what do rkelly and dave matthews have in common

[pattbateman]

they are both up for naacp image awards!!

Dave Matthews Band to Get NAACP Award

Tuesday, January 27, 2004

LOS ANGELES — Dave Matthews Band (search) will receive the special Chairman's Award at the upcoming NAACP Image Awards (search) for its devotion to social and environmental causes and its "dignified representation of people of color," the civil rights group has announced.

With the awards, the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People honors people and companies that support positive change for people of color in arts and entertainment. The honor will be bestowed at the March 6 awards ceremony in Los Angeles. Fox will broadcast the program on March 11.

The racially mixed music group includes drummer Carter Beauford, bassist Stefan Lessard, vocalist-guitarist Dave Matthews, saxophonist Leroi Moore and violinist Boyd Tinsley.

NAACP Board Chairman Julian Bond, who chose the group for the special award, praised band members for their distinguished service to social causes and dignified representation of people of color.

"Dave Matthews Band demonstrated what commitment means in an artist. With their music and their generosity, they have made a difference in the lives of many," Bond said. "To see and hear them is to recognize great talent; to learn of their good deeds is to recognize they are good souls."

Dave Matthews Band released a statement Sunday saying, "It is a great honor to us that an institution with the history and accomplishments of the NAACP has chosen to recognize our actions. We will always greatly value this award."

The group's Bama Works Foundation has donated millions of dollars in grants to a variety of groups around the world, including conservation organizations for the Amazon rain forest, family farmers, youth community clubs and AIDS charities.

Previous NAACP Chairman's Award recipients include actor Danny Glover (search), cartoonist Aaron McGruder and singer-actress Janet Jackson.

R. KELLY NOT SUITABLE FOR IMAGE AWARDS: NAACP meets with opposition over nomination.

by J.C. Brooks

R. Kelly

(Jan. 23, 2004) *In 1999, the NAACP led a crusade to rid Hollywood of its seemingly anti-affirmative action policies that keep African Americans from in front of as well as behind the cameras.

This war against Hollywood's "code" gave notice to the nation's networks of the organization's vision in reference to images on the small and big screens.

As the 35th Annual NAACP Image Awards is prepared to launch on March 11, their mission statement is called to task. The NAACP states in a press release regarding the event.

"The annual NAACP Image Awards are given to those who strive for the portrayal of positive images and meaningful opportunities for African-Americans in motion pictures, television, literature and recording."

Some find all of this disturbing as R. Kelly is nominated for an Image Award this year. Our Lee Bailey caught up with Kweisi Mfume, president and CEO of the more than 90 year old organization at the announcements of this year's Image Awards. The civil rights organization leader gave insight into the success of increasing the African American presence in Hollywood.

"As we have chronicled in our report, [there is] a significant measurable amount of progress on television in respect to recurring and regular roles," explained Mfume. "But there's much more to do there in terms of upper echelon management …"

Mfume continued by detailing his ideas on why the action taken on behalf of the organization is so important.

"Television and movies are the most dominant mediums known to mankind. They shake people's thoughts. They give ideas. They set the standards and in many respects replicate and report on what's happening," said Mfume. "So if there's not change there or if there's bad images or incorrect images as a group we all suffer from that."

The civil rights President and CEO then spoke directly to what has become negative press concerning the nomination of R. Kelly for an Image Award.

"It is not he that is being nominated, it is the album by him," he clarified. "It's a soulful album. I think it's going to be accepted by people in different ways."

He continued by saying, "One good thing about this process is that it's not driven by myself or Julian Bond. It's the members of the NAACP nationwide that vote for the nominees in the categories and has been the case in previous years."

"It's also important to note that just because you're nominated does not mean, at the end of the day, you'll win."

But now it seems that these views are contradicted by those who see the nomination of R. Kelly for an Image Award as negative. Today at Noon, the organization will meet with heavy adversity as a coalition of civil rights organizations and leaders will hold a press conference at the NAACP Image Awards headquarters on Wilshire Blvd in Los Angeles, to announce their opposition to singer R-Kelly receiving an NAACP Image award nomination. They are also threatening to boycott and protest the upcoming NAACP Image Awards.

The supporters of this action include: Civil rights leader Min. Bamani Obadele of Chicago, Illinois; The National Alliance for Positive Action; Project Islamic HOPE; Core; and The National Action Network.

"Singer R- Kelly has been charged by the federal government with 21 counts of sexual misconduct involving minors. The purpose of the NAACP Image Awards is to honor African Americans who have a positive image. R-Kelly was videotaped having sex with a 13-year-old girl and then urinating in her face. Our coalition believes that R-Kelly does not have the positive image that the image award founders intended there nominees to have," said Minister Bamani Obadele of Chicago, Illinois in a written statement.

Along with these organizations, syndicated columnist Mychal Massie spoke out about the R. Kelly nomination to Bill O'Reilly on his show the O'Reilly Factor, Wednesday, January 14.

Bill O'Reilly started the discussion with saying, "I'm just shocked. I guess they feel that Kelly is a victim of racism, even though we've seen the videotapes of him with underage girls."

Mychal Massie, who is also a member of a conservative African American group called Project 21 responded to O'Reilly saying, "[R. Kelly] has a propensity for having sex with teenage girls and there allegedly is a long history of this going on and for the NAACP to reward him with a nomination is offensive on its face."

The columnist continued by saying, "I should add that Hollywood professionals, industry professionals across the country are involved in the nomination process."

O'Reilly and Massie went on in this way discussing the "sinister" intent of the organization and how it is undermining the minorities it claims to serve.

"The NAACP has got to see that it is becoming radicalized in the view of many Americans," said O'Reilly. "I wanna get inside their thinking. They haven't taken a stand against gangster rap and everybody knows what pernicious influence that has been on minority children. And now, they're glorifying a guy who very well may be guilty of child rape and who is very well going to go to prison."

O'Reilly went as far as to say, "The message [the NAACP] is sending to the children is 'If you're black it's okay' or something like that."

Massie then countered with, "This is about image. It's about positive images. It's about making meaningful opportunities for minorities. And I don't see how taking someone who has been allegedly involved in this type of lifestyle, we have videotapes that are now selling on corners across the nation for $10, for them to take this and honor this gentleman as something of substance for young people to look up to is just offensive. It shows how far fallen the NAACP is."

The two of them came to the consensus that ultimately the NAACP is leading the nation's minority children to their downfall. O'Reilly went as far as to pose the question to Massie, "Why isn't there an outcry from the black community? Certainly, most African Americans cannot admire a guy like R. Kelly. They simply cannot."

Massie concluded the discussion saying, "That's an excellent question. I can only respond to that to say there is an animus in the black community -- the inner city black community-against the white community or that which is viewed as the establishment that defies understanding and allows for the acceptance of that which is harmful to the children, the family … which leads to a detrimental lifestyle."

Supporters against the nomination for R. Kelly will meet today, so we'll keep you abreast on the developments of the proposed boycott and/or protest against the award show.

[djprotege]

Good for DMB! I've been a fan of theirs for years. Heard this news the other day and my friend was like, why the hell are they up for that award, they dont play black music.

No, they pretty much dont, but 3/5ths of the band are brothas. The NAACP has always comended the DMB for their promoting black artists in other ways then the sterotypes.

[djprotege]

Good for DMB! I've been a fan of theirs for years. Heard this news the other day and my friend was like, why the hell are they up for that award, they dont play black music.

No, they pretty much dont, but 3/5ths of the band are brothas. The NAACP has always comended the DMB for their promoting black artists in other ways then the sterotypes.

[pattbateman]

cause half their band is black they get an award on that sole reason that is retarded

what if i gave a band an award for being a white majority???

and if black people voted on a band i can promise you DMB would not even make the list

[siceone]

This is a Farce Fuck the NAACP they have done nothing for black people in the last decade

[jamiroguy1]

Originally posted by siceone

This is a Farce Fuck the NAACP they have done nothing for black people in the last decade

I guess the millions of dollars of scholarships awarded to black students in the last decade is nothing, huh?

[druwishprincez]

Its cause dave matthews rocks! Hes all about helping...I love him! :-D