Interview with Michaela Angela Davis
WHITFIELD: Rap and hip-hop, along with their increasing popularity, an increasing trend to push the boundaries when it comes to sex and the depiction of women. Both the lyrics and videos are raw. And some people are beginning to say enough. Essence magazine is taking the discussion public with a year-long campaign called "Take Back the Music." Earlier this week I talked with executive editor Machaela Angela Davis. I asked her if Essence is getting both positive and negative feedback for what it is calling the hypersexuality of the betrayal of women especially African-American women.</s>MICHAELA ANGELA DAVIS, ESSENCE MAGAZINE: So far the support has been overwhelmingly -- the response has been overwhelmingly supportive. There have been so many men, women, children, all ages, all races feeling concerned, and we've just opened up the conversation in a very safe but a very directed way.</s>WHITFIELD: And when you say supportive, supportive of the notion of this conversation or supportive of the images being portrayed.</s>DAVIS: Supportive of the conversation. I think that across the board, even though we have do have varying degrees of concern, everyone's really concerned. Everyone that has responded to us has been a voice of concern about the disproportionate images that objectify women, particularly black women, particularly young women of color. So the support has really been in the name of the campaign, in the name of finding some balance in the way that we're portrayed in mainstream pop urban media.</s>WHITFIELD: So what do you then do with this dialogue? Is the objective to put the owness on someone? Whether it's the industry? Whether it's the artist? Whether it's the women who are allowing themselves to be portrayed this way in some of these videos?</s>DAVIS: Well, Essence has a really rich history in inspiring, educating and empowering women, and black women particularly. So that's really the heart of this program. It's more like an intervention as if we had a loved one that has a problem that we have to address. So we're not pointing any fingers, we're not taking up any picket signs, we're not targeting any artist or any particular record company or executive. However, we are going to direct our readers to take action that they will be able to follow in the magazine and on the Web site and how to inspire, educate and empower themselves to make a change.</s>WHITFIELD: All right. Michaela, let's examine some of the responses that you have already received in your first issue. And this coming from a student, a senior at Spellman College. Moya Bailey writes, "for black women especially, there are not as many choices out there to counteract the video images. I think it's deliberate." She believes that this is intentional. These images. Is it an issue of intent or is it an issue of acceptance?</s>DAVIS: Well, you know, it's a very complicated issue. And we really -- we really know that. And a lot of folks come from very different angles. And Spellman College, as you may have known or maybe some of your audience knows, took a real stand in disinviting Nelly to a concert that they had scheduled, because of a</s>WHITFIELD: And Michaela, but of we run out of time. You have really heard from quite a variety of people in this issue. The artist Ludacris says that the women dancers are mostly to blame and he puts it this way, "I don't mean to depict women in a certain why. The ones who want to shake what their momma gave them are going to do that whether they're in the videos or not." And then you metioned Nelly, the artist. He puts it this way, "I respect women and I'm not a misogynist. I'm an artist. Hip hop videos are art and entertainment. Videos tell stories, some are violet, some are sexy, some are fun, some are serious. As for how women are shown in the videos, I don't have problem with it because it is entertainment." So these artist at least in particular are saying that the women who are involved are just as guilty as those who are producing or directing these videos.</s>DAVIS: Well, you know, that's a very elementary point of view, and particularly coming from young men and that's really who enjoys most of these images to say things like that. Certainly there's always been a small number of women, strippers exotic dancers in the culture, black, white, whatever. And so what we have a problem with is that it's such a narrow view of women of color. Certainly there are some women that have been doing that. However, there are no other images to balance that in the video culture, which is not as controlled as other art forms. Certainly there are films. Certainly there are works of art in galleries and museums which are controlled kind of environment. The environment in which something is set really sets the tone, and any child can turn on the TV and see this.</s>WHITFIELD: Bottom of the hour now. Here's what's happening now in the news. Thousands of military personnel descended on Washington today. All there for dress rehearsal of Thursday's inaugural parade. A stand-in was used in for President Bush. During the actual inauguration, security will be even tighter. Police are planning to shut down more than 100 blocks for the event. Iraq's interim prime minister Ayad Allawi is seeking the youth vote. He campaigned in Baghdad University and told students, he had just allocated $100 million for education grants and scholarships. The Iraqi and U.S. officials insist the country's elections will be held January 30th despite escalating insurgent violence. And relief is on the way for several Californian counties hit hard by last week's storms. Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger has declared a state of emergency in seven more counties. Those communities will now be eligible for state relief funds. America is remembering the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther king weekend. The King Center in Atlanta is commemorating the 40th anniversary of his acceptance of the Noble Peace Prize. Yesterday, in an interview with talk show host, Tava Smiley, Coretta Scott King reminisced about her marriage. Hundreds of people filled the historic Embonese Baptist Church to listen in. And in Columbus Georgia yesterday, the Reverend Jesse Jackson was among 8,000 people to honor Dr. King's legacy and to remember the 2003 shooting death of an unarmed African-American man by a deputy. And tomorrow night CNN "News Night" is running Dr. King's "I Have a Dream Speech" in its entirety. That's tomorrow at 10:00 Eastern, 7:00 Pacific. Still standing after nature nature's fury, coming up it is what some are calling the biggest miracle of all. This is one tsunami survival story you haven't seen. You will on the other side of this break.