New Black Central Station News Portal Launched

 

  • Black News and Views Hub Intended to Increase Understanding between Racial Groups

    Washington, D.C. – The National Center for Public Policy Research announces the launch of a new “news portal” website dedicated to increasing understanding between minority and majority comities in the United States and eliminating unnecessary, often politically-inspired, divisiveness.

    The news portal, “Black Central Station,” consists of constantly-updated news and opinion sources relating to, about, or from members of the black community within the United States.

    The news portal will publish information and opinions without regard to their viewpoint, as long as the views do not endorse violence, promote libel, or are otherwise illegal or immoral.

    BlackCentralStation1“Recognizing that race relations in the United States are thought by many to have become strikingly worse in the last few years, we intend to help improve that by improving understanding,” said Amy Ridenour, chairman of the National Center for Public Policy Research, which sponsors the website. “We see far too many instances in which people believe other people hold views that they simply do not hold, and resent them for it. One way out of this is to help everyone easily, efficiently and conveniently learn what their fellow Americans really are thinking.”

    “In this post-election season, our nation seems more divided than it has in decades. We are seeing hate crimes against people of certain ethnicities and religions, and also against those who voted for a certain candidate. Two sides are demonizing each other and then responding defensively, with few finding middle ground,” said Jennifer Biddison, an editor for Black Central Station. “With Black Central Station, we aim to have all sides hear each other. We challenge everyone to listen and to empathize and to put themselves in the shoes of those who disagree with them. If you have never personally experienced racism, learn from first-hand accounts and empathize with those who have. If you can’t understand how anyone could have voted for a certain candidate, go beyond the extremist talking heads we often see in the media and try to understand other points of view. At Black Central Station, we are doing what we can to promote a diversity of black voices and foster understanding and discussion and open-mindedness. We will also draw attention to stories that Americans and members of the media may have missed elsewhere.”

    “Americans won’t be unified if we aren’t part of the same conversation,” Ridenour concluded. “Some politicians and political groups have sought to benefit by driving Americans apart based on race and other circumstances of birth. It’s doubtful that these politicians benefited, except perhaps just a few of them, and then only in the short run. We all benefit when, in the words of the late Rodney King, we just get along. That doesn’t mean agree. It means understand where each other is coming from, and respect everyone of good will.”

    Black Central Station can be found online at www.blackcentralstation.org.

    The National Center for Public Policy Research, founded in 1982, is a non-partisan, free-market, independent conservative think-tank. Ninety-four percent of its support comes from individuals, less than four percent from foundations, and less than two percent from corporations. It receives over 350,000 individual contributions a year from over 96,000 active recent contributors. Sign up for free issue alerts here or follow us on Twitter at @NationalCenter.

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The National Center for Public Policy Research is a communications and research foundation supportive of a strong national defense and dedicated to providing free market solutions to today’s public policy problems. We believe that the principles of a free market, individual liberty and personal responsibility provide the greatest hope for meeting the challenges facing America in the 21st century.