News & Observer | newsobserver.com | Protesters still angry at G-105

Published: Apr 21, 2008 02:38 PM
Modified: Apr 21, 2008 02:58 PM

Protesters still angry at G-105

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RALEIGH - About 30 people showed up at the State Capitol this morning to let everyone know they're not letting up the pressure on G-105 and "Bob and the Showgram" over comments on the radio show about American Indians.

Speakers, ignoring the chilly, overcast weather, called for firings, and people held signs that read "STOP HATE MEDIA" and "I AM NOT A STEREOTYPE."

The protesters split from the leadership of the N.C. Commission of Indian affairs and the Lumbee Tribe of North Carolina, who accepted apologies last week from "Showgram" host Bob Dumas and WDCG general manager of Dick Harlow. The commission and the Lumbee Tribe backed away from calls to fire Dumas and his on-air crew.

"Our leaders were working behind the scenes to come to some type of resolution, and the people didn't really have any type of say-so into that," said protest organizer Beth Jacobs. "People were really outraged."

Jacobs is a 2007 graduate of the UNC School of Law and founder of Brown Babies Inc., an advocacy group for children living in poor communities.

Anger erupted two weeks ago after Dumas and co-hosts Mike Morse and Kentucky Kristin joked with an intern about her upcoming wedding to a Lumbee during an April 1 broadcast.

In the 15-minute segment, Dumas said that Indians were "lazy." For proof, he said he's never had work done at his house by Indians. Dumas and his co-hosts also made many jokes during the segment that played on Indian stereotypes.

The N.C. Commission of Indian Affairs and others filed FCC complaints and called for the ouster of the "Showgram" crew, who were suspended for three days instead.

About 100 protesters came to the Capitol on April 9 to restate demands for the end of "The Showgram."

Then came the meeting between G-105 and Indian leaders and the beginning of a "healing process" to include outreach and education efforts by G-105.

But that did not end the controversy, as today's gathering showed.

Toward the end of today's event, members of the Hispanic advocacy group El Pueblo Inc. showed up to lend their support for the Indians' cause.

Some Hispanics are angry at "The Showgram" over a show that aired April 2, the day after the remarks about Indians.

Dumas said he was "mad" about seeing the Mexican flag that flies outside the Mexican Consulate on Six Forks Road in Raleigh, and he sent a producer to the consulate with remote equipment to ask people in line if they had proof of U.S. citizenship.

Irene Godinez, advocacy director of El Pueblo, spoke at today's gathering.

"We're here to say that we're going to stick this out with you, and we want to be of support to you," she said.

Afterward, Godinez said she would like to add El Pueblo to a Facebook page set up to protest the radio show. Brett Locklear, a Lumbee Indian who set up the page, said it has served as an organizing tool.

In her push to have the "Showgram" canceled, Jacobs has joined with Citizens Against Hate (www.citizensagainsthate.com), a Web site that monitors and reports racism and racist groups. The NAACP has also expressed support.

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