XPost: alt.culture.ny.upstate, alt.culture.ny-upstate, nyc.seminars 
 XPost: nyc.politics 
 From: rosaphilia@webtv.net 
  
 E-mail message 
  
 From: steve@stevebrownonboard.org(Steve@SteveBrownOnBoard) Date: Wed, 
 Jun 23, 2004, 
  
  
  Subject: RACE-BAITING, "WHITE-TRASHING," ANTI-SEMITISM & IMPERMISSIBLE 
 BEHAVIOR AT WBAI 
 Race-Baiting, "White-Trashing," Anti-Semitism, Physical Intimidation, 
 and Other Impermissible Behavior at WBAI 
  
 The following piece identifies real people, reproduces transcripts from 
 actual sound checks, reprints excerpts from current list-servs and the 
 public record, and describes actual incidents that I myself have 
 personally witnessed, and that, in some cases, were also simultaneously 
 witnessed by hundreds of others. 
  
 Those whom I have specifically singled out by name in this piece are not 
 "small fry" or a few isolated "crazies," of which any organization such 
 as WBAI must expect to have its share. On the contrary, all are 
 prominent, long-time "personages" in the WBAI community. Most if not all 
 are also prominent producers and on-air personalities at WBAI, or indeed 
 are members of its highest management levels. 
  
 I wish to make it clear that (1) no one but myself is responsible for 
 the information and conclusions expressed below. And (2) that I am 
 writing, not as a member of the WBAI Local Station Board, but as a 
 listener and private citizen. 
  
 If any of those named in this piece wish to dispute the truth or 
 accuracy of what I have written, they are free to hold me responsible 
 either in a court of law or in the court of public opinion. 
  
 I ask only that they address themselves specifically to the truth and 
 accuracy of what I have written, and to the issues I have raised, not to 
 whether I "... should be ignored because [he is] motivated by dreams of 
 White supremacy," or should be "watched" because I am "just another old, 
 rich White man who wants to rule Pacifica and keep people of color out." 
  
 The above are just two of the ad hominem, "arguments by race-baiting" 
 that have often been directed at me whenever I attempt to call for a 
 discussion of certain issues. 
 And that is one of the reasons I have written this piece. 
  
 For I would like to see an end to the corrosive and divisive 
 race-baiting, "white-trashing," anti-Semitism, and physical intimidation 
 that have been occurring in and around the station with increasing 
 frequency. 
  
 It is my hope that those who encourage, or abet, or participate in such 
 behavior will be replaced in their positions of authority and prestige 
 by those more in tune with both the letter and the spirit of the 
 Pacifica mission. 
 To The Members of the WBAI and Pacifica Community: 
  
 Recently, as a result of some of my postings on the issue of 
 race-baiting, "White-trashing," anti-Semitism, physical intimidation and 
 other impermissible behavior at WBAI, I have come under attack by a 
 number of friends and colleagues of those whom I have accused of 
 contributing to the current (and, in my opinion, deplorable) state of 
 affairs at WBAI. 
  
 One such attack came from Dred-Scott Keyes, an WBAI engineer. He 
 recently wrote an open letter to the Pacifica National Board (widely 
 circulated on all of Pacifica's list-servs) entitled "Steve Brown and 
 the Arbitron Myth", in which, among other things, he accuses me of 
 unfairly criticizing WBAI's program director, Bernard White. 
  
 I do not know Mr Keyes personally, nor do I believe we have actually 
 ever met. But I honor his long-time service to WBAI and € since Mr 
 Keyes is a long-time associate of the WBAI Program Director € I also 
 honor his praiseworthy attempt to defend a colleague whom, he feels, I 
 have unjustly criticized. 
  
 Since Mr Keyes and others have raised important points around the above 
 issues, I hope this piece will answer them in a manner that respects Mr 
 Keyes' long service to WBAI as engineer, producer, and on-air 
 personality. 
  
 I will start, not with an examination of WBAI Program Director Bernard 
 White, but with WBAI engineer and producer Erroll Maitland. That is 
 because, although not as highly placed as Mr White, his statements and 
 behavior have been cruder, more inflammatory, and (but only marginally) 
 more physically abusive. 
  
 For example, here is an excerpt from an Erroll Maitland interview that 
 had been broadcast on KPFA (and was recently quoted on a WBAI 
 list-serve). 
  
 The except seems rife with race-baiting and is shamefully full of crude 
 anti- White characterizations. However, I reproduce it below, so you can 
 judge for yourself. 
  
 The excerpt is 34 seconds from the sound-clip of an interview broadcast 
 over KPFA, on July 8, 2003, regarding a debate over what should be 
 included in Pacifica's new bylaws. 
  
  
 Reporter : Local station board member Errol Maitland of WBAI in New York 
 supported that draft [which was defeated, but which he says] would have 
 sent a message to what he calls "the neer-do-good liberals in Pacifica- 
 land." 
 Maitland: And that they shot down because at the core of their -- these 
 white people on the Pacifica board felt that black folks, that niggers 
 came in and messed up their nice laid back foundation and they wanted to 
 take it back . They wanted to take it back to the bosom of Berkeley 
 where it can become a lily white organization again, free from niggers. 
  
  
 A WBAI Local Station Board member who had read Erroll's statement on the 
 list-serve then wrote (with what I detected to be an underlying note of 
 pride), that such statements could never been made at WBAI, because: 
  
 "... if Erroll [Maitland]'s [racially offensive] statement had been 
 broadcast over WBAI, there would have been a major protest from [our] 
 listeners, black and white." 
  
  
 But in fact, Erroll and others have been broadcasting offensive 
 statements of that nature over WBAI for years. And though there have 
 indeed been protests from listeners, by and large the management of WBAI 
 (and certainly Erroll Maitland) has shrugged them off, usually without 
 any response, let alone an apology to the listeners and an admonition to 
 Erroll and those like him. 
  
 For whatever it is worth, I have heard Erroll Maitland make such 
 statements myself. 
  
  
  So have countless others. And not just over the airwaves. But also at 
 meetings, fundraisers, public events, and broadcasting conventions. 
  
 In fact, I heard Erroll go on in this vein for 20 minutes in front of 
 the microphone at the 7th Annual Grassroots Radio Convention in upstate 
 New York, a few years ago, where, unfortunately, no one present made a 
 peep of protest. For it is an old story that it is "OK" when a Black 
 person utters the kind of crude racist remarks that would get a White 
 person tarred and feathered anywhere in Pacifica. 
 Even more recently € just a few days ago 
  
 € Erroll appeared on a Saturday morning program over WBAI and 
 discussed the Clearwater Music Festival, then going on. He characterized 
 it as 
  
 [continued in next message] 
  
 --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05 
  * Origin: you cannot sedate... all the things you hate (1:229/2)