Vanessa Bush, the executive editor of Essence magazine, said the magazine has a long record of condemning rap artists who engage in misogyny, but some have criticized the magazine for inviting some of those same artists to perform at its annual music festival.
“I don’t believe in creating censorship,” said Bush. “This could be an opportunity for a teaching moment. We have to give artists the opportunity to evolve and grow.”
The Rev. Al Sharpton, who led the effort to get Imus fired, has established a Decency Initiative through his civil rights group, the National Action Network. The group aims to urge consumers not to purchase records that “offend us or dehumanize us based on race, gender or any other category.”
Tamika Mallory, who is spearheading Sharpton’s initiative, said boycotting all hip-hop music is not a viable alternative either.
“It’s about closing the gap,” said Mallory, a 27-year-old hip-hop fan. “It’s about helping hip-hop to grow. Killing hip-hop is not the answer.”
--Jamal Watson
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