[Detroit, MI] – Rev. Horace L. Sheffield III, executive director of the Detroit Association of Black Organizations, issued the following statement in response to Byron Allen’s lawsuit against Comcast:
“As a media professional, activist on the front lines and a founding member of the National Action Network (NAN) an organization that is dedicated to confronting and challenging social injustice everywhere, I am appalled at Mr. Allen’s assertions and his lawsuit.
More than any other MSO, Comcast has provided opportunities for diversity and inclusion in its programming and leadership. Rev. Sharpton and I led protests around the country in opposition to the lack of diversity offered by some of the biggest MSO’s including Cablevison, Wide Open West, Charter, etc… We stood together when former Dish Network founder and CEO Charile Ergen released his dogs on us after we sought quality African American programming on his network. Comcast was the only company to outreach to us and work to achieve comparable aim.
The outcomes that Rev. Sharpton has bolstered in his quest to provide equal opportunity and variance for African Americans in front of and behind the camera have not been about forwarding his own personal agenda, but more about empowering his community—something that he works to do every day.
It is unfortunate that the Mr. Allen and the National Association of African American Owned Media (NAAAOM), a company headed by a former EVP for Entertainment Studios, (a company owned by Byron Allen) have filed this lawsuit. This suit and allegations does a disservice to those of us, including Rev. Sharpton, who have worked tirelessly to create change and REAL opportunity that benefits the majority as opposed to a select few”.
About Rev. Horace L. Sheffield, III
Rev. Horace L. Sheffield, III is the Executive Director of the Detroit Association of Black Organizations, which was founded in 1968 and serves as a collaborative federation comprising over 130 local businesses and religious organizations. Rev. Sheffield works as an advocate for various social and economic causes including the HIV/AIDS prevention, police brutality, and community redevelopment in Detroit and across the country.
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