MEDIA ADVISORY
May 17, 2002
The Sudan Campaign

Washington, DC --- African American leaders expressed contempt for Dan Rather's reporting on "Slave Trade" CBS's 60 Minutes II segment this week. Joe Madison of the nationally syndicated program "Madison" heard on Radio One Talk Network and XM Satellite Radio accused Dan Rather and 60 Minutes II of inadequate, inaccurate and racially arrogant reporting on the Sudan Slave redemption process.

Joining Madison in his denunciation are: former Congressman Reverend Walter Fauntroy, Bishop Gaffif, Rev.John Hammond, Sudanese leader Akuie Malwal, John Eibner of Christian Solidarity International and Charles Jacobs of the American Anti-slavery Group.

Joe Madison, national director of The Sudan Campaign said, "Dan Rather's 60 Minutes II report was inadequate because he failed to go to Southern Sudan to see slave redemption for himself even though he has been invited. It is inaccurate because he reported on slave redemption but did not interview any former slaves, village leader or military leaders. And, it is racist because he ignored the African American leadership who had independently gone to Sudan to verify that there were slaves who were actually being redeemed."

The Sudan Campaign's chair Reverend Walter Fauntroy said, "In one journalistic swoop, Rather labeled every Southern Sudanese as being bought off. He never asked how the slave redemption is being verified and instead acted very patronizingly, choosing to purport what is best for the Southern Sudanese rather than allowing them to tell him their direct experiences of being enslaved."

John Eibner, Assistant to the International President of Christian Solidarity International said, "I imagine that for one who has not visited the country or interviewed the people, it is quite easy to cast aspersions on the slave redemption process. But, we have been at this for years and we feel absolutely confident that the slave redemption process we have in place adequately verifies that people are, in fact slaves, and that the funds we are dispersing are delivering them from abuse, rape, beatings, forcible conversions and all of the horrors that are an inherent part, of slavery in Sudan."

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