Friday, October 05, 2007

What has Michael Baisden done for Charlotte?

As I announced in Paid to Party: Humpday, radio personality Michael Baisden will be holding court at Grand Central on Saturday.

(Comedian George Wilborn and singer Howard Hewett will also perform. Grand Central. $25-$30; $50 for VIP. www.v1019.com.)

Baisden is one of the main people who brought attention to the Jena 6 case in Louisiana by talking about it on his radio program that airs during the afternoon on V101.9.

Baisden and Tom Joyner have used their radio shows to cover stories involving blacks that don’t get mainstream media attention. I’m glad they do, but my problem is with people who get rowdy about injustice in cities far, far away, but don’t care about what’s happening in Charlotte.

We had buses of people flocking to Jena, Louisiana, but how many of these bus riders fight for Charlotte youth? How many volunteer in their local schools or neighborhood groups? How many are as passionate about the treatment of young black youth in Charlotte as they are about kids hundreds of miles away?

Not enough.

Post your thoughts below.