Biographical Sketch of Emma L. Bowen

Excerpted from:
Emma Bowen (a.k.a. The Life and Times of Emma Bowen),
Registered with WGA, East
© 2000 Sylvia Hueston

When the Queen of daytime Television and American popular culture, Oprah Winfrey, announced that she would not give up her voice (television show) because many before her had sacrificed too much for her to be there, she was probably thinking of Sojourner Truth or Fannie Lou Hamer or Ida B. Wells. She also could have been thinking of Emma L. Bowen, community activist and fighter for justice, the founder and president of New York City's Black Citizens for a Fair Media (BCFM). Emma L. Bowen also co-founded The Foundation for Minority Interests In Media, and is the person whose name the foundation bears today.

It was 1970 and the cries of "burn, baby, burn" were beginning to cool in the inner cities. And so, too, were the careers of the group of African-American journalists who had been hastily hired by general market news establishments to cover hot spots too dangerous to white reporters during the racial unrest of the Sixties. Enter Emma L. Bowen, Harlem, New York community activist and organizer, who received an invitation from a group of these journalists to discuss their situations.

But who was Emma Bowen and how had she gained this notoriety as a fighter? Bold, sometimes biting, feisty and gutsy Emma Bowen for years had struggled on the front lines of the fight for racial and social justice. She was born in Spartanburg, South Carolina and migrated to New York to attend college. Soon after enrolling in City College of New York, she married and had three daughters. But soon thereafter, Emma was forced to interrupt her college education. Her husband was stricken by illness and tragically died at the age of 31. As a young widow Emma went back to work. When the demands of work and motherhood proved to be too much, she turned temporarily to Aid to Dependent Children.

During this time, Emma's natural affinity for justice prompted her to volunteer in the political arena where she worked and campaigned for elected officials who she felt would make positive contributions to the cause of equality for minorities. She ran impressively, but unsuccessfully, for office herself and was later appointed by NYC Mayor John V. Lindsay to the position of Executive Secretary of the New York City Mental Health, Retardation and Alcoholism Services. Bowen also returned to college and completed her Masters degree in sociology at Fordham University.

Her heart, however, was in community activism, and her deepest passion was her devotion to the advancement of poor, disadvantaged minority young people. She wanted more than anything to see these youth get the same kinds of opportunities as white youth did. She lived the motto that "actions speak louder than words."

Emma was no stranger to bucking the system. On behalf of Black youth she challenged one of the most powerful institutions in America, the United States Senate. Through sheer persistence, dedication to fair play, and the support, goodwill and tenacity of her friend, New York Senator Jacob Javits, Emma worked tirelessly to break the unwritten law of the U.S. Senate that denied Black youth the right to become pages there. Although senatorial resistance to change was considerable, on April 18, 1965, the first African-American page, Lawrence Bradford, Jr., began work at the U.S. Senate. Emma Bowen and those who stood by her had won.

It was no wonder, therefore, that the 50 Black newsmen and women who now needed guidance, invited Emma to their meeting. Aware of her reputation for being a fearless fighter and organizer, they told her about the situations they were facing in their newsrooms and sought her support. They felt neglected and under-utilized. After doing hazardous duty in dangerous situations involving the Black community, they were being called on less and less for assignments. Further, they felt that many times coverage of minorities was characterized by distorted, negative images. Bowen listened intently to their stories. This was an important cause. As a mental health professional, she was keenly aware of the powerful role that the media played in forming impressions and influencing opinions in the minds of the public, including self-images. She was particularly concerned about negative images of minority youth on television that she felt contributed to black youths' diminished sense of dignity and self-respect. She agreed to organize the communities' resources on behalf of the reporters. They scheduled the next meeting, and Emma went out to organize.

A few weeks later the scheduled meeting convened. The community activists numbered 250 strong; the news people only numbered 3. Though Emma was a bit taken aback, she couldn't honestly say she was completely surprised. It took a lot of guts for people to stand up in the face of adversity. But Bowen was prepared to go on, with or without the journalists. She could see the real need to fight for cause, not only for the Black journalists, but also for the sake of all, especially Blacks and other people of color. Emma knew too well the tremendous influence of the media on how people felt and thought, especially about themselves.

In 1971 Emma Bowen and the community formed an organization, Black Citizens for a Fair Media (BCFM), and educated themselves concerning the laws governing the use of the public airwaves. Wanting to voice their concerns, the group approached some of the most powerful broadcast executives in the nation's media capital, the managers of the New York City-based flagship stations of the major television networks and station groups. Some came to the table and dialogued with BCFM, eventually entering into formal agreements. These agreements prompted the hiring and training of Blacks, the creation of management community affairs positions, and focused on efforts to improve minority images on television. However, some stations refused to talk to Bowen and her group, and BCFM responded by filing appropriate challenges with the FCC to the renewal of their broadcast licenses. This action finally resulted in success.

BCFM's victories helped increase both the media's and the communities' awareness of their mutual responsibility for the messages of fairness and inclusiveness on the public airwaves. Through dialogue and vigilance, Emma and BCFM maintained a constant watch over the influential New York area media. The effect of their work extended far beyond the City's borders to include and effect national media policy. BCFM also provided an example and guidance for many other interest groups that also had issues with the media. Today, BCFM continues to pursue its founder's goals.

Black Citizens for a Fair Media became a platform for the inauguration of The Foundation for Minority Interests in Media. The Foundation was launched in 1989 through the joint efforts of Emma, her long time friend and colleague for media equality, Dr. Everett C. Parker, Communications Director Emeritus of the United Church of Christ, and the support of Capital Cities/ABC's Dan Burke and Tom Murphy. The Foundation was established to provide opportunities for minority youth. By providing partnerships between students and media organizations, youths could learn, be mentored and develop into highly qualified media professionals. Emma Bowen continued her active participation as an advocate for equality in the media until she died in June 1996.

Over the years the relationships Emma Bowen established with her former broadcast adversaries became more and more congenial, based on mutual understanding, trust and respect. This camaraderie and those victories live on today through the Emma L. Bowen Foundation for Minority Interests in Media which personifies Bowen's goals and is supported by many of the same stations and networks she tackled so many years ago. Her legacy, therefore, is the thousands of men and women of color who now write, produce, direct, report, perform and manage in the television stations and networks throughout America.

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