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BET Refused To Air 2015 Million Man March To Avoid Offending White Viewers

Black Entertainment Television recently came under fire for not airing the Million Man March?s 20th year reunion held in Washington, D.C. on October 15th. People across social networks expressed their voices against BET?s decision to dismiss this year?s Million Man March. ?It is truly a disgrace that BET would not even acknowledge the Million Man March but they got Nelly Meth smokin? self on the channel? says Twitter member.
This year?s Million Man March marked the 20th year anniversary since the original march took place. Organized by Nation of Islam leader, Louis Farrakhan, men of color gathered together to declare ?Justice Or Else? during a time of police brutality and murders of unarmed black and hispanic men in the recent few months. It was estimated that 1.5 million people participated in the march across D.C.

BET, known as Black Entertainment Television, refuse to acknowledge or air the Million Man March. BET released a statement days later:
We decided not to air the Million Man March beacuse we are working towards racial equality and to end division among whites and blacks. Although we understand the reasoning behind the Million Man March led by the Honorable Minster Louis Farrakhan, we can stand behind a theme that is ?Justice or Else?. The ideology behind the theme encourages violence towards whites and we do not condone violent acts of terror against whites or any other races. We started as a black entertainment television company but now we have moved forward and we have viewers of the white community we wish not to offend by airing the Million Man March?
After releasing their explanation, BET insiders have told us that they have received hundreds of hate mail and many have threatened to boycott the channel. ?I don?t see what the problem is. White people are our biggest audience and I think it would be idiotic for to offend them. We as blacks should stop walking around with chips on our shoulders and stop being sensitive. Why focus so much on race when our president is a brother? says BET producer, Jarvis Robinson.

[yummy]

White people are our biggest audience and I think it would be idiotic for to offend them.

n

wow

[Herb.]

I'm torn on this one.

Based on this article, I can understand why BET may be moving toward a more neutral (but not necessarily totally neutral) stance on something like this. But I have to do my own research on what this Million March stands for before I can totally be for or against this move.
I'm quite sure it's about more than encouraging violence against white people.

[Plank]

.

[Lazarus]

Smh. Ever since Debra Lee took over shit ain't been the same

[Cartierline]

White people are our biggest audience and I think it would be idiotic for to offend them.

n

wow

wow is it called WET? 

[BigDawg]

That is disgusting

[BigDawg]

White people are our biggest audience and I think it would be idiotic for to offend them.

n

wow

J

Since when 

[Herb.]

It would make sense that the majority of viewers are white.
I mean look how many of them support hip hop, etc.
White people luh us lolz

for entertainment

[yummy]

I'm torn on this one.

Based on this article, I can understand why BET may be moving toward a more neutral (but not necessarily totally neutral) stance on something like this. But I have to do my own research on what this Million March stands for before I can totally be for or against this move.
I'm quite sure it's about more than encouraging violence against white people.

Yeah they basically minimized the entire movement to a violent act of terror against the few hundred white people who occasionally watch a movie rerun on BET.

And that producer's statement is too silly to even acknowledge.

[SUPREME]

Well they're owned by whites

[Lane Bryant Jumpsuit]

I dont see how this new march is offensive even the original got national coveragesl

Smh blacks get on my nerves

[GYNandTONIC]

They are owned by whites so I have no expectation from BET. However, stating that we have a black president as a defense for not airing is a lousy excuse, especially when race issues has been worst since Obama took office. I understand they want to have a more diversified audience but you still carry the name "Black Entertainment". So as long as that name sticks, covering issues in black culture should still be its misson. If not simply change the name.

What Ive summed up from this statement is simple. Whites are not offended when they see you at the worst end of hip hop culture. Be as hood, ghetto, ratchet as you like because they tune in for that! But.....seeing you uniformed, standing for something, speaking with intelligence and about real issues may make them tune away.

They need to understand the difference between support and covering. You can cover a story and remain neutral. N after explain why you dont support.

[Herb.]

I'm torn on this one.

Based on this article, I can understand why BET may be moving toward a more neutral (but not necessarily totally neutral) stance on something like this. But I have to do my own research on what this Million March stands for before I can totally be for or against this move.
I'm quite sure it's about more than encouraging violence against white people.

Yeah they basically minimized the entire movement to a violent act of terror against the few hundred white people who occasionally watch a movie rerun on BET.

And that producer's statement is too silly to even acknowledge.

I honestly think BET is eventually going to simply acknowledge its acronym and drop what it actually stands for .  I see it headed in that direction. And honestly I can understand that. We're no longer in a time where blacks are scarce on TV. But we have yet to see whether this whole wave of black sitcoms and dramas is simply a trend or not.

They need to give it 5-10 more years before they start ripping pieces of black out of BET.

[Stewie]

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