"We’ve talked about the climate of exclusion for people of color in Hollywood both in terms of being selected for possible awards and in terms of having power to make deals and it seems as though Hollywood listens a day or two and moves on. Now it’s time to make sure we can’t be ignored. A “tune out” can do that.One of the things that NAN has done, whether it was with Imus or other issues, is the way we have used he cash register. If major advertisers know that people are tuning out and the ratings are down, that will impact the bottom line of the value of the Academy and the Academy has to, at some point, determine whether or not it is in their interest to continue excluding people and excluding them at what price. Now we have to escalate that price. When we were fighting people before, we went right to the advertisers and people who ignored us started saying, ‘lets sit down and talk,’ because their bottom line was effected. You have to remember advertisers have to do business,"The Rev Dr Al Sharpton Variety

This is a special presentation for African History Month from WBRN Radio and Bsotonred.org