Ebon P. Charles – Candidate Statement and Questionnaire

ebon@justiceunity.org

At 35, I am probably one of the youngest people ever to run for the WBAI Local Station Board. And I do so because having listened as I grew up, I understand how important the station can be to my generation and the next. I work as an elementary school teacher and see how much children and youth benefit from early guidance.

I am the son of the late producer Pepsi Charles and the spoken-word artist and “Last Poet” Abiodun Oyewole, so I am steeped in the culture of WBAI and the communities of New York. It is for this reason that I am making the personal sacrifice to serve and am asking that you honor me with your vote.

I have learned many lessons in life the hard way, and I still have many more lessons to learn; but my experience of life and the people I have met have been sufficient to suggest that my spirit may be well beyond the relatively young age of 35.

WBAI has been a staple in my world for my entire life. I remember my mother hosting a late-night radio program called “Nuances” when I was a toddler. She spoke to many callers who just needed someone to let them voice their opinions, and she made a difference in people’s lives. I loved the culture of WBAI back then – everyone was friendly to ‘lil two-year ol’ me; there was even a cat that roamed freely throughout the station, and everyone appeared to be happy with what they were doing. That’s what I remember about WBAI back then.

As I got older, I understood WBAI to be one of the only intellectual platforms that could be found on the airwaves. With the station’s freedom of speech, many of its programs became peppered with spirited debate and opposite postures, which is to be expected, but within the parameters of respect. My foremost goal in serving as a board member would be to sustain and nurture the practice of community amongst people with varying and sometimes diverging views.

I intrinsically carry the honor and philosophy of my mother Pepsi Charles, whose efforts assisted in bringing a closer working relationship between WBAI and Pacifica. I hope to continue my mother’s legacy in being an instrumental force for maintaining the variety of opinions and communities from a stage that has the ear of many proud and devout listeners and members.

I am proud to run as part of the WBAI Justice & Unity Campaign. I ask that you vote for our team (endorsed by Amiri and Amina Baraka, Tim Wise, Omowale Clay, and Cinque Brath) in this rank order:

1. Father Luis Barrios
2. Cerene Roberts
3. William Heerwagen
4. Sharonne Salaam
5. Russell Dale
6. Carlos Canales
7. Diana Crowder
8. Shahid Comrade
9. Ebon Charles
10. Eugene Hamond

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Answers to Candidate Questionnaire

1.    In what ways is your station moving in a positive direction, that you would want to continue or perhaps improve?

The frequency that allows WBAI to operate is strong and central on the NYC FM dial. WBAI’s local programming offers a voice and platform for local as well as national and international issues. Still, I do believe that production of more locally based shows would be an improvement. We could also bring back some of the producers who were unfairly pushed out of the station. They were some of our best and brightest – they have what it takes to rebuild our listenership based on genuine service to the many groups in the tri-state area who desperately need to make their struggles known, and to reach out to other people of like mind and situation. With the continuation of the station’s positive points, along with a few more, I believe there will be enough improvement to ultimately catapult WBAI into a realm of increased recognition of the power it could potentially wield in the movement for social change.

2.    In what ways is your station moving in a negative direction, that you would want to stop or change? What changes would you work for?

As noted above, I believe that WBAI took a bad turn when some of the very producers who helped to build it into a beacon of broadcasting integrity were unceremoniously dismissed and treated with a shocking lack of respect. To turn away from the responsibility that WBAI has to the community is also a move in the wrong direction. The tri-state area is an enormous mosaic of different cultures; as many of them as possible should be represented on WBAI, because we are here to serve the people in our listening area. Dismissing the daily news show for the Spanish-speaking community was another bad move. I would definitely work hard to shift the negative turns I’ve identified toward a positive direction. That would mean fighting to create fair standards and reinstate the producers who were forced out, working to ensure that we are culturally diverse, and fighting to regain the faith and representation of our Spanish-speaking community.

3.    What key experience, connections, skills or traits would you bring to the Local Station Board to advance the station’s mission?

I bring to the table qualities that would be very valuable for building listenership in a new generation of activists, renewing connections with grassroots groups, and expanding outreach events. I’m a child of this world; I’ve been connected to local and world communities from the moment of my birth. My mother was Pepsi Charles, a writer/activist/teacher/DJ; my father is Abiodun Oyewole, a poet/teacher/entertainer and member of The Last Poets, whose music still takes them all around the world. These two powerful people came together to form me, a strong, proud Black man who knows who he is and where he comes from, gives others respect and expects it in return, learned things the hard way and is still here to talk about it, and now teaches young people in a Harlem school. I’m qualified to help the WBAI Board regain its grassroots connections. I know a lot of people, I like to make new acquaintances, and I enjoy listening to what others have to say.

4.    What ideas do you have for helping the station and the Pacifica Foundation meet the financial challenges currently being faced?

Ultimately, when a team is faced with any difficulty, whether it be financial or anything else, that team has to come together and plan a solid strategy. If that strategy doesn’t work, then it’s back to the drawing board, but it’s very important for the team to pool its resources. If we treat each other with respect, we can disagree without being disagreeable. I’m well qualified for that kind of cooperative work. I would encourage fundraising through live shows and other events, and by seeking donations from sources we may not have considered but that would be in keeping with the Pacifica mission. It is also imperative that WBAI get out of its expensive studios and offices on Wall Street as soon as possible; a strong push for a capital drive to ultimately secure our own space would lead to huge savings in the long run.