Alonzo Gets Over on American Gangster

Sprint is the second major sponsor to see the light and end their sponsorship of American Gangster thanks to the work of Alonzo Washington. Here's the magnitude of this, here is the headline I would write . . . Popular Myspace Blogger Costs Cable Company Hundreds of Thousands of Dollars.

Sure, Alonzo Washington isn't just a blogger and he's worked for many years in and around KC in order to advocate for the Black Community but the fact remains that in terms of this issue . . . He started his initiative against the stupid BET show with something as simple as a blog post.

Local activist Alonzo Washington has a big problem with BET’s “American Gangster” series, setting his sights on those companies that have advertised on the show, including Verizon and Sprint.

And Washington has been successful, in a way. Both wireless companies say they have declined any further participation in the series, which Washington says glorifies a culture of violence in the African-American community.

What's more, for the most part Washington's efforts are merely what he chooses to do with his spare time . . . Stories like these are one of many reasons why I'm excited about blogs and why I think this type of media has the unprecedented potential to level the playing field between the Mainstream media and the man on the street.