Attending the annual ESL meeting

Tuesday, January 27, 2009

Hi all, just shooting you a quick update on the ESL annual meeting.
It appears as if ESL had some warning that I might be coming. When I arrived
at 2pm, I was told the meeting was changed to 4pm.In an unprecendented
move,when I returned at 4:05pm I was delayed in the lobby while the
receptionist checked to see if the meeting was still happening.After making
two mysterious calls she waved me through only to have me led to a room
where the meeting was adjourned as I was approaching the room. I stood
outside the door and witnessed one white member after another state as they
passed me" The meetings over" , We are done here".
I did however continue into the room to have a face to face discussion with
the CEO who unfortunately held the party line and took no leadership
whatsover and owned absolutely no responsibility in supporting Lonsberry.

I also had an opportunity to debate the issue with Francine Patella, their
PR person to no avail. It was clear they did not want me there and after a
few minutes security guards called them both out of my presence with some
fabricated story of needing them right away in another meeting.

I don't know how they briefed the room prior to my arrival but, it was clear
they executed a plan to have the shortest annual membership meeting in
history. It lasted all of 10 minutes if that.

One thing was clear. David the CEO said that I had the correct understanding
that myself and other african american members who have accounts at ESL have
no say over how the board and he as a leader chooses to spend our money even
if that means we are paying for our own verbal abuse via their indirect
support of Bob Lonsberry.

It was helpful to me to at least have him speak that position and belief
while he also said he didn't feel that it was ESL's role to take a position
or tell WHAM where to use their advertising dollars.
I reminded him that by allowing WHAM to continue using membership money on
the Lonsberry show and remain silent that they in essence have already taken
a position. They are just choosing not to own the position they have taken.
He also said the WHAM fits with their company's values.These statements
speak volumes about ESL'S committment to the African American community and
it's members.It also speaks volumes to it's lack of committment to the
social justice community in Rochester of many ethnicities and cultures who
strive for a higher existence among all of us.

These kinds of double standards in our business community are more harmful
than not in moving us forward as a unified beloved community. So while on
the one hand ESL boast of donating school supplies to city kids and
supporting programs at the YWCA. They are also perfectly willing to support
verbalized micro agressive attacks of racism, sexism and classism targeting
these same groups of people when they are not a white majority.
I was hoping that the reality that these were children being targeted by
Lonsberry would prompt a different response and mean something. The plight
of black children apparently doesn't mean much to company's like ESL. I am
not discouraged. The ground of change is shifting beneath us and justice for
all children will roll down like a mighty stream very soon.There will come a
time where the color of your skin, your neighborhood or your economic class
will not keep anyone from accessing the privilege of their full humanity.

Stay in the struggle and continue to write letters, blogs,make phone calls
and maintain your ministry of agitation.

Myra Brown
SPARC
Spiritus Anti Racism Coalition
325-1180