TAKE ACTION NOW

Dear John,

How can BET — Black Entertainment Television — fund and enable police violence against Black people? Considering the cultural impact the network has as an outlet and platform for Black people, the hypocrisy is glaring. What they do behind the scene matters.

That has not stopped BET’s president Scott Mills from sitting on the New York City Police Foundation’s board anyway, despite the foundation funneling money and weapons to the NYPD. Along with that, BET’s parent company Paramount has donated to that same police foundation, and one of its directors is also sitting on its board.¹

Call BET and Paramount out on their hypocrisy. Tell their executives to get off the NYC Police Foundation’s board and stop funding police violence against Black people.

demand accountability from bet

After George Floyd was murdered by Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin, BET released a statement expressing solidarity with Floyd’s family and other victims of police violence.²

Their statement spoke out against “racist brutality,” yet BET’s president and parent company are helping prop up an organization that funnels weapons and surveillance to the massive NYPD without any accountability or oversight from the public. NYPD uses those weapons against Black New Yorkers.

Either BET is working to fight back against police harassment and brutality or helping to prop it up behind closed doors. Empty words aren’t enough and don’t keep Black people safe. John, tell BET and ViacomCBS to stop supporting police foundations now.

TELL BET: STOP FUNDING POLICE VIOLENCE!

The NYPD has a long history of over-policing, harassing, and targeting Black communities. This isn’t and shouldn’t be news to the president of BET. Yet Mills has decided to tie his name and the reputation of the network to the NYC Police Foundation anyway.

By sitting on the NYC Police Foundation board, BET’s president and a ViacomCBS director are abetting the NYPD — and enabling the police department’s violence and corruption.

Tell BET and ViacomCBS that they can’t have it both ways. They can’t say they support Black Lives and racial justice while propping up a system that hurt our communities.

Thank you for staying in the fight.

Until Justice is Real,

Color Of Change Criminal Justice and Democracy Team

References:

1. Police Foundations: A Corporate-Sponsored Threat To Democracy and Black Lives. Color Of Change.

2. BET Calls For Action In George Floyd And Breonna Taylor Police Killings. BET, 31 May, 2020.

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