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Call to Action: Verizon In Hot Water Over ‘TechNigga’ Partnership

Monday Jul 7, 2008 – By Clutch

Verizon Under Fire Because of ‘TechNigga’ Blog
When you’re a white guy and you do a video blog called “TechNigga,” you’re just begging for attention (and asking for trouble), to put it mildly. Like the saying goes, be careful what you ask for ’cause you just might get it. Well that’s the case with one Loren Feldman of 1938 Media. So it comes as no surprise that Feldman has got the rapt attention of activists Najee Ali of Project Islamic Hope and Paul Porter of Industry Ears as well as several civil rights organizations. The coalition is calling for Lowell C. McAdam, President and CEO of Verizon Wireless, to withdraw a distribution deal he recently signed with Feldman’s company. In a press release and statement to EUR, Najee Ali breaks it down. “Feldman has a history of using the internet to promote racism and demeaning and negative racial stereotypes against African Americans on his internet site. He is responsible for and appears in what he calls ‘TechNigga.’” “Feldman has a history of using the internet to promote racism and demeaning and negative racial stereotypes against African Americans on his internet site. He is responsible for and appears in what he calls ‘TechNigga.’” (Scroll down to see the video.)

So Ali, Porter and other activists’ goal is to pressure McAdam and Verizon into dropping Feldman like a hot skillet handle. They plan to hold a press conference and protest this morning at 11am (Pacific) in Los Angeles at the Verizon store at 3829 S. Crenshaw Blvd. to start the process. Of course free speech proponents will argue that what Feldman is doing is a just a parody. However, Ali doesn’t think it’s funny and tells Verizon in no uncertain terms that getting in bed with Feldman is not a good idea.

Verizon CEO Lowell C. McAdam needs to demonstrate that Verizon understands they should demonstrate corporate responsibility and will not tolerate racism, or bigotry. The Verizon distribution deal with Feldman sends a horrible message that Verizon seeks to partner with racists like Feldman and that Verizon and CEO McAdam find nothing offensive with ‘TechNigga.’ Our community nationwide should. Contact Lowell C. McAdam and let him know that you will boycott Verizon unless this distribution with Feldman is severed. There are plans for an upcoming national day of protest against Verizon stores nationwide if our calls for a meeting and our demands are not met.

Please click here to contact Lowell C. McAdam of Verizon Wireless.

{Source: Eurweb)

Keysha E. says:

July 7, 2008 at 1:59 pm

! WOW! ok then Verizon…. get with this dude and words gets out and somethings might not go right for a while

↑ Reply

! WOW! ok then Verizon…. get with this dude and word gets out and somethings might not go right for a while.

Correction made

Technigga vs Canhead « Canhead says:

July 7, 2008 at 2:31 pm

[...] know a few other real tec niggas that are not laughing at this joke, however! Where are the black blogs? I’m right here, ya twitterin’ [...]

Glennisha says:

July 7, 2008 at 9:09 pm

Wasn’t Verizon is the hot seat before for something else controversial. It seems like they would have learned the first time.

donna says:

July 8, 2008 at 8:03 am

To tell you the truth, and I’m certainly not supporting this guy but I wish we would fight as hard to get our own not to embrace these stereotypes. I can’t even get but so mad watching this because not only can I see someone like Damon Waynes doing something just like this or Keenen or make your pick and no to me it’s not more acceptable that’s being done by one of my own. But we also have a very dominate image of this particular black man stereotype in the world’s view right now. Which we need to do our part to x that out rather it’s in our communities what we tolerate in our music on the movie screen etc.

Again I’m not saying this is cool lay off of him, but let’s get just as irate when we embrace this crap in our own culture.

ericka says:

July 8, 2008 at 9:22 am

Ditto on that Donna I could not have said it better, it drives me absolutely crazy to see all of these organizations coming out for people like this mundane guy and all the “Kramers and Imus”, yet I have not seen an organization go all out for the things that are effecting us directly (and panel discussions on BET is not going all out)…like you said…directly in our communities from our own people. I honestly think that we need to STOP focusing on them SO MUCH and START focusing on us first through our actions…because they would not have that stereotype if it did not exist. As far as this video…there will ALWAYS be racist people, and surely we must have the common sense to know that many of the companies we support on the DAILY are filled with them from employees to their owners, so I guess we will only put up a fight when it is thrown in our face. This is not the way to fight racism(in my opinion) You fight it by changing from the inside out…if you know what I mean.

Tyra D. says:

July 8, 2008 at 10:46 am

I agree whole heartedly Erika and Donna. There is a lot of work to do as a community to stop putting out our own negative images. And Erika, about that BET panel discussion; isn’t it sad how no one wanted to take responsibility for anything? And I just shook my head at the response from “Lola Love” about how being a “model/actress” in a video is different from being a groupie.

chloe says:

July 8, 2008 at 12:41 pm

There are plenty of voices in the black community that oppose rap music and what it represents but those voices are silenced. Their concerns are rarely publicized through mainstream media outlets. Thousands of protests against the destructive lyrics in gangsta rap have been launched since its inception to little media fanfare. Don’t assume that we haven’t spoken out or that anti-rap movements don’t exist just because CNN hasn’t covered them. Society has a vested interest in keeping gangsta rap alive, in spite of what we want. The negative global and social impact alone has made it more than worth its continued industry support. Alicia Keyes was tarred and feathered by the media for commenting that gangsta rap encourages black male genocide. She was forced to immediately issue a retraction or face being blacklisted. This is a perfect example of the backlash experienced by black artists who speak out. The fact is, a young black male trying to break into the music industry has a greater chance of being handed a record deal if he uses the N word 30 times per song than if he doesn’t. Blacks aren’t fueling gangsta rap sales, white youth are. They comprise 70% of its consumer base…so even if we stopped buying it, it wouldn’t go away. It serves a very useful purpose.

Yes, there are racists on the internet and racists in the real world but businesses rely on sales and if Verizon values it’s black customer base, they won’t take us for granted. If the target of this guys racist parodies were Asians or Jews, the deal would have never taken place. It’s bad business to do business with racists and we should most definitely let them know. The Chinese community, despite what internal problems they have, rightfully condemned Sharon Stone offensive comments and forced Christian Dior to drop her as their spokesperson but we should let similar incidences slide? Please. We should never become so complacent that we’ll knowingly patronize a business that partners with racists and businesses should never become so complacent as to think we will.