Dacio Quintana

Warmest greetings to all WBAI community supporters and members! ¡Mis más cordiales saludos a todos!

WBAI is a precious resource, and it is our responsibility to make it stronger. We need to reach deeply, not superficially, into the tristate area’s diverse communities. Despite the Pacifica National Board’s backward reversal of the requirement to add an hour of Spanish-language news and information programming each weekday for the millions of non-English-speaking Latinos who need and deserve progressive radio, WBAI’s management has not only the prerogative, but also, due to area demographics and increasing attacks on migrant communities, the obligation to do this.

As a young man seeking opportunities for advancement, I immigrated to the US from Peru. I worked in a factory, drove a cab, and served in the US Army before securing a master’s degree and teaching in the NYC public schools for 32 years.

My formation as a progressive is due in part to political programming on WBAI and answering activists’ calls to action.

Like many of you, I have organized around social justice issues, ranging from school reform, workers’ rights, ending violence against women and children, antiwar activism, and freeing political prisoners to solidarity work with Puerto Rico and Latin America. As a Chapter Leader in my school and member of the New Action Caucus (a progressive wing of the teachers’ union), I fought for bilingual education, smaller class size, and better teacher training. As an organizer with the Puerto Rican Socialist Party, I worked for the independence of Puerto Rico. I fought to rescue the inhabited island of Vieques from the US Navy’s bombing practice and currently serve with The Friends of Puerto Rico Initiative (at the UN). I also volunteer with Strategies for Social Change, a national capacity-building organization.

I have been a WBAI listener/member for 20+ years and have witnessed mismanagement and unproductive dissension, which have weakened WBAI. It is particularly frustrating that the Indy Caucus canceled so many board meetings in the last two years, thwarting the work that needs to be done to maintain and improve WBAI. I believe WBAI can become an even brighter beacon of progressive political thought and activism. We need to:

• develop a strong, diversified fundraising plan, utilizing some of the thoughtful proposals developed by Justice and Unity and others.

• invest in long-term strategic planning.

• plan short term to create an equitable partnership with Manhattan Neighborhood Network.

• increase programming that will spark the interest and activism of our youth and the many diverse communities in our area.

I urge you to vote for all the Justice & Unity candidates. And please rank ALL the Justice and Unity candidates in the following order on your ballot, to maximize the value of your vote (this will ensure that the highest possible number of us will be elected):

We recommend the Arise slate—Rank them 8, 9, and 10 in whatever order you prefer.:

• What experience, connections, skills or traits would you bring to the local station board to advance the station’s mission?

  I have worked for many years as an organizer, educator, and progressive union chapter leader, and I have very good organizing skills. I am now retired, and can devote more time to WBAI. We desperately need help with strategic planning and fundraising. I am currently affiliated with a progressive organizational-development/capacity-building firm and could access some free technical assistance and tools to help WBAI.

• What do you appreciate and value in the station’s current operations?

  I am glad that there is locally produced programming which can engage some of the communities in New York City. I would like to see more of this, as there are significant communities that are under-represented or entirely missing.

• What would you like to see improved or changed in the station’s current operations?

  WBAI should do outreach to more community organizations and offer internships to young people. We should also be in diverse communities to broadcast and conduct on-the-spot interviews from their celebrations, events, conferences, etc. We need far more locally produced programming and far more programming that serves the needs of the many different communities in the New York City area, especially communities of color, which have traditionally been among the station’s strongest supporters. There needs to be a serious and regular community needs assessments performed. I would also like to hear more Spanish-language public-affairs programming, and it would be of great benefit to the whole network if Spanish-language programming were brought back on a national scale.

• Describe what you anticipate would be your top three priorities or areas of focus if you were elected to the local station board.

  1. A realistic fundraising program that can pull the station out of the tailspin it has been in for so many years now.

  2. Helping to get the station more involved in the issues that are constantly arising in the many different communities in the tristate area, particularly in greater community outreach.

  v3. Helping to guide the station to rational programming decisions that will make it a truly powerful organizing tool.

• Sustainability is an important part of any nonprofit operation. What are your thoughts on how the board can help to improve the station’s financial footing?

  We should seriously at least explore and consider partnerships with other progressive media organizations. Going it alone is no longer enough. I also think we could be thinking about more imaginative fundraising events, such as an Annual WBAI Party to honor an outstanding progressive worker, artist, or other prominent community activist. This was done once many years ago, and we should try to replicate that kind of effort. We could also have live auctions with a musical component.

• Is there anything else you would like prospective voters to know?

  WBAI has been an indispensable component of my activism, and I cherish its tradition of generously offering political and cultural contributions to the New York City area. I want to make sure that its survival is assured for many years to come.