The East Bay Express (EBX) is not known for favorable reporting of the Black community. In fact, the Emeryville based weekly has written hit pieces on numerous Black folks--from Ron Dellums to Marcel Diallo.
Most recently, 100,000 copies of the EBX hit the street with another Black face on the cover. This time it was journalist JR Valrey, associate editor for the San Francisco Bay View Newspaper and producer of KPFA's Block Report Radio. He is also the Minister of Information for the Prisoners of Conscienceness Committee (POCC).
The EBX front page feature has a front page headline of "Agent Provocatuer" and feature headline of "JR Valrey Is an Agent Provocateur.""The KPFA producer is not your typical police reporter. He grew close to accused criminal Yusuf Bey IV. He was arrested for arson in the Oakland riots. Now he's speaking up for cop killer Lovelle Mixon."
But don't take our word. Read the piece for yourself.
You can also read a response to the article by Chairman Fred Hampton, Jr. of the POCC.
Then check out Undercurrents column from J.Douglass Allen-Taylor from the Berkeley Daily Planet.
Do you think JR is an "agent provocateur?" Why was this language used? What does this article accomplish? Does it help the causes which JR chronicles? Or does it hurt them?
Who is the real 'agent provocatuer?'
Wednesday, May 06, 2009
The Black Hour
