I am on vacation(sort of..) and checked my messages at the office... It was Jacquie Stephens... letting me know she had resigned....
wow....
Jacquie Stephens no longer a part of the KJLH landscape... In the final analysis, this is not a bad thing because life now requires her to focus on taking care of her mom back in Chicago... This is the circle of life...
The voicemail gave me pause and brought me back to a recent conversation Jacquie and I had.. We were talking about all the battles we have fought together... The exclusive view of our community that she and I shared... so many conflicts, so many issues, and there we were together on those Saturday Morning live broadcasts.. giving the community a front row seat to what we were seeing... 
When I first came to KJLH, it was with Jacquie that I witnessed my first community protest up close and personal. Organized protest that is... I saw the Civil Disturbance of 1992, but I did not work at KJLH then... It was with Jacquie Stephens that I saw first hand the vital importance of KJLH to the inner urban community.
It was 1998. Police responded to a call from Tyisha Miller's cousin that she was asleep, locked in her car with a handgun... Police shot 23 times, 12 of which hit and killed Tyisha... after they thought she reached for the weapon... The community was in an uproar... Calls flooded the radio station...The early morning program Front Page as the immediate barometer of the community's angst... Jacquie reported all day long as statements and calls came in and listeners kept it locked to learn real news about the issue.
Although I handle the marketing of the station, I have a nose for news and journalism, just by virtue of my training. .And so I'm always in the newsroom sharing information with Jacquie, discussing perspectives, etc... We hear that a protest is planned in Downtown Los Angeles in preparation and mobilization to a protest in Riverside to be held later....
Jacquie says "Greg J., let's go down for a bit to see what's going on...." And so we went. I remember Dick Gregory, various politicians and community activists and even Kim Fields (who up until that point I only knew her television career, I never knew she was an activist or even cared for the community) all giving passionate speeches about police brutality and how we should take action to stop such aggressive behavior against the community...
We talked to people from the street to the pulpit, from corporate offices to the back offices, folk were incensed... another chapter in police brutality... 
On the way back to the station, Jacquie mentioned the need for a townhall meeting and in the following weeks, the station fell into one of it's strong suits - providing a sounding board; a conduit to discuss and dialogue on important issues relevant to the community....
It was from that experience that I saw just exactly how this station is important to the community.
Here's a laundry list of movements, townhall meetings, and live broadcasts we have done together, providing a front row seat to the arts, news and culture of black Los Angeles...
Financial Townhall Meeting at Vision Theater
Financial Townhall at Black Business Expo
Support Chief Parks Townhall at Second Baptist Church
Donovan Jackson beating by Inglewood PD live at Morningside High (Johnny Cochran was there)
broadcasts at Derrick's Jamaican Cuisine
Live broadcasts in Leimert Park
All the live broadcasts California African American Museum (I remember the debates with Villaraigosa and Parks running for Mayor)
African Marketplace
Black Business Expo
Union Rescue Mission
We even did a movie screening on Saturday Morning...
The Women's Health Forum grew from 50 women in the sanctuary of Greater Bethany Community Church to 5000 in the Los Angeles Convention Center...LA Speaks Out and Jacquie right in the middle of it....giving back to our community...
There are just so many events and broadcasts....
And so, Jacquie moves on.. I understand.. There comes a time when the circle of life brings you back home to take care of business... very personal business....
Today I say: Jacquie God Bless you and be strong in this season.... it is a necessary, yet insightful experience.... Thanks for the memories...
"Count Your Blessings..."
1 comment:
Thanks Greg for keeping us informed.
Cliff, Raleigh, NC
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