City Councilmember Yvette Clarke Slams Hot 97/Miss Jones

Playthell's commentary on Miss Jones is making people stand up and take notice.

Caribbean Community Is Owed An Apology By Hot 97 Radio

Contact: Rance E. Huff
Office: (718) 287-8762
Cell (718) 207-1158

NEW YORK, NY- Councilmember Yvette D. Clarke
(D-Brooklyn) issued the following statement today
regarding the report vicious and racist statements
reportedly made by Hot 97 deejay Miss Jones regarding
the transit workers strike and union leader Roger
Toussaint:

“Like many New Yorkers, I was appalled to read Playthell Benjamin’s recent commentary in the Daily News regarding the disgusting remarks made by Hot 97 personality Tarsha Nicole Jones. Simply put, this distasteful display of self-hatred and bigotry has once again shown Hot 97 to be a forum for the destruction of our community. Time and again, this radio station has provided a forum for the flourishing of everything negative in hip-hop. It was nearly a year ago that I joined other New Yorkers in denouncing Miss Jones and Hot 97 for airing a parody that ridiculed tsunami victims. Clearly, the outcry, demonstrations and resulting suspensions did not provide an impetus for cultural sensitivity from these individuals.

“Tarsha Jones has a long history of foot-in-mouth
disease and has demonstrated her unique talent for
spewing garbage. Her use of the words “dumb coconut”
illustrates that she is a young woman who obviously
harbors a lot of self-loathing and hatred for human
beings in general, and her own community. A year ago,
I sincerely believed that although she disparaged the
Asian community, a suspension and apology would
provide her opportunity to learn and become a positive
influence on young people. As a highly-regarded
personality for one of the most popular radio stations
in our city, she had an opportunity to really
influence young men and women in a positive way.
However, I believe that opportunity has been lost on
Tarsha Jones.

“Its one thing to hear a uneducated person make racist
comments. Their lack of education, lack of exposure to
other cultures, poverty and other issues provides a
context for their hatred. However, it’s hard to
believe a Syracuse University graduate who was raised
in the Black community of New York City can make these
types of comments. There is a higher expectation and
accountability for such a person. I believe the time
has come for Hot 97 and Emmis Communications to
suspend the Miss Jones In The Morning Show permanently
from the airwaves.

“Immigrants have a hard enough time dealing with
becoming acclimated in a new country, while the Bush
administration employs divisive policies against them.
To have someone who looks like them spewing hatred
against them on the airwaves is intolerable. As a
Jamaican-American woman born, raised and living in
Brooklyn- whose parents were immigrants who settled in
this city and continue to make contributions –I was
personally offended by Tarsha Jones’ remarks. As a fan
of hip hop, who has used her position to celebrate the
positive influences of the genre, I know that Hot 97’s
culture of hatred and misogyny are a destructive
influence on our youth.

“It is clear that Emmis Communications and their
subsidiary, Hot 97, have decided that racial
insensitivity and hatred are good business. Perhaps it
is time for our community to make it absolutely clear
that their business is no longer wanted. Perhaps it is
time for the City Council to explore economic
sanctions against a business that is slowly destroying
the fabric of communities in the City of New York. It
is my intention to bring this issue to my colleagues
in the City Council and introduce a resolution calling
for the permanent removal of the Miss Jones In The
Morning Show and the economic boycott of Hot 97 and
its advertisers.”