This past week, Univision hosted two “meet the candidate” events at the University of Miami in which both President Obama and Governor Romney answered challenging questions relating to the Latino agenda. The question that arose in my mind was: when can I tune in to BET or TV ONE for the two “meet the candidate” events hosted at Howard University addressing the African-American agenda?
Not any time soon, you say? Well, why not?
When the Commission on Presidential Debates, the nonprofit group that organizes the candidate debates, announced that the moderators would be all-white, Univision took action. The network demanded diversity. Apparently in lieu of a diverse panel of moderators, the president of Univision asked the commission to schedule an additional debate focused entirely on Hispanic issues.
The commission denied the request. Undaunted, the network scheduled their own debates, successfully solicited the participation of the candidates, and followed through on their event in a matter of weeks.
When Jorge Ramos, co-host of the Latino debates, was asked by African-American journalist Michel Martin during an NPR interview why they had acted so boldly and vigorously here, he had a penetrating response.
“The United States is more diverse than that,” Ramos said. “The moderators have to include Hispanics. They have to include at least one African American. And I’m sure they’re going to ask the top questions but … are they going to spend 15, 20 minutes talking about immigration? I really doubt it.”
In sharp contrast, the silence of black television here is deafening. The National Association of Black Journalists also filed a complaint with the commission. Unfortunately, without any passionate organization, support or initiative emerging from BET or TVONE, the complaint has led to no similar action.
Meanwhile, the Congressional Black Caucus this past week hosted its annual legislative conference. African-American leaders from around the country gathered and debated each other about issues important to the African-American community. But again, no black television networks have carried these events in their national programming schedule.
To be clear, this is not a zero-sum game, and a powerful voice for Latino leaders can only help African Americans in the long run. Indeed, as noted above, Ramos and other Latinos continue to take an inclusive approach and demand access not only for themselves but for blacks and other minorities as well. Also, as blacks still have a large demographic presence in this country comparable to the Latino population, I don’t see how candidates can justify having debates specifically on Latino issues and neglect to do the same for specifically black issues. Perhaps by holding this debate, Univision has paved the way for a new chapter of inclusion for minorities in the political process.
However, I have to admit, it stings that the strongest, loudest voice calling for the inclusion of uniquely minority-centered issues in presidential politics is coming from the Latino community, when historically African Americans have been the ones to speak up. As the Latino community grows, we should expect to see Latino debates during senatorial and congressional campaigns as well.
But when can we expect 15 or 20 minutes from the candidates on the school-to-prison pipeline? Or the end of mass incarceration? Or racial profiling in the age of Trayvon Martin and stop-and-frisk policies?
If you answer is “not any time soon,” then my response is, “Why not?”
Hansford is assistant professor at the Saint Louis University School of Law.