Why are these leaders allowing Fox—a network hostile to Black America—to be legitimized in their name? Demand that members of the Congressional Black Caucus explain where they stand, now.

Last Thursday, the Congressional Black Caucus Institute announced plans to partner with Fox News to host presidential debates—using the name and legacy of the Congressional Black Caucus to legitimize an organization that has shown nothing but hostility to Black Americans.

The announcement came after the Institute ignored more than 12,000 emails from our members, and after 790 phone calls to CBC leaders asking them to denounce the deal were met with side-stepping and inaction.

The CBC and CBCI are betraying Black America, not just by partnering with Fox, but by willfully ignoring the people they claim to represent. It's a display of irresponsible representation and disconnected leadership.

Voices of protest from Black America and our allies are getting louder every day, but members of the CBC still haven't responded. Will you join us in demanding that they take a public stance, today?

http://www.colorofchange.org/cbci_stance/

Today, we're launching a campaign to ramp up pressure on the CBC. We have two goals: to force the CBC Institute to call off the Fox debates and to make it clear that Black elected leaders cannot act in our names while ignoring our voices.

Our first step is targeting members of the CBC. We know that some members of the CBC oppose a partnership with Fox, but none have spoken publicly. Their silence implies agreement and lends credibility to the Institute's decision. If we can force each member to publicly take a stance on this issue, we're confident some will come out against the partnership. Once there's dissension in the ranks, the Institute's leadership will not be able to maintain the legitimacy of their decision.

But getting there won't be easy. CBC offices have given our members the runaround for weeks—saying the Fox debates are an Institute issue that they can do nothing about and then referring our members to a CBC Institute voicemail box that was full for over two weeks. Members are clearly not trying to go on the record about this issue. But with enough pressure, they will have to speak, and if they continue to hide, we will broadcast their cowardice to Black America and voters in their district.

The pressure is already mounting. Following the lead of ColorOfChange.org members, Black bloggers, academics, and community newspapers have all taken bold stands. Now it's up to us. If we keep up the pressure, we can force voices of reason and conscience to arise from within the CBC, and help bring the CBC back in line with Black America. Please join us:

http://www.colorofchange.org/cbci_stance/

Thank You and Peace,

-- James, Van, Clarissa, Gabriel, and the rest of the ColorOfChange.org team
   April 5th, 2007

Resources:

ColorOfChange.org members taking a stand on this has helped it get plenty of coverage: in national news, blogs, online journals, and the Black press. Here are links to some of the posts and articles, as well as letters sent from ColorOfChange.org to CBC members and the CBC Institute.

Black blogs:

"Who will lead?" Afro-Netizen.com, April 4, 2007
http://www.afro-netizen.com/2007/04/fox_attacks_oba.html

"Update on CBC Fox Debates," Jack and Jill Politics, March 30, 2007
http://colorofchange.org/ref/cbci_stance_1.html
 
"Fox News sets debates with Congressional Black Caucus Institute???" Superspade.blogspot.com March 29, 2007
http://colorofchange.org/ref/cbci_stance_2.html

"Why is the Congressional Black Caucus Institute hopping in the sack with Faux News?" Pam's House Blend, March 30, 2007
http://www.pamshouseblend.com/showDiary.do?diaryId=1195

"The CBC Needs to Learn From Us: Just Say No to FOX," CorrenteWire, March 14, 2007
http://colorofchange.org/ref/cbci_stance_2b.html

Newspapers and opinion-makers:

"Fox News, Black Caucus team for debates," Boston Globe, March 29, 2007
http://colorofchange.org/ref/cbci_stance_3.html

"Commentary: Congressional Black Caucus and Fox News Partnering on Debates Makes for Ironic Bedfellows," Tom Joyner's BlackAmericaWeb.com, April 1, 2007
http://www.blackamericaweb.com/site.aspx/sayitloud/mathis402
 
"Fox News rents the Congressional Black Caucus" Editorial printed in Black Agenda Report, April 4, 2007
http://colorofchange.org/ref/cbci_stance_4.html

"Jackson Slams Fox-C.B.C. Debate Deal," New York Times, March 30, 2007
http://colorofchange.org/ref/cbci_stance_5.html

"CBC-Fox partnership a bad idea," Editorial from Afro American Newspapers (printed in papers around the nation), March 21, 2007
http://www.colorofchange.org/cbci/dallasweekly.pdf

ColorOfChange:

Our initial letter to the director of the CBC Institute. We were never able to get an official response and were subsequently told to call to a number that was never answered and had a voicemail box that was full for weeks.
http://www.colorofchange.org/cbci/letter.pdf

A fax we sent to every member of the CBC. We heard back from only one of the 43 members.
http://www.colorofchange.org/cbci_stance/letters_to_cbc.html

"Fox News doesn't care about Black people, does the Congressional Black Caucus?" an op-ed published by the LA Sentinel on March 28 and published in various Black newspapers and online outlets since then.
http://colorofchange.org/ref/cbci_stance_6.html