By Jeff Thomas
The New Orleans city council unanimously passed a resolution supporting local black owned media companies. International superstar actor, Wendell Pierce, made a presentation to the utility committee of the Council. Pierce is a partner in Equity Media, which owns and operates WBOK 1230 am radio. During his presentation Pierce pointed out that local companies with monopolies are regulated by the City Council. And these companies are guaranteed a profit from their business operations.
“Our city can make a twenty-year commitment to them, but they can’t make a two-week commitment to us.”
Wendell Pierce – Speaking before the New Orleans City Council.
New Orleans is over 60% African American. And New Orleans has a robust, active, and well-regarded group of black owned media companies. But these media companies get very little advertising dollars from locally regulated companies like the power, cable or cell phone companies. These companies have either monopolies or must access public property in the course of their business operations. They also profit directly from the citizens of this city. Still they do little to no advertising with black owned media companies.
Consciousness Campaign
In fact, the media companies – WBOK 1230am, The La Weekly, The New Orleans Tribune, Data News Weekly and Think504.com – formed a coalition to address these oversights. The coalition launched the Consciousness Campaign to draw attention to the glaring bias against black owned media companies.
Renette Dejoie Hall is the publisher of the 90-year-old La Weekly. She continues the family tradition of publishing the paper every week. “We get the requests for press releases from these companies, but they ignore our requests for ad dollars,” she said. Beverly McKenna, publisher of the Tribune, said “Black media companies are the main source of thoughts and ideas for a large segment of the black community in New Orleans.”
For their part, every member of the city council spoke in support of the black owned media companies. Council President Helena Moreno said she gets similar complaints from the Hispanic media companies. “We have got to do a better job of utilizing our locally owned media companies,” she said during the committee meeting.
The following week, District B Councilman Jay H. Banks submitted the resolution for the full council consideration. The unanimous vote to adopt is a clear indication that the council understands the importance of supporting our local businesses. And though the resolution is an important fist step, more work needs to be done. The resolution is broad and aspirational.
Resolution Unanimously Adopted
Last week on WBOK the coalition held a forum. Troy Henry, another partner at WBOK gave more focus. “Regulated businesses are just the first step,” he said. We expect other businesses who advertise to participate. We are going to put out a score card ranking good corporate partners to our communities.”
Related: How to Make NOLA Great
Terry Jones, publisher of Data News, spoke of the historic and systemic issues at play. “For decades these companies have exploited the black owned media companies. They are after the biggest consumer market in the world.” The economic value of the African American community is the 10 biggest worldwide economy. But dollars do not circulate in our community.
Ending the exploitation of the African American community will make everybody safe. As Wendell Pierce said during his presentation to the City Council, “People with jobs do not smash in car windows.” Making our city a great place to live must include economic expansion in the black community. Start with required spending by regulated companies and city agencies with black owned media companies.
“I am optimistic!”
Jeff Thomas – Publisher and Editor Think504.com
Jeff Thomas
Publisher • Opinion Columnist • New Orleans
Jeff Thomas is the publisher of Black Source Media and one of New Orleans’ most direct voices on civic affairs, economic justice, and Louisiana politics. He writes from the intersection of experience and accountability — as a licensed general contractor,a tech company founder and executive with over 30 years experience, and a businessman who has worked across the city’s civic, media, and construction ecosystems for decades.
His Sunday column covers Louisiana legislative politics, insurance discrimination, housing policy, and the forces shaping Black community life in New Orleans and across the state. Thomas writes in the tradition of Black journalists who hold power accountable without apology — building arguments from data, delivering verdicts from evidence, and speaking to Black New Orleans with the directness the moment demands.
He is also the principal of EA Inspection Services, LLC, a government inspection services company. Black Source Media is his platform for the civic conversation New Orleans has needed and too rarely had.
Selected Articles by Jeff Thomas
Black Neighborhoods Pay the Highest Insurance Rates in Louisiana. Here’s What They Don’t Want You to Know.
They Didn’t Yell the N-Word. They Went to Law School, Bided Their Time, and Rewrote the Constitution Instead.
Vappie vs. Morrell: Why Does Justice Look Different in New Orleans?
The State Has the Money. New Orleans East Just Needs Them to Use It.
The Failure of Mitch Landrieu
Publisher — Black Source Media
Jeff Thomas
Publisher • Opinion Columnist • New Orleans
Jeff Thomas is the publisher of Black Source Media and one of New Orleans’ most direct voices on civic affairs, economic justice, and Louisiana politics. He writes from the intersection of experience and accountability — as a licensed general contractor,a tech company founder and executive with over 30 years experience, and a businessman who has worked across the city’s civic, media, and construction ecosystems for decades.
His Sunday column covers Louisiana legislative politics, insurance discrimination, housing policy, and the forces shaping Black community life in New Orleans and across the state. Thomas writes in the tradition of Black journalists who hold power accountable without apology — building arguments from data, delivering verdicts from evidence, and speaking to Black New Orleans with the directness the moment demands.
He is also the principal of EA Inspection Services, LLC, a government inspection services company. Black Source Media is his platform for the civic conversation New Orleans has needed and too rarely had.
Selected Articles by Jeff Thomas
Black Neighborhoods Pay the Highest Insurance Rates in Louisiana. Here’s What They Don’t Want You to Know.
They Didn’t Yell the N-Word. They Went to Law School, Bided Their Time, and Rewrote the Constitution Instead.
Vappie vs. Morrell: Why Does Justice Look Different in New Orleans?
The State Has the Money. New Orleans East Just Needs Them to Use It.
The Failure of Mitch Landrieu