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This Week in MMTC's Social Justice Newsletter
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In this issue, we share with you several reflections by legal professionals and MMTC summer fellows:
- Hon. Rodney E. Slater, former U.S. Secretary of Transportation and partner at Squire Patton Boggs: "July Fourth: Frederick Douglass found hope in our Declaration of Independence. So can we."
- Donna Rattley Washington, telecommunications attorney and advocate: "Why We Must Expand the Definition of K-12 to Include the Internet and Computer for Every Child"
- MMTC Fellow Robert Gallinar: "Reflection on Black Lives Matter Movement"
- MMTC Fellow Ashton Hampton: "Black Lives Matter Movement Reflections"
- MMTC Fellow Nick Owen: "My Reflections on the Black Lives Matter Movement"
We have included the following resources:
- MMTC partner Verizon has created a Race & Social Justice Toolkitto provide a foundation for educating people about racism and equipping them with tools to understand, engage in meaningful dialogue, and take steps to bring about real and sustainable change.
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MMTC Santana Initiative's Guide to Recording Video
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July Fourth: Frederick Douglass found hope in our Declaration of Independence. So can we.
by Hon. Rodney E. Slater
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The op-ed was originally published in USA Today on July 4, 2020.
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On July 5, 1852, almost 10 years prior to the Emancipation Proclamation, Frederick Douglass delivered perhaps his most fiery and eloquent denunciation of patriotic hypocrisy. In a speech given one day after the celebration of July Fourth - Independence Day - Douglass posed the heart-wrenching question, " What to the Slave is the Fourth of July?" Douglass went on to declare, "This Fourth (of) July is yours, not mine. You may rejoice, I must mourn."
Forty days after the brutal killing of George Floyd, America will pause to celebrate the 244th anniversary of the original promise of life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness made on July 4, 1776. As we approach this milestone, millions of Americans, of all races, are echoing Douglass' bold question: "Are the great principles of political freedom and of natural justice, embodied in that Declaration of Independence, extended to us?"
Douglass minced no words in calling out the contradictions of a nation that pounded its chest as a champion of freedom, while enslaving an entire race and pounding their dreams into dust. But speaking truth to power did not make Frederick Douglass a bitter man.
Read the full article here.
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Why We Must Expand the Definition of K-12 to Include the Internet and Computer for Every Child
by Donna Rattley Washington
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About the Author: Donna Rattley Washington is a telecommunications attorney and advocate.
The blog post was originally published on June 22, 2020, on Medium.com.
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Before the coronavirus pandemic turned the world upside down, Ashante Aponte, a bright 13-year-old from Washington, D.C., had a predictable after-school routine. Three times a week around 3:30 p.m., her mother Frances picked her up from school, along with her 12-year old brother Francisco, and made a swift path to the local public library.
Their mission, though, was not so much to find a great book to read; it was to use the library's computer and the Internet. Whether for a group project, a science project, book summary, or extra math practice - Ashante did the work at the library because, like nine million other K-12 students in the United States, she had no computer or Internet at home. By some measures, Ashante and her family were fortunate. Their public library always seemed to have enough computers, and Ashante felt safe with her mother at her side. But many other students have no public library close to their homes, or they have one but the computers are scarce, or the hours inconvenient, or it's simply not safe. Of course, now, the libraries, and other locations with access to Wi-Fi are closed. Read the full blog post here.
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Reflection on Black Lives Matter Movement
by MMTC Fellow Robert Gallinar
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About the Author: Robert Gallinar, MMTC fellow, is a rising second-year student at Florida International University (FIU) College of Law. Gallinar is a recipient of the Dean's Merit Scholarship, and he serves on the Real Property, Probate, and Trust Law Executive Board; FIU Law Negotiation and Mediation Team; International Law Students Association; and Business Law Society Executive Board.
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Before attending college, I never seriously considered the Black Lives Matter movement as an important cause I could get behind. I came from a small bubble, without a single African-American student in my grade. I didn't think about topics like Black Lives Matter because I did not see the relevance to me, even though I am a minority.
However, after attending college in Ohio, I was exposed to a wide variety of people, including several African-American friends that I made. I got to know them very well and they remain some of my good friends today. Getting to know them changed my entire perspective on America and the unfortunate environments some people are subject to on a daily basis. I had never known anything as such growing up in Miami, only surrounded by Hispanics like myself. In 2015, after the Black Lives Matter movement was widespread, I had deep conversations with one of my African-American friends who was now my roommate. He explained to me his experiences living in Ohio. He told me how he had moved neighborhoods twice. Why? Because whenever he would go for a jog or walk around his neighborhood, police officers would ask for his ID. When he asked why, he was told that he hadn't been seen in the neighborhood before. He couldn't put up a fight or deny the officer's request. If he were to contest this request, it would only make life more difficult for him and his family. I was one of my few friends that went away and had to make entirely new friends in college. I am thankful for the opportunity and exposure that I received to the epidemic of racism outside my bubble. I am thankful because exposure to the media has not and cannot replace the anecdotes that I heard when I went to college. I see myself in a position to spread awareness and make an impact even though it may just be among my circle of friends. I hope that my message and my exposure will be passed along to those that need to hear about the prevalence of racism but are reluctant in believing media.
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Black Lives Matter Movement Reflections
by MMTC Fellow Ashton Hampton
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About the Author: Ashton Hampton, MMTC Fellow, is a third-year student at the University of Florida Levin College of Law. Hampton is also a Master of Arts in Mass Communication at the University of Florida College of Journalism and Communications. She has co-authored two law review articles as a Graduate Research Fellow for the Marion B. Brechner First Amendment Project. As a graduate research assistant at the Brechner Center for Freedom of Information, she also investigated First Amendment issues of public access and analyzed developments in media law and policy. Currently, she serves as Vice President of the Intellectual Property and Technology Law Association and Vice President for Entertainment of the Entertainment and Sports Law Society.
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One of the beauties of young minds is their malleability. Children soak up information like sponges. It is not surprising that studies have shown the years between age 1 to 5 to be integral to skill-building and developmental growth. Any parent will tell you they are frequently plagued with questions from their children. Kids just want to learn everything they can about the world around them, and who can blame them? There is certainly much to learn. Though I asked my fair share of dumb questions growing up, I can attest to one thing I learned very early in life: the importance of perspective.
I attended a local public school from kindergarten through fifth grade. Being so young, I was at first oblivious to the fact that I was a minority among the student body. As I grew, I began to take notice that my pale skin starkly contrasted the deeper tones of the children around me. I remember how badly I wanted to look like my classmates. I was especially envious of the other little girls whose hair was intricately woven into perfect rows of tight braids tied at the ends with decorative beads that clacked and jingled when they moved. Despite my physical differences, the other students welcomed me with open arms, and I formed friendships that continue to surpass the test of time. School was not the only place I stood out. As a child, I liked to think that my family was woven together like a patchwork quilt. My father, aunt, uncle, stepmother, and two of my cousins were adopted.
To strangers, our swatches of light and dark fabric were clearly not cut from the same cloth. But even though we did not enter this world as a family naturally, life eventually stitched us into one. Every Sunday, my aunt, uncle, cousins, and I would attend church together. Our Baptist Church was the largest in town. On any given Sunday there would easily be around 3,000 people in the stadium-sized worship space. I remember the fervor of the pastor, a mere ant at the pulpit three stories below our seats. The most memorable element of church was the choir that sat suspended in tiers above the main floor. My mee-maw was a lifetime member. I would admire her long, turquoise gown and shimmering sleeves in the dressing room before each service. Once in my seat, I would scan the sea of blue until I spied her blonde curls. She was not hard to find as hers was one of only a few white faces among the hundred singers. I loved to watch them all shimmy and sway in time to the music. Each service was a spectacle and it was nearly impossible to sit still. The ambiance of that church made every fiber of my being want to clap, dance, and sing along.
I was unaware at the time, but year after year these experiences shaped me into the person I am today. Throughout my childhood, I was picking up on differences between myself and those around me and forming opinions of the world and how it should work. In school, I learned that my greatest lessons were forged on the playground, not in the classroom. At home, I was blessed with opportunities to ask difficult questions of the members of my patchwork family. I grew up proud of our varied roots, recognizing that our differences both distinguish and bring us together. In church, I learned much more about love, mercy, and faith from the congregation than the sermons. My upbringing gave me a gift I fear too few people experience in their early years: perspective. I was fortunate as a child to experience the world from more than one point of view. In light of the Black Lives Matter Movement, I pray that people tap back into the unbridled curiosity they had as children and try to look at the world with fresh eyes. Above all, my experiences taught me that we cannot curb bias until we openly expose ourselves to new perspectives.
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My Reflections on the Black Lives Matter Movement
by MMTC Fellow Nick Owen
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About the Author: Nick Owen, MMTC Fellow, is a rising third-year student at the University of Florida Levin College of Law. Owen was awarded the Governor's Scholarship and is a member of the Journal of Technology Law and Policy.
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I've sat for over an hour gathering my thoughts on this topic, and yet I still have an empty page. What is my experience with racism? An empty page. What is my experience with police misconduct? An empty page. What is my experience with injustice? An empty page.
As you can probably guess from that, I'm white. Not only am I white, I'm a heterosexual, cis-gendered, white guy with rich parents. "Privileged" does not even begin to describe my life. This makes it awkward to write about the Black Lives Matter (BLM) movement since I lack anything even resembling first-hand knowledge of the problems it seeks to address. Still, I'm thankful for the movement bringing so many examples of injustice to the forefront because I had previously gone nearly thirty years without realizing the severity. Only a fool would have ever thought racism was finished in America, but I had always viewed it as a chronic disease, something that harms but rarely kills. I was wrong. In defense of my ignorance, let me say that it's hard to recognize something you never see. Or to be more accurate, it's hard to recognize something you never notice, as I've likely been a blind witness to countless examples of racial injustice. The greatest personal benefit I've reaped from this movement is vision. Now that these issues are exposed with such clarity, it's much easier to support pushes for specific changes. After all, no reasonable person would disagree with the fundamentals. Racism bad. Equality good. Unfortunately, there's no way to legislate on such general terms. While the current iteration of BLM stands for much more, I greatly appreciate the specificity of the problem from which it was born. "Racism" is too slippery and amorphous to really pin down and eradicate, but pieces of it can be cut off one at a time. Even as I write this, I can't help but feel a sense of imposter syndrome. I imagine many white people feel a similar conflict, torn between the desire to speak out in support of change and a hesitancy to discuss topics we'll never fully understand. Now more than ever is a time when I feel like I should be listening to others, and it's hard to talk and listen at the same time. There's a strange irony in that discussing racial equality is just about the only time I have to think about how people will respond to me based on my race. For me, my race could cause people to disregard a statement. For others, it could get them killed. If that disparity isn't enough to prove the necessity of this movement, I don't know what is, and it's because of BLM that I realize the distinction is reality rather than hyperbole.
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MMTC Partner Verizon Creates
Race & Social Justice Action Toolkit
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 Verizon's Race & Social Justice Toolkit was created to provide a foundation for educating people about racism and equipping them with tools to understand, engage in meaningful dialogue, and take steps to bring about real and sustainable change. The Race & Social Justice Toolkit includes resources to help people learn, take action, and how to become an ally.
Go here to access the Race & Social Justice Toolkit. |
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MMTC Santana Initiative's Guide to Recording Video
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The MMTC Santana Initiative's Guide to Recording Video provides tips on how to responsibly record mobile video of civil rights violations.
Go here to access the guide.
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Help Expand MMTC's Work in Tech, Media & Telecom!
With our nonpartisan values of diversity and inclusion, MMTC continues to pursue our work with great determination notwithstanding our modest resources. We offer our sincere appreciation for support in helping us deliver our world-class advocacy, convenings, and policy leadership in industries regulated by the Federal Communications Commission.
TO SUPPORT MMTC, YOU CAN DONATE IN TWO WAYS:
- Fellowship: Help the next generation of media and telecom lawyers and policy professionals to advocate on behalf of our nation's multicultural, women, and underserved communities by investing in the new Henry M. Rivera Fellowship. Other fellowships you are invited to support are the Cathy Hughes and Earle K. Moore fellowships.
- General: Make a donation to general support.
MMTC is recognized by the IRS under 26 U.S.C. ยง501(c)(3). All contributions are tax-deductible.
Your support makes it possible for MMTC to serve as an advocate for diversity, inclusion and equal opportunity in the nation's most important industries. Thank You!
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The Multicultural Media, Telecom and Internet Council (MMTC) is a non-partisan, national nonprofit organization dedicated to promoting and preserving equal opportunity in the tech, media, and telecom industries, and closing the digital divide. MMTC is generally recognized as the nation's leading advocate for multicultural advancement in communications. We strongly believe that the breathtaking changes in communications technology and the new global forms of media partnerships must enhance diversity in the 21st century.
About MMTC Media & Telecom Brokers
As the nation's only nonprofit media and telecom brokerage, we invest time and effort in training a new generation of media and telecom entrepreneurs. Our brokerage services have expanded to include consulting. So please think of us if you have a client or a friend looking to enter the broadcast business that needs a seasoned brokerage firm. We are dedicated to our cause of promoting diverse broadcast ownership in media, telecom, and tech.
Want to learn more about MMTC Media & Telecom Brokers? Contact Suzanne Gougherty at sgougherty@mmtconline.org or David Honig at dhonig@mmtconline.org.
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