Omowale Clay Candidate Statement
I am seeking re-election to the Local Station Board with the WBAI Justice and Unity Campaign (www.justiceunity.org). I have been a human rights activist for most of my adult life, believing in the need for the Black community to aggressively build institutions and alliances that strengthen our struggle for human rights. I’ve been privileged to be a guest on various WBAI programs to get out the word. As a strong supporter of the station, I stood up against the infamous “Christmas Coup” in 2000 that tried to co-opt the station into corporate/mainstream politics. I spoke around the city to keep WBAI an independent voice against all forms of oppression, corruption, and racism.
Now WBAI faces a different threat -- opposition board members who use vicious rumor-mongering and unsubstantiated charges of corruption and incompetence to chip away at the hard-won inclusion of strong Black community advocates in station management and programming. Justice & Unity and I will continue to stand steadfast against this.
I've been a lifelong resident of Southeast Queens. I have a Master’s in Urban Planning. My professional life has been challenging, having worked 15 years in housing advocacy and 11 years at a major NYC hospital, first focusing on youth internships and now human resources.
But my most rewarding experiences come from my commitment to empower the Black community in attaining all our human rights. I was a key organizer for U.S. Black participation in several international conferences: World Conference Against Racism (South Africa); United Nations Women's Conference (China); African Union (Ethiopia); and nationally, National Rally for Reparations (D.C.) I’ve worked to get justice for the murder of Sean Bell, an unarmed Black youth shot 50 times by police. I was an organizer of the September 11, 2007, Day of Outrage Against Police Terrorism, which targeted general police terror against the Black community, and, in particular, supported Evelyn and Michael Tarif Warren, two Black lawyers brutalized by the police. I’m a member of the December 12th Movement, Millions for Reparations, Black Men’s Movement Against Crack, and the “Put the Guns Down Campaign,” which seeks to stop the crisis of youth killings within the Black community.
I support the Justice and Unity Campaign’s determined struggle for the soul of WBAI’s political and cultural future. The Pacifica Mission is a forward-looking vision meant to engage its radio stations in a continual struggle to evaluate their relevancy to the battles for justice, equality, and economic progress. Particularly in a time when war, intolerance, racism, and the crushing of civil liberties are on the agenda of a small yet powerful few, it's critical that WBAI not be misdirected.
Therefore, I ask for your vote for me and all the other Justice and
Unity candidates (in this rank order after me):
Tibby Brooks
Lisa Davis
Sara Flounders
Marianela Tricoche
Marian Borenstein
Wellington Echegaray
Bok-keem Nyerere
We resolve to defend the Pacifica Mission, the station, and the people that it serves.
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Show/Hide commentsDo not vote for J&U. They are the reason the station is bankrupt!
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