As I sit here preparing to board a flight to New York City to appear with Ed Gordon on his BET show, I am left reflecting on the impact of media in the African American community. I spoke today on a separate show about how media shapes our children in so many ways, from how they dress, the language they use, and all that they consider to be important.

Upon deeper reflection, I came to the conclusion that access to media is an important tool for the shaping of black minds and also for the continuation of the Civil Rights movement in America. Without media, Dr. Martin Luther King's March on Washington would never have been witnessed by the world. Without media, the world would never have seen pictures of black folks being attacked by dogs or the children in Little Rock, Arkansas walking into a school house with military guards on both sides of them. There is a reason that black folks should fight for media power, and it's far deeper than just wanting to "get your shine on."


Personally, I knew that in order for me to engage in an effective career of public scholarship, I had to understand media and find ways to use the public platform to share knowledge and critical information with my community. That turned out to be a far more effective way to use all this education than to sit around in my office writing scholarly research papers that almost no one will ever read.

To discuss the impact that media has on the black community, I brought in two guests: Lola Adesioye and Professor Gilda Rogers. Lola is a seasoned veteran of media and has been in the industry for years. Gilda is a professor of African American history. The conversation is below, enjoy!



Dr. Boyce Watkins is the founder of the Your Black World Coalition and a Scholarship in Action Resident of the Institute for Black Public Policy. To have Dr. Boyce commentary delivered to your email, please click here.