Oakland via Facebook – Davey D Cook, the well-known and also the first Hip Hop Journalist, was celebrated in an event produced by the Bay Area Black Journalists Association (BABJA) Saturday, December 7th, from Noon-4pm at Geoffrey’s Inner Circle in Downtown Oakland.
Since this Oakland vlogger was not able to attend as I was at a funeral here in Atlanta, I’m going to liberally lift from Oakland politico Cat Brooks account, the BABJA page, and my own take, since I’ve known the man going back to the time he was a UC Berkeley student and Eshleman Hall Library Monitor while I was working on my Masters Degree in City and Regional Planning at Cal. Davey was cool because he let you bring a little food into the library as long as you cleaned up.
Here’s how the Bay Area Black Journalists Association announced the event:
THIS SATURDAY the Bay Area Black Journalists Association will honor veteran journalist, Davey “D” Cook for his decades of dedication to this community as a journalist, radio Dj, activist and educator. So many of us in media have careers that were touched by Davey through his friendship and mentoring. We are excited to pay tribute to someone who has continued to be selfless through his advocacy and mentoring.
And this was Cat Brooks account on Facebook:
Y’all Davey D Cook stood up in a room full of people and LIED. Talking about he’s an excellent bones player! Melina Abdullah – needed you in the room today lol. On a serious note – today was a beautiful celebration of the amazing life and work of Davey. Honored to see him honored and get to say a few words. Legends were in the house today to pay homage to this amazing producer, journalist, DJ, activist and human being. Much deserved my brother!
Davey D History Via Zennie62 On YouTube Videos
When we met up at the once great and opened, now closed, Pican Restaurant, near Broadway and Grand Avenue, I told Davey that he was worth at least $1 million to $2 million a year as a personality. The reason is simple: he has a way of getting right to the heart of the matter, even if its something people may not want to hear.
Just as Van Jones has his own show on CNN, Davey D should have his own show, too. In fact, Van should have Davey on as a guest. It’s one thing to celebrate a person like Davey, but you and I both know that in this world of tech investors, and in this growing list of black venture capitalists like Abyah Wynn, Stephen DeBerry, Serena Williams and Andre Igoudala, Davey should have millions backing him. That he doesn’t is a sign that we have a problem to solve.
(And if I may digress for a second, black VC’s don’t mean black startups get money. For example, I had one African American investor tell me “I don’t invest in media” and then I learned from my friend Sarah Lacy that the same person invested in her blog Pando Daily, which has since been sold to an adtech company. So, obviously, I was lied to.)
Watch and listen and see why Davey D should have his own show.
This video is from the hard days of the Oscar Grant Riots, and a particularly difficult go with the late Ron Dellums, then the Mayor of Oakland. Then, it seemed as of Mayor Dellums was fearful of coming out and talking with the press and public about the murder of Oscar Grant and what Oakland should do, and Davey D called him out on it via this Zennie62 YouTube video:
Davey D weighed in on the “Hands Across Lake Merritt Trump Protest” event:
Davey D was not shy about his views on The Force Movie after a screening at the Grand Lake Theater in Oakland. Here’s our talk:
And four years ago Davey D came on my show to blast Oakland Mayor Libby Schaaf, and set the record straight on how we came to a point where Oaklanders, especially black Oaklanders, were being priced out of their homes. This is the full 40 minute video:
Davey D Is A Living Legend Who Deserves Investment From Media Venture Capitalists And His Own Show
Davey D is much like Stephen A Smith on ESPN: prior to his post, Smith was well-known to ESPN executives, but they thought he was “too controversial” (reading: he talks about race and black issues). That all changed when on ESPN producer who had the power said “Wait. All 24 of you know who Smith is? Why isn’t he in here?” We know the rest of the story.
Davey D Cook fits into that Stephen A Smith example and also points to a short list of blacks in media who have been undervalued in a white supremacist media environment. I made that point during a disgreement Davey and I had about the late Houston Texans Founder and friend of mine Bob McNair:
The point is, that dynamic of blacks in media not securing key investments has to stop – here that DeBerry? Now. Parties, celebrations, and all that are cool, (and congrats on the BABJA Lifetime Achivement Award, Davey) but we have to start moving money toward Davey D Cook.
Stay tuned.