The Urban Voice interview with Publisher Joseph C. Abraham August 13, 2008

What is the impetus for creating a magazine geared towards an ‘urban’ demographic? Quite frankly, we need a voice. The community needs a voice. West Las Vegas in particular has undergone significant changes over the course of the last decade and yet, I am left to wonder how many of our citizens were actively involved in the ‘process,’ which will have a dramatic impact on our lives for years to come. How many of us were aware the ‘process’ even existed? If we were aware of the ‘process,’ how many of our citizens understood the negative consequences of standing idly by and thus remaining passive observers?

For instance, the City of Las Vegas, Ward 5 under the governance of Councilman Lawrence Weekly and his successor Councilman Ricki Barlow has experienced tremendous growth. The World Market Center, the Fremont Street Experience, the continuing development of the former ‘Union Pacific’ rail-yards, are all fine examples of new development, a revitalization of ‘Downtown Las Vegas.’ How has that development affected ‘West Las Vegas?’ Could more have been done by Messrs. Barlow and Weekly, to direct funding for projects having a greater impact on the people residing in ‘West Las Vegas?’ Or, have we as a community failed to support Messrs. Barlow and Weekly as they champion our ward, in a fight with the ‘political machine?’

Ultimately, I want to engage the community in discussion. Call me pessimistic, but I am certain there will be instances where I disagree with statements being made by contributors to ‘The Urban Voice.’ Nevertheless, by providing the community with a platform for their voice to be heard, it is my sincere hope that we will come together and become more actively involved in the ‘process.’

How can a small upstart compete with mainstream media outlets such as the Las Vegas Review Journal? The most obvious answer is that we are soliciting readership from a more narrowly defined demographic than the Las Vegas Review Journal. We are interested in how events shape the lives of urban professionals here in Las Vegas. At some point, perhaps we will broaden our geographic scope, but at least initially, we are concerned with putting our house in order.

The African American community in Las Vegas, Nevada already has The Sentinel Voice. Why is a second paper necessary? I have a great deal of respect for Ramon Savoy of The Sentinel Voice; however, we have completely different business models. We are a monthly magazine (as opposed to a weekly newspaper) whose primary focus will be the development of content deemed relevant to the African American community in Las Vegas, Nevada. We have been fortunate with regard to our ability to attract top professionals in a variety of fields including, arts and entertainment, community activism, education, hip hop culture, leadership, personal finance, political commentary and women’s issues, who will each contribute commentary on a monthly basis. To be clear, these are by no means, traditional ‘journalists.’ These are professionals in their fields, community activists, and political leaders, who have come together to begin developing a dialogue within the Community. Of course, we are still looking to expand our topics of discussion, and welcome the community’s participation in something we believe will make a difference. As such, if you are interested in becoming a ‘contributing writer,’ please CLICK HERE.

However, the most obvious difference between our two publications is The Urban Voice’s intent to maintain a strong Internet presence. The Urban Voice will develop and maintain an online community directory which will facilitate networking amongst its readers and visitors to its online platform. The directory will provide visitors with immediate contact information to business, community, and political leaders throughout the Las Vegas Valley. Moreover, our Internet platform will host a community events calendar, which will catalog event information in a number of different categories (business & networking, community events, live entertainment events, nightclub events, political events, religious events, sporting events, and youth oriented events). The online community directory and events calendar, will each serve to drive traffic to our Internet platform and increase our publication’s readership numbers.

Recently, the Las Vegas Review Journal published an article outlining robbery charges filed by the State of Nevada against Democratic Candidate for State Assembly District 7 Anthony D. Snowden. Mr. Snowden is the ‘face’ of The Urban Voice, in his capacity as Community Affairs Coordinator. Can you please share your thoughts on the situation? [ NOTE: To review the article, written by Annette Wells, and published on Saturday, July 19, 2008, please CLICK HERE. ] My first reaction is Mr. Snowden, as an American, should be afforded his Fifth Amendment right to due process of law. Any rush to judgment, without all of the available information, would be premature. As such, I will reserve comment regarding the circumstances surrounding the alleged incident. However, that being said, several questions intrigue me.

The alleged incident took place in August of 2007. Mr. Snowden filed for his candidacy against Morse Arberry on May 15, 2008. Mr. Snowden was notified of a warrant having been issued for his arrest on June 9, 2008 he turned himself in, and was subsequently arraigned on July 11, 2008. The Las Vegas Review Journal published an article on Saturday, July 19, 2008. Why was the article published on Saturday, July 19, 2008? At what point did the Office of the Clark County District Attorney decided to file charges against Mr. Snowden? Was their decision politically motivated?

As the case moves forward, I can assure you I will take an active interest in seeking a resolution that is just for all concerned parties. Regardless of the outcome, I will remain steadfast in my support of Mr. Snowden. He is truly passionate about making a change for the better in West Las Vegas. We are all human, and as the saying goes ‘to err is human…to forgive is divine.’

It has been said you have seen your own share of legal troubles? I have made no attempt to hide from my past. In fact, the name of the Company I founded (62030 Media, Inc.) utilizes the inmate number assigned to me by the Nevada Department of Prisons. So, to answer your question, ‘yes’ I have had my own share of legal troubles. For the most part, I have learned from my past indiscretions.

Would you care to elaborate on the reason you were incarcerated? In June of 1999, I was convicted of Extortion in the Collection of a Debt and Burglary with the Use of a Deadly Weapon. Is that specific enough? At the time, I was involved in numerous seedy activities that included both ‘white’ and ‘blue’ collar crimes. Consequently I was sentenced by Judge Kathy Hardcastle to serve twenty four (24) to sixty (60) months in the Nevada Department of Prisons. The sentence was later reduced to 12 to 60 months, and I was released on Parole after serving approximately 20 months of the sentence. It is safe to say that once my son, Daniel Joseph, was born (November 9, 2003) I have not participated in any overtly illegal activities. In the interest of full disclosure I have been ticketed for numerous ‘Parking Violations’ and ‘Speeding.’ But with regard to that, I must as ‘have you ever tried to park in downtown Las Vegas?’

Additionally, I am currently awaiting the disposition of a Misdemeanor Domestic Battery arrest, which occurred in June of 2008. Without going into too many details I will say that though unfortunate, exchanges between two estranged parents can grow rather intense in a short period of time. Candidly speaking, I will not elaborate further on the most recent arrest until the matter is resolved in a court of law. As of this interview, the case has not been assigned by the District Attorney’s staff for prosecution. If you require additional information regarding this specific matter, please feel free to contact Paul E. Wommer, Esq. at (702) 388-8817.

Given your background how can you reasonably expect stakeholders in the Community to embrace your current efforts? For my part, I have provided full disclosure. I have acknowledged my previous mistakes, and I am in the process of moving forward. In seeking redemption, I have chosen to utilize my strengths in order to publish The Urban Voice, which I sincerely believe will have a positive impact on the Community.

As a company, 62030 Media, Inc. has pledged to donate 10% of its gross revenue to local charities in the communities it serves. Furthermore, we are in the process of establishing a bi-annual scholarship program at the University of Nevada at Las Vegas, which will be awarded to students in Las Vegas, Nevada. We are assisting in numerous voter registration drives throughout City of Las Vegas, Ward 5. I would ask you, how many for-profit entities are willing to mirror our level of ‘corporate responsibility?’

Earlier you alluded to your son, Daniel Joseph, please tell us more. Daniel is a walking, talking reason to become more active in the Community. It is for him, that I wish to create a legacy, a legacy of excellence. I realize that my past is, to say the very least, colorful; however, by striving to be a positive role model, a mentor, I can show him how to become a productive member of our community.

And his mother? Our relationship is complicated and in many ways, I can imagine our situation mirrors that of my peers in the Community. As a two parent household, where each parent is forced to work in order to make ends meet, relationships have a tendency to become strained. Quite frankly, I am not certain that by the time this is published, we will be living together. That having been said, I will, as I have in the past, determine the most appropriate course of action to insure I am able to provide for our son.

Are there any special acknowledgements you would like to make with regard to The Urban Voice? Absolutely, I do. Were it not for Anthony Snowden’s constant pressure, The Urban Voice would not have come into being, so it is only logical that I start by acknowledging his participation. His assistance has ranged from securing a location for our office to aligning community support for this Project. I could not have asked for a more ardent supporter of the idea and I am thankful to have him as of member of our team. In a similar fashion, Rodney Smith has been instrumental in recruiting top professionals to become ‘contributing writers.’ We have spent countless hours on the telephone, discussing everything from attracting qualified writers, to establishing our corporate identity. His organizational methods and business networking credentials have been put to the test in developing this Project. I must also thank Katherine Duncan for bringing the three of us together, initially as founding members of the Ward 5 Chamber of Commerce. She has been a catalyst for change in the Community, and her efforts should be recognized.

More than that, I would like to thank those individuals who have chosen to take the role of ‘contributing writers;’ Patricia Cunningham, Che' Jones, Billie Wilson, and Dr. Linda Young (in addition to several others who have come one board during the last couple of days). I would be remiss if I failed to acknowledge Kena Adams and Curtis McCall who will be handling Advertising Sales. Most importantly, I need to thank those members of the Community who attended our launch party on Friday, August 8, 2008 and those who are reading this interview. Thank you all very much!