Articles Feature Washington Post Metro Seven

The Washington Post’s Metro Seven (con’t)

Members of the Washington Post Metro Seven reunite at the New York home of Clifford and Adele Alexander on Sept. 29, 2018. The Metro Seven were black Washington Post reporters who filed an EEOC complaint against the newspaper with the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission in 1972. Cliff Alexander was the group's lawyer. Penny Mickelbury was unable to be present; Michael B. Hodge died lin 2017. . Story on the Metro Seven (Credit: Adele Alexander)
Members of the Washington Post Metro Seven reunite at the New York home of Clifford and Adele Alexander on Sept. 29, 2018. The Metro Seven were black Washington Post reporters who filed an EEOC complaint against the newspaper with the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission in 1972. Cliff Alexander was the group’s lawyer. Penny Mickelbury was unable to be present; Michael B. Hodge died in 2017. < http://bit.ly/2w7ZE3n >. Story on the Metro Seven < http://bit.ly/2vODU8z > (Credit: Adele Alexander)

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The Documents

The documents exchanged in 1972 as the young black reporters negotiated with management of the Washington Post over equal employment opportunity.

Metro Seven 20 questions-largeMetro Seven-20 questions-page 2-largeMetro Seven-20 questions-page 3-letter
Metro Seven-Feb. 8 letter
Metro Seven-ultimatims on principle
Metro Seven-Feb. Bradlee response

Feb. 14 from Bradlee
Page 2 Bradlee-Feb. 14

(Feb. 14 — Five-page response to Metro Seven questions)

Feb. 14, 1972
Feb. 14, 1972

There are no blacks yet in top editorial management positions because we have never known of a black candidate with the experience, record of past performance and ability to handle the job as we feel it should be handled. We do think we have blacks on the staff now who will be qualified soon.

Bradlee answers-2

You ask why the Africa bureauOn the question of a black reporterAt no time did I sayMike Hodge to Bradlee

AAPlan
AAPlan1

AAPlan p.2AAplan-p3
Metro Seven-Page 4 goalsAAPlan p.6AA Plan P. 5
Ron-here are
Metro Seven-Dear Penny
Post's AA program
Metro Seven-March 10-page 2Metro Seven-Maynard letterMetro Seven-Maynard letter2
unacceptable

Metro seven-March 16-to staff(Ombudsman Ben Bagdikian gives the public [and many staffers] their first details about the reporters’ negotiations with management.)

Bagdikian top

Metro Seven-Bagdikian-middle

first column: . . . Williams, Connolly and Califano, who also know their way around.

On February 28 the blacks issued their Affirmative Action Program which called for all major units in the Post newsroom to be from 35 to 45 percent black within one year.

Second column:  There are all kinds of “qualified” characteristics in the bizarre business of journalism.

INSTITUTIONS have to be qualified, too. How qualified is a white institution like the . . .

 
Metro Seven Press statement-0

Metro Seven Press statement-2Metro Seven press statement-3Metro Seven press statement-4Metro Seven-press statement5

Metro Seven-Press statement 6

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