Radio One Media Statement: There Must Be A Better Way

SILVER SPRING, Md., July 8, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Radio One, Inc. is deeply saddened and troubled by the recent events in our country.  There is no doubt, this is a critical moment in our history.  From Baton Rouge, LA and Minneapolis, MN to Dallas, TX, the outcry of Black people is reverberating throughout this country. Our prayers and condolences are with the bereaved families of Alton Sterling, Philando Castile, Dallas Officers Lorne Ahrens, Michael Krol, Michael Smith, Brent Thompson and Patrick Zamarripa. We pray for your peace and comfort.

Though the chain of events this week is unprecedented, the sound of frustration and outrage are all too familiar. Black lives matter because ALL lives matter. Martin Luther King said, "The ultimate weakness of violence is that it is a descending spiral, begetting the very thing it seeks to destroy." The killing must stop. It doesn't serve anyone. Certainly there is a better solution.

We are not anti-police. We are anti-police misconduct, abuse and excessive force. We must protect the civil rights and lives of Black Americans and we must protect law enforcement officers who serve our communities. Both of these goals can co-exist and equally be served. Unfortunately, when these ideals aren't aligned nor remembered, we are forced to live with the greatest loss of all – life.

Acknowledging the significance of this moment, all this week, we have leveraged our multi-media platforms of local radio, TV One, Interactive One and Reach Media to encourage our community to lift their voices and be heard; promote peace in the street; and demand justice, accountability and reform in our police and justice systems. From exclusive coverage on TV One's News One Now with Roland Martin to stopping the music and opening the phone lines for listener expression on our 56 urban radio stations and syndicated shows such as the Tom Joyner Morning Show, Rickey Smiley Morning Show, Russ Parr Morning Show & DL Hughley Show we've served our community. We've produced numerous public service announcements and created empowering and informative content that spanned our national digital platforms such as NewsOne.com and HelloBeautiful.com to the millions of people we touch through our social media network. And we won't stop here.  We will do more to educate and mobilize our community.

As a communications company, we are obligated to tell the stories others won't and to amplify the voices of our hurting community. We won't be silent.

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SOURCE Radio One, Inc.