several writers were solicited to prepare
scripts that would address these key issues.  At this stage of the   
process,
too, writers were sought who would reflect a variety of backgrounds and   
perspectives.

The scripts were then sent to Angels Studio, a Catholic studio in Chicago   
with ready access to a large multi-ethnic talent pool.

"Producing something like this here in Harrisonburg would have been very   
difficult," Weaver said.  "We have access to some professional voices,   
but by and large they would be white just because of our demographic mix.   
 In an urban area there is a larger pool of people with the racial mixes   
we needed."

The professional talent heard in these spots includes a black man and   
woman, several black children, an Asian man, a Hispanic man and several   
white
people: men, women and children.

The scenarios all have an unpleasantly familiar ring to them:
* A woman is tailed in a department store, suspected of shoplifting just   
because she is black.
* An Asian student overhears other teens in the school cafeteria   
remarking
 that he should "go back where he came from."
* A mother tells her young daughter that their race (Caucasian) is the   
one people like best.
* Two co-workers chat amiably about a car they both want to buy.  In   
short order it becomes obvious that the white man was quoted a lower   
price by the salesman than his black co-worker.  Furthermore, the black   
person's salary
is lower than his peer's, despite the fact that they both do the same   
job.

"We feel very strongly that racism continues to be an issue in society,   
and we want to help the general public build some new awareness," said   
Melodie M. Davis, a staff producer for Mennonite Media and the writer of   
one of the
scripts.  "We think most Mennonites will be happy to have this kind of   
message going out on their behalf."

Publicity for the spots will take a three-pronged approach, according to
Lois Hertzler, Mennonite Media's distribution coordinator:
* While the spots were nearing completion, a mailing was sent to all   
1,297 Mennonite Church and General Conference Mennonite Church   
congregations, inviting them to take the spots to a local radio station.
* On December 14 a postcard will announce the spots to the 1,400 stations   
around the United States that have used past spots produced by Mennonite   
Media.  The CD's of the spots will go to the stations on Dec. 22.
* In early January, a card will go to an additional 5,000 to 7,000 radio
stations offering them the spots as well.

The radio spots will be available on Mennonite Media's Third Way Cafe web   
site <www.thirdway.com> in January 1999.

* * *

MBM staff