What's Going On ?

Recently, the opening lyrics of Marvin Gaye's Classic song "What's Going On" have been on my mind. In Chicago over the weekend news of violence, violence and more violence dominated the top stories and the violence continued during the week with a UPS driver being shot in an attempted robbery. In the past two years nearly 40 innocent teenagers have lost their lives.
What's Going On?

Mother, mother
There's too many of you crying
Brother, brother, brother
There's far too many of you dying
You know we've got to find a way
To bring some lovin' here today.

What's Going On? Donnie Hathaway's Live Version is echoing in my mind too. Where is the good music on the radio when it's needed? Where is radio when you need it? The current wave of violence is not as important as the Jena 6? Oh, you mean death to innocent young people is not enough for Steve, Tom, Doug, Rickey and other syndicated show hosts to talk about. Radio being all over everywhere at the same time makes radio very ineffective in the local situations of Chicago, Detroit, Washington, Cleveland, and other metro areas because their focus has to be on national issues and millions of listeners. And no one in the local communities ever complains that they can't even hear the correct time mornings on the radio? The radio host always gives the time as so many minutes after the hour. A blind person listening to the radio will never know the correct time of day.

Whats Going On? The local issues are gone!

Back in the day, WVON the Black Giant, had a series of public service announcements called "Operation Crime Stop." They were only one minute in length and helped to stop some of the nonsense that occurred in the Black Community of Chicago. Radio cared then. Today the life or well being of a listener is not worth 60 seconds. Wow, look how far we have fallen.

One day last week a former student of mine wrote "Black Homicide is a pandemic in our communities and it needs to stop. We have died in vain long enough and I am sick of it. This country was built on the Blood, Sweat, and Tears of our ancestors. Everytime I read a story of the senseless violence in the black communities it makes me wonder, why? Everytime we do something ignorant that hurts the whole community I wonder, why? We need this crap to stop. It starts with the man or woman in the mirror then our families and communities.

Black Radio and Radio take a good look at yourself.

The Prime Minister.