Cemotap Press Release:

On Sunday March 18, 2011 at 4 PM, CEMOTAP, The Committee To Eliminate Media Offensive To African People,  the Queens based media activist organization will celebrate its 25th Anniversary at the Black Spectrum Theatre located at 177 Street & Baisley Boulevard (Inside Roy Wilkins Park) Jamaica, New York.  

Over the years CEMOTAP has engaged in a number of activities to further their struggle for media justice, including submitting articles to the press about media abuses, publishing  books journals and a newspaper, holding educational forums, leading  and participating in demonstrations and boycotts, supporting  media personalities under attack and supporting political prisoners. CEMOTAP Co-Chair Dr. James McIntosh, said that "If just the people CEMOTAP has directly helped show up we will have an overflow crowd." Betty Dopson Co-chair and founder quipped, If just the community dignitaries who have said they are coming show up we will have an overflow crowd."

Admission is Free.  Speakers include Dr. Adelaide Sanford, former Vice Chancellor of the New York State Board of Regents, Larry Hamm, Chairman of People's Organization For Progress, The Honorable Charles Barron, New York City Councilman, The Honorable Inez Barron,  New York State Assemblywoman , Bob Law,   legendary broadcaster, Milton Allimadi Publisher of Black Star News,  and Abdul Haqq of the December 12th Movement.  Reverend Al Sharpton  said  on his radio program Sunday that he will stop by even though he will be out of state for a part of the day.

Also attending will be Lisa Noble,  daughter of Gil Noble, the ailing legendary host of WABC TV's now defunct  Public Affairs Program, "Like It Is. "   She will give an update on her father's condition.  Mr. Noble was recently transferred from a Rehab Center to Hackensack Hospital in New Jersey for emergency acute care.  Ms. Noble will also discuss the need for the Black community to assist in the archiving and digitalizing of her father's decades of  programs.  Ms. Noble says that this digitalization will be necessary for the "Like it Is" collection to be shared with students all over the world as is her father's expressed wish. According to family attorney Joseph Fleming the tapes are now owned by the Noble Family "only because of the struggle of CEMOTAP" and the Black Community with WABC over the decades.

Jazz Hayden   a Harlem Media Activist  who has been exposing police abuses by videotaping the police as they engage in their "Stop and Frisk program will not only pay tribute but will discuss his own organization's videotaping  program and how it can be expanded to other boroughs.  Hayden has an upcoming trial date after being arrested for this constitutionally protected videotaping activity.  

CEMOTAP Co-Chairs Betty Dopson and James McIntosh will share hosting duties and pay tribute to the CEMOTAP Executive Committee, the key workers of the organization who have labored behind the scenes for 25 years. Two  of the original Executive Committee Members John Pounds and Arnold White are ancestors and will be honored during an opening libation.  

CEMOTAP has also produced radio programs, cable TV programs  and most recently  an internet TV program called "Like it Should Be," inspired by Gil Noble's, "Like It Is" on CEMOTAPS YOUTUBE Channel at  http://www.youtube.com/user/CEMOTAP1