Tim Wise is a noted anti-racist activist whose books and speeches dissect the continuity of white supremacist structures in our society. I have broadcast and promoted his work on several occasions as I find his information generally useful. Tonight Wise will be bringing his message to an audience in Los Angeles addressing racism and the progressive left media. There’s only one problem. The event is sponsored, in part, by ‘The Ad Hoc Committee for KPFK Community Radio” and is being framed within the context of racism at LA’s liberation frequency. If Tim Wise wants to lend his credibility and line of work to this particular critique and those who are behind it, that’s fine. He is free to do so, but he doesn’t work at KPFK and is not brown like me. So if it’s ok, this brown person will speak for himself here on the issue of white supremacy and community radio.
As a Chicano radio producer and a freelance journalist, I’ve experienced a thing or two regarding white supremacy in the realm of journalism. I do not in any way deny that such a phenomenon exists even in community radio. To state such would be counter to what I have come to know personally in my life and work. However, if we examine some of the agendas and contradictions of those behind the event tonight featuring Tim Wise, we can better grasp the situation with a more sober reasoning. We will be able to understand how the politics behind the accusations are that of a snake pit and how some of the protagonists are not true allies of people of color, but rather are quite the opposite.
Let’s then begin with the Ad Hoc Committee for KPFK Community Radio. An article in the Examiner describes it as the “principle organizer” of the event taking place tonight with Tim Wise. A visit to the website for the Committee reveals that it has indeed posted a flyer for the event that purportedly addresses the ‘censuring of radical voices at KPFK.’ Interestingly enough, debate on the blogscript website is itself censored by the very fact that no one can post comments on any of the entries on the front page including the story on Tim Wise! If you click ‘read more’ on that very post you will see a companion flyer which lays out the specifics of the pushing out of brown folks at Pacifica.
Where KPFK is concerned you are presented with outright lies. Armando Gudino, Fernando Velasquez and Jerry Quickley are all listed as “unfairly fired.” I won’t speak to Quickley for reasons that can’t be discussed here, but I can and will speak to the other two. First off, since when does being laid off = a firing? It doesn’t, and that’s the first distortion. Gudino and Velasquez were not fired despite the appeal such hyperbolic language has. As in the case of the former Program Director, it must be nice to be “fired” with a negotiated severance package. This is just a small portion of the misinformation that Tim Wise is waging his credibility on tonight.
To continue, the website also contains in its sidepanel a slate of ‘recommended’ candidates for KPFK’s upcoming Local Station Board elections including the “copyrighted” candidacy of Ian Johnston©. Take a look at his appeal to voters which is exhaustively long to the point of self-importance, but focus attention on the following. In response to the question of how KPFK might better serve its listeners, Johnston© wrote: “I personally think that we could cut costs and improve our programming by replacing paid on-air talent with well trained volunteers, and replacing paid off-air talent, with people good enough at making radio, that they could teach those volunteers how to do so, too.” I ask readers to reconcile this with the listed “unfair firings” bemoaned in the companion flyer to the Tim Wise event!
According to the candidate’s plan, Armando Gudino, Fernando Velasquez and Jerry Quickley would have all been ‘replaced’ anyway! Not to mention people of color such as myself that are off-air talent would suffer the same. What more is needed to underscore the naked opportunism and usage of people of color to further an agenda? Furthermore, if this plan were to be implemented, it would present a question very relevant to white supremacy. If many of the people of color on staff currently receiving meager wages for their hard work were to be dismissed, who would replace them as volunteers? Could it be mostly white people of privilege who can afford to dedicate the time necessary to properly produce and execute radio? Who is much more likely to have that privilege of such leisure time and wealth? Anyone care to answer that? Where is Tim Wise when you need him? Oh, he’s going to be in Los Angeles speaking at an event sponsored by a Committee that is encouraging folks to vote for a person like Ian Johnston©.
Now, of course, there are folks of color in the mix who are brown like me. It’s important to examine their claims just as it is important to examine mine. I stand for Spanish language programming, an ethnic diversity of paid/volunteer staff and radical voices on KPFK. I don’t care if this is what Grace Aaron or anyone on the national level of Pacifica has or doesn’t have in mind. I may or may not have a dog in the fight, but this is what I believe in and what I will consistently stand for. On the other hand, I will not stand with ‘incompetent Mugabes’ who utilize the accusation of racism to further their personal agendas while clouding their own inadequacies. These folks are an embarrassment to the left and people of color everywhere. They do not serve the community’s best interests.
There is a tremendous amount of disinformation to sift through that I haven’t addressed here but may do so in the future. Unfortunately, it’s true that snake pit politics are necessary to address, even if they waste time that could be spent constructively building movements. With that in mind, I speak solely for myself in regards to these matters, because Tim Wise will not be speaking for me tonight. Afterall, he is not brown like me…
April 8th, 2010 at 12:53 am
There you go again, gusanito areleva, rambling idiotically with your fork tongue. Only you would know how much dignity a pubic hair holds and not know that Karina Garcia is far too dignified for you. What do you know about dignity, anus fool? when you were heard rambling idiotically about certain leaders of the International Baccalaureate School, Academia Semillas Del Pueblo of being Aztec Al-Qaeda. Later, when you were confronted by the actual founders of the school you simply claimed it to be a joke. Once again, gusanito arelava, you were wrong and our Educational Chicano leaders were right. It is difficult to believe that someone who is consistently wrong would know what it takes to be a dignified person, which is why your knowledge of dignity is equivalent to a pubic hair.
Viva Academia Semillas Del Pueblo!
(hey, gusanito areleva, maybe you should claim amnesia again)
April 8th, 2010 at 7:55 am
“Aztec Al-Qaeda” is actually the internet moniker of an old “La Causa” call-in contributor…go figure!
Speaking of that show, it has already been more than a year since it was booted off. You should think about getting a life Jaime and getting off Karina Garcia’s jock on the (way) outside chance you think she’d be attracted to you in return for your mindless “vivas!”
April 8th, 2010 at 8:22 am
I’m sure the Semillas del Pueblo folks want a homophobe like you defending them! “Confronted”–HA! Marcos, unlike you, was civil with his criticism. And, my, all this talk of anus and levas—are you sure you don’t have mattachine tendencies? Make sure to tune in today at 3pm!
April 8th, 2010 at 10:04 am
This has nothing to do with anything else but exposing gusanito areleva for what he really is. What do you know about civil criticism, anul fool? when you ramble on idiotically calling Educational Chicano leaders Aztec Al Qaeda or identifying my beautiful brown people as ignorant. as a matter of fact your uncivil critics are stuck at the junior high level, especially after being wrong about the racist Jim Gilchrest. I know it’s in your best interest that I move on but it’s not for the people who think they know you. We will continue to monitor.
Also, gusanito areleva, you don’t know what it is to defend anything because if you did that would mean defending your fork tongue and your anti-Chicano sentiments, and we all know about your current case of amnesia, pendejo.
April 8th, 2010 at 1:42 pm
Joaquin aka El Gordo del Pueblo: We all know that yours, Jaime’s, Agustín’s, Hector’s, and you fellow travelers version of “beautiful brown people” are those who think the Jews rule everything, who despise homosexuals and think feminism is a CIA conspiracy. Keep defending that, and make sure to tune in!
April 8th, 2010 at 2:44 pm
Think, think, think..ultimately that’s all you could argue about Joaquin’s Revenge. But we know for a fact that your version of supporting our beautiful brown people was to physically stay on school grounds in 1994 amidst the fight against prop. 187, call our people ignorant, while you were ignorant to the fact that Jim Gilchrest was a racist, and attempt to deface and discredit our Educational Chicano Leaders by labeling them Aztec Al-Qaeda, and later side-stepping your criticism by claiming it was just a joke. No one is laughing but you and your non-chicano supporters, pendejo.
-anyone who supports gusanito areleva is a pendejo to the highest degree.
(gusanito areleva, what people think is minuscule to your fork tongue and your actions, or lack there of. They truly stand alone, you psuedo intellect)
April 8th, 2010 at 3:58 pm
Joaquin’s Evasion!
April 8th, 2010 at 7:58 pm
Like I mentioned before, no one is laughing pendejo.
April 9th, 2010 at 8:32 am
Joaquin: You treat La Voz de Aztlan as a legitimate website when its a vile place of hatred on the internet that twists the facts. You have an arrogant assumption that raza overwhelmingly backs that pendejo site and your idiotic rants here (where’s your support?) Your level of self-delusion is hilarious!
The South Central Farmers disavowed La Voz’s meddling in their fight to save the farm. Your crush Karina Garcia is also a member of the Answer Coalition and has spoken at events organized by its affiliate Party for Socialism and Liberation. Both orgs have progressive positions on LGBT rights. I’m sure that busts your bubble.
Maybe you could email her tambien with Agustin’s assertion that feminism is a CIA ploy to divide movements! I’m sure she’d be all for that notion! (yeah right)
April 9th, 2010 at 11:21 am
La Voz de Pendejos and their “beautiful brown people” were the people who destroyed the South Central Farm:
http://blogs.ocweekly.com/navelgazing/the-hilarious-haters/la-voz-de-aztlan-trying-to-era/
REALLY for raza there!
April 10th, 2010 at 6:29 pm
There you go again ranting idiotically with your fork tongue, gusanito areleva. Your analysis about who was responsible for destroying the South Central Farm is truly stuck at the junior high school level. I’m sure Mr. Horowitz and the rest of your non-Chicano supporters are pleased to stroke your back while resting on their lap, pendejo. Spoken like a true vendido.
Check the archives of KPFK pendejos and you will discover that the struggle for the South Central Farm was first exposed on La Causa en el Aire with an interview done in Spanish with a mother who was an original member of the farm.
April 10th, 2010 at 9:43 pm
Only gusanito areleva would believe that a millionaire of Horowitz caliber would truly be concerned of so-called personal attacks when negotiating a business deal amounting to millions of dollars in profit, and only his non-Chicano supporters would publish such trash. PENDEJO! It is obvious that you’re ignorant to the teachings of capitalism 101…How was it that you earned a Masters Degree in Latin American Studies from UCLA?..And you had the arrogance to call a lawyer a pendejo, please. You better begin to check yourself, you psuedo intellect, or I will have to continue to expose you for who you really are, anus fool.
Viva the South Central Farm!
April 11th, 2010 at 6:44 am
Oops, El Gordo del Pueblo emerges again! Horowitz himself said the final straw was the anti-Semitic rhetoric thrown his way—and the only person stupid enough to do that was Hector Carreon! And gracias for making the connection between La Causa and La Voz de Pendejos even more transparent! Aren’t ya glad we got them off the air! Wonder how the Cal Bar would feel that you pal around with such scum…or shall we bring back the Facebook status update insinuating you think “traitors” should be shot?
April 11th, 2010 at 8:27 am
Here’s another one for Joaquin’s Evasion:
The SCF, in an open letter to Horowitz, referred to La Voz in the following manner: “By using Google, we did locate an outside website which had commentary that we believe was inappropriate and should not be condoned. This website has no connection with the South Central Farmers.”
“Inappropriate” “Should not be condoned” “No Connection”
Can you follow up your mindless “Vivas” with such words of condemnation? It will be hard since you find La Voz to be legitimate and condonable.
April 11th, 2010 at 8:35 am
Ps, Joaquin’s Evasion: Be sure to check those same KPFK archives for when La Causa had Carreon on as a legitimate political commentator!
April 11th, 2010 at 11:57 am
gusanito areleva, there you go again ranting idiotically with your fork tongue…And who did you pal around with while idle on school grounds back in 1994 when hundreds of our young Chicano leaders throughout Aztlan took the fight to the streets against prop. 187? It is obvious that after 15 years you still pal around with them and I’m sure people like Mr. Howoritz and the rest of your non-Chicano supports are truly pleased with that, pendejo. Enjoying their strokes, while they publish your trash?
Hey , gusanito areleva, as a pseudo intellect of Latin American Studies you wouldn’t know that Fidel Castro and Che Guevara are considered international heroes even after they were known for getting ride of traitors. What is your perspective on these heroes? I would like for you to respond quickly so that I could inform the UCLA committee. Please do not evade the question.
April 11th, 2010 at 12:30 pm
Evasion! Just as predicted.
April 11th, 2010 at 2:29 pm
I couldn’t agree with you more about gusanito areleva, Mr. admin. I also want him to stop evading and side stepping the truth about who he really is.
April 11th, 2010 at 4:14 pm
…says the king of evasions. Say hola to Hector for us, and tell him to stop harassing those Long Beach State Chicanas with his anti-lesbian insanity!
April 12th, 2010 at 10:55 am
Yep, it’s there for all to see. Joaquin’s Evasion can’t reconcile the distance between his blind love for La Voz and the SCF’s letter of condemnation. Instead he poses an unrelated question about Fidel and Che. Evasion!
April 12th, 2010 at 10:08 pm
tellum a, tellum! such an anus fool. But don’t worry gusanito areleva I’ll make sure to tell Hector about your fork tongue and your idiotic rants since that’s all you’re good for, pendejo.
By the way pendejo, here on don payaso’z website, you evaded a posting for over three months which mentioned your evasion of the student walk-outs against prop. 187 by staying idle on Anaheim High School, and still you have not denied it.
April 13th, 2010 at 12:29 am
Only gusanito areleva would refuse to walk-out against prop. 187 while knowing that his father crossed the border in the trunk of a car. You are such a pendejo to evade honoring your own father knowing that he risked his life. gusanito areleva must be condemned by all including his own father por traicionero.
Fidel Castro and Che Guevara are known as international heroes for getting rid of traitors. What is your perspective about these heroes, gusanito areleva?
April 13th, 2010 at 1:02 am
Again with the anus fool! Were you also part of the pendejos who harassed those poor Chicanas at Long Beach State, posting Hector’s anti-homophobic rants? Probably, coward of a pendejo. Don’t be surprised if the Cal Bar calls you soon…
April 13th, 2010 at 11:06 am
Joaquin’s Evasion is still avoiding the SCF/La Voz challenge!
April 13th, 2010 at 5:32 pm
There you go again gusanito areleva striking with your fork tongue and spewing idiotic accusations, you rata. Although, I must say that it’s fitting for this website since don payasoz continues to embrace you from behind as spicy hot political commentary. You guys are such anus fools!
(Your father knows who the really coward is, gusanito areleva)
April 13th, 2010 at 6:53 pm
Another Evasion! I’m beginning to think you just can’t reconcile the SCF distancing themselves and denouncing the screeds of your favorite website! hahaha. (and people are laughing)
April 13th, 2010 at 8:45 pm
“Idiotic accusations,” Jaime? Hector just rambled about Long Beach State Chicanas and their “sapphic” tendencies, thereby denigrating the very “beautiful brown people” you so claim to defend! Will you denounce that pendejo? Of course not, because your commitment to true progressive Chicanismo is about as strong as that of Lou Dobbs! HAHAHAHA!
April 14th, 2010 at 1:44 am
Go ahead and call us names and think what you want about Joaquin’s Revenge…but we know for a fact that your perspective of true progressive Chicanismo is to strike with your fork tongue and call our Educational Chicano Leaders Aztec Al Qaeda, call our beautiful brown people ignorant while you rant idiotically on the airwaves of KPFK, claim that Jim Gilchrist is not a racist, even though they murdered a father and a daughter in Arizona, refused to walk-out against prop. 187, denigrate your own father by joking about his experience crossing the border in the trunk of a car, and be ignorant to the teachings of Capitalism 101 by believing that Mr. Horowitz had his feelings hurt while negotiating a business deal worth millions of dollars in profit. The truth is pendejo that your so-called commitment to progressive Chicanismo is equivalent to meaningless spicy hot political commentary, which can be found on don payaso’z website. Enjoy resting on Lou Dobbs lap while he strokes you, pendejo? Such an anus fool.
I guess I will be expecting your name calling soon, such as homophobic, Evasion, Gordo, etc., etc., etc. Since that’s all you have against Joaquin’s Revenge.
April 14th, 2010 at 7:03 am
EVADE EVADE EVADE