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A Racist President Swept Up in the Reckoning

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Activist Black Editor Would Have Exulted
All-White IRE Executive Committee Resigns
L.A. Times Moves to Settle Class-Action Bias Suit
N.Y. Times Pledges Wide-Ranging Inclusion Plan
Philadelphia Inquirer Curbs Use of ‘Redskins’
72 Percent of Blacks Approve of Protest Coverage
. . Watch Your Language in Covering Protests
. . . Seek Out Journalists of Color to Mentor
Reporter in DACA Program Can Hold Head Higher
People of Color Now Majority of Those Under 16
Where Are Strategic Thinkers on D.C. Statehood?

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William Monroe Trotter is pictured in artwork for the 2017 “Independent Lens” documentary “Birth of a Movement,” about protests of the racist 1915 film “Birth of a Nation.” (Credit: WBUR-TV)

Activist Black Editor Would Have Exulted

Princeton University trustees voted to remove the name of Woodrow Wilson from its public policy school and from Wilson College, the university announced Saturday, concluding that “Wilson’s racist thinking and policies make him an inappropriate namesake for a school or college whose scholars, students, and alumni must stand firmly against racism in all its forms.”

The decision might be a fitting coda to one of the most explosive scenes in African American newspaper lore.  

“On November 12, 1914, William Monroe Trotter went to the White House,” Derrick Z. Jackson wrote in 1992 in introducing the Trotter Group of African American newspaper columnists. “Trotter, editor of the Guardian newspaper, supported President Woodrow Wilson’s election. But lynching was flaring up. Federal segregation was more rigid than ever. Trotter went to ask Wilson where he stood on racism.

“Wilson told Trotter, ‘Segregation is not humiliating but a benefit . . . Your manner offends me.’

“This started a 45-minute argument. Trotter said, ‘Two years ago, you were regarded as a second Abraham Lincoln . . . Now we colored leaders (who supported Wilson), are denounced in the colored churches as traitors to our race.’ (WIlson is at right in photo, with Trotter; Credit: History News Network)

“The argument made the front page of The New York Times. The mainstream press called Trotter everything from a poor representative of his race, to possessing ‘super-abundant untactful belligerency,’ to nigger. Many African Americans publicly criticized Trotter’s judgment. . . .”

Trotter’s opposition was far from the only reason for African American disappointment in the Virginia-born Wilson, a former Princeton president. As current Princeton President Christopher L. Eisgruber said on Saturday, “Wilson’s racism was significant and consequential even by the standards of his own time. He segregated the federal civil service after it had been racially integrated for decades, thereby taking America backward in its pursuit of justice. He not only acquiesced in but added to the persistent practice of racism in this country, a practice that continues to do harm today.  . . “

Eisgruber continued, “The board reconsidered these conclusions this month as the tragic killings of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Ahmaud Arbery, and Rayshard Brooks drew renewed attention to the long and damaging history of racism in America. Board Chair Weezie Sams ’79 and I spoke individually to members of the board, and it then met on June 26. . . .”

Journal-isms asked authors who have written about Trotter what the activist editor and publisher would make of this moment.

William Monroe Trotter’s Boston Guardian offices (Credit: Bay State Banner)

“I bet he would have rushed to put out a special edition of his paper The Guardian to announce the news with a banner headline,” messaged Dick Lehr, author of the 2014 book “The Birth of a Nation: How a Legendary Filmmaker and a Crusading Editor Reignited America’s Civil War,” about the racist film that Wilson boldly screened at the White House.

“As you know, Trotter was thrown out of the Oval Office by Wilson on November 12, 1914, for his persistence in challenging the president’s segregation of federal agencies,” Lehr messaged.

“Trotter’s wife Deenie had even prepared a hand-drawn chart showing the federal offices where the lunch rooms, bathrooms and work spaces had become segregated. The dust-up between the president and the civil rights leader made national headlines….and Trotter would certainly have made headlines out of Princeton’s decision today to remove Wilson’s name from its public policy school.”

Nicholas Patler, author of “Jim Crow and the Wilson Administration: Protesting Federal Segregation in the Early Twentieth Century,” agreed.

Patler recalled appearing at a conference at Princeton in 2006. “When it came time for my presentation, the auditorium filled up, it was packed, standing room only, and during my talk one white alum stood up and yelled at me from the audience. But the African American alumni and all the students surrounded me with such support after my talk. And then when I got home, the Dean contacted me, and explained that the students requested open dialogue based on my talk about Wilson’s racial views and how they can move forward. . . .

” I just heard from his grandniece who has co-written the screenplay with me on Trotter’s life, and she is now advocating for the change of Woodrow Wilson High School in Long Beach, California to William Monroe Trotter High School.”

All-White IRE Executive Committee Resigns

The newly elected, all-white executive committee of Investigative Reporters and Editors resigned Wednesday, saying the committee’s composition “left us heartbroken and frustrated” and warranted a new election. (Scroll down)

“This result contradicts IRE’s mission. Our Bylaws, which require an immediate vote, set up a rushed process that contributed to this outcome,” they said.

The new election is scheduled for Tuesday during a livestream video meeting of the board at 4 p.m. Eastern time, Executive Director Doug Haddix announced on Friday.

While the initial June 20 election resulted in an all-white executive committee, the committee’s Wednesday letter to board colleagues noted proudly that “members of IRE elected one of the most diverse boards in its 45-year history. Seven members were elected to the board over the weekend, including three Black members, increasing representation to a total of four. In addition, women hold a board majority for the second consecutive year.”

The letter was signed by Jodi Upton, Steven Rich, Brian Rosenthal, Bethany Barnes and Jennifer LaFleur.

L.A. Times Moves to Settle Class-Action Bias Suit

“The Los Angeles Times is moving to settle a proposed class-action lawsuit filed by six Black, Hispanic and female journalists at the paper contending that the under-representation of people of color there is a result of longstanding discriminatory pay practices,” David Folkenflik reported Thursday for NPR.

“The civil complaint, filed in California Superior Court in San Bernardino County, outside Los Angeles, is dated June 4 but has only just surfaced in court records. A corporate spokeswoman for the L.A. Times told NPR Thursday afternoon that a settlement had been reached and that it would be submitted for the court’s preliminary approval “as soon as practical.”

“The lead complainants include journalists who have contributed to Pulitzer Prize-winning coverage at the LA Times, such as Greg Braxton, who covers television, and Bettina Boxall, a leading environmental writer. Both joined the paper in the 1980s and allege they earn far less than white and male peers with less experience. Braxton is Black; Boxall is female.

“It is the latest episode in a newsroom with a fraught history over race and gender, though the L.A. Times has twice been led by executive editors of color: Dean Baquet, who is Black, and Davan Maharaj, a journalist born in Trinidad and Tobago.

“On Tuesday, Black journalists at the Los Angeles Times called out their newspaper with the hashtag #BlackatLAT — a social media protest of what they said was a pattern of racist experiences at the paper. Scores of current and former staffers participated. . .

N.Y. Times Pledges Wide-Ranging Inclusion Plan

The New York Times is pursuing a companywide initiative “to develop an ambitious, long-term strategy for making The Times more diverse, equitable and inclusive. . . .” company executives told staff members.

“In conversations and on Slack over the past few weeks, we have heard from many black colleagues, and other people of color around the company, that they do not feel sufficiently part of decision making, feel fully valued in our culture, or see a clear path for advancement,” the June 18 memo said. “This is something we must change.” It was signed by A.G. Sulzberger, publisher; Dean Baquet, executive editor; Meredith Kopit Levien, executive vice president and chief operating officer; and Mark Thompson, president and CEO.

The note also said, “This work will be guided by three senior executives: Amber Guild, SVP and president, T Brand; Anand Venkatesan, SVP, Strategy and Operations; and Carolyn Ryan (pictured), assistant managing editor. Over the next month or so, they will assemble a diverse advisory council, work with experts to shape a plan and share updates about how interested colleagues can participate. And they will deliver a strategy by the end of the year, so that they have time to consult widely, consider options carefully, and build buy-in for the sustained effort and long-term commitment that will be required to drive progress.

“We will also take a few other actions as that broader work kicks off. The entire top of the company — executive committee members, masthead editors, desk heads and department heads — will participate in training on racial equity and inclusion. . . . “

“At the same time, the newsroom leadership is embarking on a major effort to ensure that The Times fulfills our commitment to diversity in every aspect of our culture and our journalism. The team will be led by two of the newsroom’s masthead leaders: Joe Kahn, managing editor, and Monica Drake (pictured), assistant managing editor. . . .”

The Neshaminy School District in Bucks County, Pa., has spent roughly $435,000 defending a team name widely considered a racial slur for Native Americans, Philadelphia public radio station WHYY reported in December. “And taxpayers are on the hook for more.” (Credit: Eugene Sonn/WHYY)

Philadelphia Inquirer Curbs Use of ‘Redskins’

The Philadelphia Inquirer has decided to use “Washington” and not “Redskins” to refer to the NFL team whenever possible, declaring, “While generally we should not censor what teams call themselves, imagine another ethnic slur as part of a team name.” The policy also applies to a local team, the Neshaminy Redskins in Bucks County, Pa.

Wednesday’s memo from Assistant Managing Editor David Sullivan and the newsroom Style Committee also reiterated a change in style from “black” to “Black” “as an adjective in a racial, ethnic or cultural sense, reflecting a shared identity and community rather than a skin color alone”; and offered new guidance on terms involving slavery and police shootings.

“Instead of referring to people as slaves, refer to enslaved or captive people, to emphasize that these were (and are) people forced into bondage,” the memo says. “Avoid terms such as master and slave owner; use words like enslaver or who held in slavery. Be mindful of ways that language might minimize the reality of slavery; for example, slave mistress can obscure the sexual violence involved. Avoid hyperbolic phrases with the term slave, like sex slave or slave over a hot stove.”

The committee repeated its March ruling not to use “officer-involved shooting,” or “police-involved shooting.” “Such language serves the police, not the reader, and is not the clearest way to describe what happened. While a story should note all details that led to the shooting, use a succinct sentence that clearly identifies who shot whom.”

The Native American Journalists Association has long advocated against the term “Redskins” as a team name.

As Matthew Paras reported Thursday for The Washington Times, “the NFL team on Wednesday “removed founding owner and segregationist George Preston Marshall’s name from the Ring of Fame and all other team material, such as their website and History Wall in Ashburn, Virginia. Marshall’s statue was removed last week by DC Events in a move the city called ‘overdue.’ Marshall was the last NFL owner to integrate his team, not doing so until 1962.”

The Associated Press held a Twitter discussion on style regarding racial terms on Wednesday; the tweets are collected here. 

72 Percent of Blacks Approve of Protest Coverage

When it comes to news coverage of the demonstrations that followed the May 25 police killing of George Floyd, “more Americans offer a positive assessment than a negative one,” Amy Mitchell, Mark Jurkowitz, J. Baxter Oliphant and Elisa Shearer reported June 12 for the Pew Research Center. “Most U.S. adults (57%) say news organizations have done a ‘good’ or ‘excellent’ job, compared with 42% who give the news media an ‘only fair’ or ‘poor’ assessment.

“Differences in the evaluations of [President] Trump and the news media are particularly dramatic when it comes to black Americans,” the Pew report continued. “A full 85% say the message Trump has been putting out is mostly (21%) or completely wrong (64%), while only 13% say it is right. Conversely, about seven-in-ten black adults (72%) say the media have done a good or excellent job covering the demonstrations in the wake of George Floyd’s killing. . . .”

They also wrote, “Black and white adults offer varying perspectives on the amount of coverage the news media are giving to some of the storylines. For example, about half of black adults (51%) say there has been too little coverage of the decisions around whether to prosecute Minneapolis police officers for Floyd’s killing, while just 28% of white Americans ag

“A similar gap exists on the larger issue of race relations – 55% of black Americans say that subject has not been receiving enough attention, compared with 33% of white Americans who say the same. . . . .”

 

“Tamir Rice was also meant to turn 18 this year,” Nicquel Terry Ellis and Deborah Barfield Berry wrote Monday, updated Wednesday, for USA Today. “The 12-year-old Black child was shot to death by a police officer in November 2014 while playing with a toy gun at a park in Cleveland. . . . Ahead of what would have been Tamir’s 18th birthday on June 25, the USA TODAY Network talked to 31 teenagers about growing up Black in America. . . .”

. . . Watch Your Language in Covering Protests

“Dr. Danielle Kilgo (pictured, below) studies media portrayals of social movements . . .,” Cinnamon Janzer wrote Monday for Columbia Journalism Review.

“In a recent story for The Conversation, Kilgo compares protests including anti-Trump demonstrations and the Women’s March to those against anti-Black racism and Indigenous rights. The former, she writes, ‘gave voice to protesters and significantly explored their grievances.’ The latter, however, ‘received the least legitimizing coverage, with [protesters] more often seen as threatening and violent.’ “

Janzer asked, “What can journalists do to begin to change the status quo?”

Kilgo replied, “One of the easiest choices to make is to use active voice. Police teargassed protesters. Assign entities to actions they perform. Make police responsible for their actions, just like journalists make protesters responsible for their actions.

“If you’re going to call people ‘angry protesters,’ it is so important for you to include why they’re frustrated, why they’re furious. Any time you use an emotion word, explain what’s behind that emotion to legitimize the movement as not just a bunch of angry people out on the streets making cars stop. . . .

“Sometimes you’ll get soundbites from particular protesters, but listen to multiple voices and make sure that you synthesize the real reason why people are there. Try to look for quotes that can directly articulate a grievance, demand, agenda, or all three.

“Another thing is diversifying newsrooms and editors. When the Philadelphia Inquirer‘s front page says, ‘Buildings Matter, Too,’ that cover got through a couple of editors. Diversity in the newsroom isn’t going to fix all these problems, but it could help you avoid that particular problem. . . .”

Aiyana Ishmael interviews Eric Winkfield, public affairs manager for the Pepco energy company, for Sirius XM’s HBCU Channel 142. (Credit: Poynter Institute/Courtesy)

. . . Seek Out Journalists of Color to Mentor

“I am a middle-class Black woman coming from a two-parent household and I struggled to make an unpaid internship work,” Aiyana Ishmael wrote Friday for the Poynter Institute under the headline, “In 20 years I’m going to run your newsroom. Here’s how to help me get there.”

“Now imagine the hundreds of other Black student journalists who cannot dare to ask their parents to even consider letting them go. Not because it won’t be beneficial, but because it’s not in their budget.

“This is how our White counterparts get ahead. Their networking, relationship-building, and newsroom guidance starts ahead of ours, when they can afford to take financial risks like unpaid internships and commit to low-paying student newspaper jobs because their safety nets are so much larger and deeper than ours.

“But the issue doesn’t stop at unpaid internships. . . .

“This connection I built with varying journalists is the type of mentorship all Black and brown student journalists need in an industry where they’re once again the minority. Mentorship can come in all shapes and sizes — it doesn’t necessarily take a constant relationship. Sometimes all it takes is responding to an email once, meeting up for coffee, looking out for the student journalists of color in your white-washed newsroom. . . .”

 

 

Andrea Lopez-Villafaña: “There is a long road ahead for the thousands of DACA recipients with stories like mine,” (Credit San Diego Union-Tribune):

Reporter in DACA Program Can Hold Head Higher

The June 18 Supreme Court ruling upholding the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program “gave me peace and a sense of relief knowing that I can continue living and working in this country as a reporter for The San Diego Union-Tribune,” Andrea Lopez-Villafaña wrote that day for the Union-Tribune.

“I can continue covering the stories of San Diego’s neighborhoods and doing my part to highlight inequity in our communities through storytelling.

“I moved to the U.S. when I was about 5 years old. My parents decided to leave Mexico after my dad lost his job as a security guard for the mayor of the city of Tlaquepaque. . . .

“I applied for DACA my junior year of high school and was accepted. . . .

“While I was being granted an opportunity to achieve the American Dream, my dad was being taken away from the only life he knew for more than 15 years. He was deported a day before my high school graduation and although he lives in Tijuana, less than 30 minutes from my Barrio Logan apartment, I can’t visit him because of my immigration status.

“I’ve worked in journalism for the last three years and have had the tremendous opportunity to cover stories of individuals and communities in San Diego. I know the fight is not over, but at least today I can pick up my head a little higher knowing that I’m safe for now.

“There is a long road ahead for the thousands of DACA recipients with stories like mine.”

People of Color Now Majority of Those Under 16

“For the first time, nonwhites and Hispanics were a majority of people under age 16 in 2019, an expected demographic shift that will grow over the coming decades, according to figures released by the U.S. Census Bureau on Thursday,” Mike Schneider reported for the Associated Press.

” ‘We are browning from bottom up in our age structure,’ said William Frey, a senior fellow at The Brookings Institution. ‘This is going to be a diversified century for the United States, and it’s beginning with this youngest generation.’

“At the same time, the number of non-Hispanic whites in the U.S. has gotten smaller in the past decade as deaths surpassed births in this aging demographic, according to the Census Bureau population estimates. . . .”

Where Are Strategic Thinkers on D.C. Statehood?

We’re missing Cokie Roberts’ political smarts. In a historic vote, the House of Representatives voted nearly along party lines on Friday to grant statehood to Washington, D.C., the first time a chamber of Congress has approved establishing the nation’s capital as a state. (Pictured: facemask with D.C. flag )

If approved, “Washington, Douglass Commonwealth” would become the state with the largest percentage of African Americans, but the measure is expected to die in the Senate.

In a 2014 appearance at the National Archives, Roberts, the late ABC News and NPR commentator who died in September at 75, was asked what strategies D.C. might use to win statehood. Roberts and her co-panelist, Todd S. Purdum, formerly of the New York Times, invoked what apparently no one today is thinking about: history.

“What it would take is the District turning Republican,” Roberts said, noting that the District would surely add two more Democratic seats to the Senate, which Republicans would never approve.

Then Purdum recalled that Arizona and New Mexico, admitted to the union in 1912, were originally supposed to be one state. But Congress, realizing that this new state would probably be Republican, agreed to admit them as two states instead, so as to give the Democrats a chance. Today, New Mexico has two Democratic senators; Arizona has one Republican and one Democrat.

Who among commentators, let alone politicians, is thinking about old-fashioned horse trading?

 

“For the cover of TIME’s July 6 double issue, we commissioned Atlanta artist Charly Palmer to capture a moment in which Americans will see whether their country is able to live up to its promise,” Time creative director D.W. Pine wrote Thursday. “The resulting 40-by-30-in. acrylic painting, of a little girl faced with both the injustice of today and America’s historical role in it, is titled ‘In Her Eyes,’. . . .”

Short Takes

 

Suzan Shown Harjo receives the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2014 from President Barack Obama. (Credit: Duke Ray Harjo II.)

 

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