“Black women have been telling the truth about America for a long time. As a Black woman in journalism, my obligation is no less than that.” (via glamourmag)
The last two weeks feel like they’ve lasted two years. Before the protests, I was traveling and profiling a Black teenager who lost her father to COVID-19 before her high school graduation. I came home to the stories of Christian Cooper and George Floyd. Then I woke up to see my friend, reporter Omar Jimenez, arrested by the Minneapolis police on television.
Discounting these lived experiences has real ramifications. One of the things that’s so exhausting for Black journalists is this constant feeling of “Yes, and.” It is so frustrating when someone you had a conversation with four years ago—or six months ago or last week or just 24 hours ago—comes to you later and says, “I had. I had no idea things were this bad.” Because all that tells me is it didn’t matter when I said it.
Each day I wake up I’m focused on telling a story from my hometown which has been ravaged by coronavirus. I feel a duty, especially now as many Americans still work from home, to tell the complex story of America. For many D.C. protesters I’ve spoken to, they want their voices heard as they come to peacefully protest for the first time in their lives. They want to be seen and heard. Some have tears in their eyes and pain in their hearts.
I think lived experience makes stories better, but also, when I’m out talking to people, it’s not just about the articles. As a journalist and as a Black journalist, I also believe in helping people navigate the media. In the age of Trump, journalists have to educate people about how the media works. A lot of people don’t trust the media to tell their stories. People don’t want to give their names or talk about their experiences, and I understand that. They feel burned.
Not every reporter—and not every Black reporter—can be out there with the rubber bullets and the tear gas. I think a lot of journalists feel like if you’re not out there, you’re not doing your bit. But at the same time, there are other stories we have to keep telling, and I can think about what those are.Courtesy Lauretta Charlton
Black journalists are indispensable in this country and their legacy has long been overshadowed. But I think of Black women like Almena Lomax, of the, and Alice Allison Dunnigan, the first Black woman to cover the White House. Their work keeps me going.
United States Latest News, United States Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
'Black on Black Crime' Is A Myth, And Here's WhyWhenever black people try to talk about police brutality, it is inevitable that a white person will come in and say, “What about black on black crime?'
Read more »
History with a dash of cynicism: Iranian solidarity with Black AmericaIn 1984, the Islamic Republic issued a stamp of Malcom X in a show of solidarity Opinion | GiorgioCafiero
Read more »
“No, I Am Not Okay”: A Black Journalist Addresses His White FriendsWith a new daughter entering a world defined by protests and a pandemic, a middle-aged father feels his faith in America—or, more accurately, “Great-Again America”—slipping away.
Read more »
Not just George Floyd: Police departments have 400-year history of anti-black racismFrom slave patrols to police brutality and the Black Lives Matter social justice movement, police departments have long been seen anti-black.
Read more »
An At-Home Chest Workout to Round Out Your Strength RoutineAll you need is 20 minutes, a set of weights, and some motivation. 💪
Read more »