Posted July 23, 2008

New York rapper Nas has teamed with activists from MoveOn.org and ColorOfChange.org in an organized protest of conservative media bastion Fox News. The group was scheduled to deliver a petition of 600,000 signatures to the network's headquarters in Manhattan with demands that Fox end what protesters call a "pattern of racist attacks against Black Americans including presidential candidate Barack Obama and his wife Michelle."

The delivery was to take place at 2:00, according the Eurweb.com.

The protest singles out a few recent references as examples of their charge of racism:

• A caption referred to Michelle Obama as "Obama's baby mama;"
  
• An anchor called Barack and Michelle's fist pound a "terrorist fist jab;"
  
• A commentator confused "Obama" with "Osama" and joked about killing both; and
  
• Host Bill O'Reilly using the term "lynch party" in criticism of Michelle Obama for comments she made about being proud of America.
  

Nas' participation may be just the rub the protest needs to set the issue on fire. The rapper's untitled album, which was released July 15, has just claimed the top spot on the Billboard album charts. The CD was to be titled Nigger, but the name was pulled after pressure from activists and retail outlets.

In wining Nas' fifth career #1, Untitled toppled New Orleans rapper Lil Wayne's mega hit Tha Carter III, which had been on top for weeks.