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1619’s Gift to McConnell’s Ancestors

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Is That Why the Senator Downplays the Date?
A Native Commentator Might Be Best Response
Covering COVID Takes Toll on Journalists
Alcindor Pledges to Think of the Vulnerable
Philly Inquirer Plans Year-Long Project on Racism
‘News Directing While Black,’ Explained
White House Fills Posts for Black, Hispanic Media
Media Cover Environmental Impact, Not Injustices
Extremist Gets 3½ Years; Targeted Journalists

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Is That Why the Senator Downplays the Date?

It’s anyone’s guess whether Mitch McConnell would have expected that his latest attack on “The 1619 Project,” in which the Senate minority leader argues that the year enslaved Africans arrived in Virginia was really not an important date in U.S. history, would prompt a discussion about the McConnell family’s own slaveholding past.

But that’s what happened Tuesday on MSNBC’s “The ReidOut,” when host Joy Reid brought on Nikole Hannah-Jones, the New York Times Magazine writer who created the award-winning project on the origins of slavery in the United States.

McConnell said Monday at the University of Louisville, “I think this is about American history and the most important dates in American history. And my view — and I think most Americans think — dates like 1776, the Declaration of Independence; 1787, the Constitution; 1861-1865, the Civil War, are sort of the basic tenets of American history,” Morgan Watkins reported for the Courier Journal in Louisville, Ky.

“There are a lot of exotic notions about what are the most important points in American history. I simply disagree with the notion that The New York Times laid out there that the year 1619 was one of those years.

“I think that issue that we all are concerned about — racial discrimination — it was our original sin. We’ve been working for 200-and-some-odd years to get past it,” McConnell continued. “We’re still working on it, and I just simply don’t think that’s part of the core underpinning of what American civic education ought to be about.”

Watkins continued, “McConnell and almost 40 of his fellow Senate Republicans sent a letter to U.S. Education Secretary Miguel Cardona criticizing a proposed plan to prioritize educational efforts that focus on systemic racism in U.S. history.”

Reid said Tuesday on “The ReidOut,” “Nikole, I have to go to you first because you have been firing them up, throwing WBD, the boys down, you know, like firecrackers all over Twitter.”

Reid noted that McConnell (pictured below, by Michael Clevenger/Courier Journal) has “also said that he’s attacking President Biden’s anti-racism focus, and he’s said it’s divisive and he`s joining in the protests against teaching systemic racism, saying it would give students a slanted story.”

Hannah-Jones replied, “1619 was an important date for Mitch McConnell’s own family, because his own family left Virginia, came to Alabama to start cotton plantations, owned dozens of other human beings and his own wealth and status [were] acquired because of the legacy of slavery.

“So we know that . . . no one can argue that 1619 was not a foundational date in American history. It nearly led to the demise of our entire nation in 1865 but also it was personally important for Mitch McConnell himself. So when you hear people like him saying that teaching the facts of American history [is] divisive, maybe that’s because we have a divisive history in this country. So he’s not saying that we shouldn’t teach the truth, he’s saying that apparently the truth is too difficult for our nation to bear and that we’re far too fragile to be able to withstand the scrutiny of the truth.”

Reid responded, “Thank you, first because now we understand why he doesn’t want it taught because I don’t want you to learn about me. Tom Cotton had the same issue.”

Reid then referenced Hannah-Jones’ tweets that day noting “that [scholar-activist W.E.B.] Du Bois wrote — and I think this is so brilliant, that people should read more Du Bois — that the facts of American history have been — in the last half century — been falsified because the nation was ashamed but also that history has one of two purposes, either to inform you and make you know it, make you understand the past or to assuage your need to feel heroic.

“And American history has, up until now, really been taught as a balm to make Americans feel patriotic and feel good about the country, not as a way to inform people. Most Americans don`t know very much about American history.”

“From the mind of the talented executive producer who brought us the acclaimed ABC series, ‘Soul of a Nation,’ we present the animated short film, ‘White Fatigue.’ Authored and narrated by Robe Imbriano and executive produced and creative directed by BigStar’s own Josh Norton, the film was created to drive awareness around the phenomenon of white fatigue and how it perpetuates systemic racial inequality and injustice. . . .”

Hannah-Jones isn’t the first to note the slaveholding background of McConnell’s family. “Two of his great-great-grandfathers were slave owners, U.S. census records show,” Corky Siemaszko reported in 2019 for NBC News.

On The Root Thursday, Michael Harriot (pictured) took a different tack.

“The Root decided to see what some of the signatories to Mitch McConnell’s Strawberry Letter knew about slavery and Black history. We dug through state curriculum standards, yearbooks and spoke with teachers to see which interpretation of history the white tears-spewing politicians learned when they were in elementary and high school.”

Harriot’s conclusion: “This is why they oppose expanding the historiography of our national story. American schools have never taught a version of history that wasn’t racialized. But, apparently, it’s perfectly fine if the racial narrative skews toward whiteness. They can’t be opposed to learning a different historical perspective because they never learned history; they were spoonfed fiction in bite-sized morsels.”

Julian Brave NoiseCat used an example from the Pittsburgh area, Rick Santorum’s own part of the world, to make his point. “During the U.S. War of Independence, the nascent Congress dispatched commissioners to Fort Pitt to negotiate a treaty between the newly independent colonies and the Lenape — the United States’ first with Native nations. As in every other treaty Americans would forge with tribes, the Americans promised a lot — even suggesting, according to historical accounts, that the Lenape and other tribes could be admitted to the union as a state — but in actuality, delivered little.”

A Native Commentator Might Be Best Response

“CNN analyst Rick Santorum’s claim that he misspoke during a recent speech where he said there was ‘nothing here’ when the United States was founded did little to diminish anger against him,” David Bauder reported Tuesday for the Associated Press.

“The National Congress of American Indians on Tuesday renewed calls for CNN to fire the former Pennsylvania senator. The group’s president, Fawn Sharp, called Santorum arrogant for comments made to Chris Cuomo on Monday night.

“ ‘I was optimistic he would own it, he would recognize it and he would apologize,’ Sharp said, ‘but he did none of those things.’

“CNN has not commented on Santorum’s initial remarks in an April 23 speech before Young America’s Foundation, a conservative youth organization, and did not on Tuesday, either. There’s been no indication of a change in status for Santorum, a commentator who was often tasked with giving the Republican point of view during campaign coverage. . . .”

Bauder also wrote, “CNN’s Don Lemon . . . said he was furious watching the interview in his office and wanted to apologize to viewers who were insulted by it. . . .

“Sharp said anger against CNN was building in Native American communities and that a petition circulating calling for Santorum’s firing has more than 15,000 signatures.”

In Canada’s National Observer on Wednesday, Julian Brave NoiseCat (pictured) of the Canim Lake Band Tsq’escen outlined European “treachery” against Native people, then wrote, “it’s impossible to understand the United States’ landmass, its property system, its federal government, its corruption, its violence, its obsession with guns and its conception of freedom without Indigenous Peoples.

“And yet there are so many Rick Santorums who opine on the nature of a nation built on land, life, liberty and so much else taken, borrowed or otherwise lifted from Native people without even the basic acknowledgment of our presence, our contributions and our losses.

“I’m not sure CNN should can Santorum, as many of my Native colleagues would like. I’m worried that might just turn him into the latest martyr of the ‘cancel culture’ wars. Santorum hasn’t won an election since Sen. Bob Casey beat him by 18 points in 2006, and it’s probably unwise to unintentionally elevate the voice of a man who encounters his own thoughts so clumsily at a time when the conservative movement is losing its grip on reality.

“Perhaps, instead, CNN could help fight the pervasiveness of Santorum-style ignorance by hiring a regular on-air Native contributor. Native contributions to American life are many. But we’ve never had one of our own as a regular on CNN.”

Journalists wear masks during a March 2020 news conference of the director general of Colombian Migration in Bogota, the capital. Juan Francisco Espinosa, not shown, explains immigration measures to contain Covid-19. (Credit: EPA-EFE/Mauricio Duenas Castaneda)

Covering COVID Takes Toll on Journalists

“Much has been written about burnout among healthcare workers and teachers and lawyers, and about how the mental health crisis has created a ‘parallel pandemic’ of PTSD [post-traumatic stress disorder] and anxiety and depression,” Olivia Messer wrote Thursday for Study Hall. She quit her job as lead COVID reporter at the Daily Beast.

 “But, despite the spate of headline-worthy media departures, the industry has failed to examine how and why COVID reporters in particular are struggling so much — or what can be done about it,” Messer continued.

In “between meetings and interviews and filing stories, I was falling apart. . . .”

Messer quoted Bruce Shapiro, executive director of the Dart Center for Journalism and Trauma: “For COVID reporters, there are some specific challenges I’m just beginning to understand. You’re spending your lives immersed in sounds and images and consequences of the pandemic in a way that probably is flooding your image bank. That can make it harder to set up the kind of boundaries that we need to do our jobs. . . .”

“ ‘Journalists are like therapists without the training,’ said Jessi Gold, an assistant professor in the department of psychiatry at Washington University in St. Louis. . . .”

Alcindor Pledges to Think of the Vulnerable

Yamiche Alcindor concluded her first night as official host of “Washington Week” on PBS Friday by thanking panelists Errin Haines of The 19th, Jake Sherman of Punchbowl News, Dan Balz of The Washington Post, and Weijia Jiang of CBS News.

Then she said, “This show has an incredible legacy, and I am thrilled, thrilled to step into it and to expand it. I was lucky enough to know and to be mentored by Gwen Ifill, a longtime host of this show. I am thinking of her – her brilliance, her tenacity – today and every day.

“Know that my guiding – my guiding light will be centering this show on the decisions made in Washington and beyond and how they impact everyday Americans and vulnerable populations. I hope that you’ll see the questions that you have about politics and power represented here at this table. Please join me every week.”

Among the viewers was Lynne Adrine, veteran journalist and director of the D.C. Graduate Program, Broadcast and Digital Journalism, at Syracuse University. “I was crying,” Adrine messaged Journal-isms. “I know how Gwen mentored Yamiche. And the love her panel showed her…man.”

Philly Inquirer Plans Year-Long Project on Racism

“Today, we will formally announce and launch ‘A More Perfect Union,’ a year-long, multi-platform project that explores the racist origins, practices, and consequences of American institutions that were born in Philadelphia — as well as the path forward and push toward solutions,” Philadelphia Inquirer Publisher Lisa Hughes and Editor Gabe Escobar declared Wednesday.

“The series will begin with an examination of The Inquirer itself: This is essential, given our 192-year history in Philadelphia and our past year of racial and cultural reckoning.

“Errin Haines (pictured) — an award-winning journalist, Inquirer contributor, and Philadelphia resident — will lead the project as Contributing Editor. Errin will report to Gabe and will produce the series with Inquirer staff as well as community contributors. Many of you know Errin from her work as Editor at Large of The 19th, a nonprofit, nonpartisan newsroom covering the intersection of women, politics, and policy. . . .”

In December, The Kansas City Star published a six-part package apologizing for its racist past. The Star project followed similar introspection by the Los Angeles Times in September and in December by Stuff, the most popular news website in New Zealand, about media portrayal there of the native Maoris. (scroll down). All were part of the reckoning prompted by the killing of George Floyd a year ago by Minneapolis police.

An independent review released in February found that the Inquirer “has an overwhelmingly white newsroom and fails to retain journalists of color, resulting in news coverage that overrepresents people who are white and male,” as the Inquirer reported.

In March, the Inquirer and the Philadelphia Association of Black Journalists agreed to work together to create more opportunities for Black and other journalists of color and to drive stronger connection to the Philadelphia community.

‘News Directing While Black,’ Explained

What’s it like being a Black news director?

“While it’s tough at times, I know that I’m in a position to do a lot of good,” Vicki Bradley (pictured), news director of WTXL-TV in Tallahassee, Fla., wrote Wednesday for the Radio Television Digital News Association.

“I’m in a position to give a voice to communities that do not feel they’re being heard. I’m in a position to dig beyond the surface when our communities have questions that aren’t being answered. As journalists we’re also in a position where we can unite people with hopes of bringing about change. We can be the ones to move our communities forward when it feels like there is such division.”

Yet Bradley also wrote, “I remember getting a call from a reporter on a Saturday afternoon. She and a photographer were covering a peaceful demonstration. In keeping with being balanced, she attempted to talk to counter protesters. When she and another reporter got ready to do their interview, the white man refused to answer my Black reporter’s questions. He didn’t have an issue talking to a white reporter from the competition. It was so obvious that his refusal was racially motivated that the reporter from the competing station took the lead asking questions for both of them. That was a tough call to get.

“It also wasn’t the only time I would hear from a reporter who felt like doing their job was made harder because they were Black. It’s now 2021 and the social justice movements are still going strong. The calls for change are louder than ever and it felt like things were slowly moving in a better direction. But then it happened again. Another Black man killed in the Minneapolis area by an officer. . . .”

Bradley quoted a note she sent to her staff last May 30 that read in part, “We cannot let these things stop us from doing our jobs. You are all journalists. Like I said Friday morning, we all got into this for a reason. Hold onto that and don’t let it go. Let it fuel your fire to be the best you can be for the communities that watch us.”

For The Undefeated, Lawrence Jackson, official photographer for Vice President Kamala Harris, picked his favorite photos from Harris’ first 100 days in office.
“What I love about this photo is how boss she looks,” Jackson wrote April 29. “I’d have to look up what meeting it was, but I knew when I saw the reflection – along with the hand and feet gestures – I had to try and make a picture out of this.’ Jackson, a Black photojournalist, had worked for the Associated Press and The Virginian-Pilot in Norfolk before becoming a photographer for the Obama White House. (Credit: Lawrence Jackson/White House)

White House Fills Posts for Black, Hispanic Media

The Biden White House has revived the positions of director of African American media and director of Hispanic media, naming Erica P. Loewe and Audrey E. Lopez, respectively, to those positions.

Loewe (pictured) was deputy communications director to House Majority Whip James E. Clyburn and Financial Services Committee Chairwoman Maxine Waters. Lopez describes herself as a communications strategist.

Lopez’s (pictured) Twitter feed has been populated with statements about border issues and interactions with Latin American leaders, as well as a report on an April 20 Oval Office meeting with leadership of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus.

She also reported that Dr. Jill Biden’s first solo morning news interview as first lady was with Telemundo, a Spanish-language network.

In addition to Loewe’s service with Clyburn and Waters, Black Enterprise noted that in 2012, Loewe was included in the magazine’s roundup of recent college graduates who offered advice about making the best first steps into the job market.

Loewe told Journal-isms that there are as yet no “specialty media” representatives for other ethnicities, but they might contact Jen Molina. In the Obama White House in 2012, Kevin S. Lewis was director of African American media, Luis Miranda was director of Hispanic media and Shin Inouye was director of specialty media.

A coalition of environmental justice groups and their allies plans a discussion next Thursday.

Media Cover Environmental Impact, Not Injustices

“Even though environmental pollution affects everyone, low-income communities and communities of color are often disproportionately harmed by poor air, water, and soil caused by fossil fuel pollution and chemical contamination,” Evlondo Cooper reported Thursday for Media Matters for America.

“This is no accident: The industries causing the bulk of this pollution lobby vociferously to weaken environmental regulations at the local, state, and federal level, while seeking to avoid accountability for the harm that results from lax standards and choosing to site their physical infrastructure near vulnerable communities.

“Media Matters analyzed broadcast news coverage of any environmental pollution impacts to the air, water, and soil — particularly as caused by fossil fuel and chemical industries — regulatory actions that would affect specific communities or demographic groups, and environmental health hazards that pose risks to specific demographic groups or communities from January 2017 through December 2020. For the purposes of this study, we counted mentions of a socially marginalized population as an environmental justice segment.

“Our study found 11.4%, or 30 of 264, corporate broadcast morning and evening news segments included a mention of how these environmental pollution impacts, regulations, or health hazards specifically affected a particular demographic group. But rarely did these environmental justice segments contextualize the disproportionate harm environmental injustice has on socially marginalized communities due to systemic inequalities and injustices. In short, environmental pollution impacts were reported, but injustices were not. . . .”

Extremist Gets 3½ Years; Targeted Journalists

“A former leader of an extremist group was sentenced to three and a half years in prison on Tuesday for his role in a ‘swatting’ scheme whose targets included journalists, a sitting cabinet secretary and a predominantly Black church, federal prosecutors said,” Allyson Waller reported for The New York Times.

“John Cameron Denton (pictured), 27, of Montgomery, Texas, whom the Justice Department identified as a former leader of the Atomwaffen Division, a paramilitary neo-Nazi group, was sentenced to 41 months in prison for his role in a swatting conspiracy in which he and others reported false claims involving ‘pipe bombs, hostage takings or other violent activity’ to the authorities in hopes of drawing a forceful police response to the front door of an unwitting third party.

“Their efforts led to attacks on 134 locations across the country from October 2018 to February 2019, according to the United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Prosecutors said that Mr. Denton and many of his co-conspirators ‘chose targets because they were motivated by racial animus.’ . . .”

Those singled out included Miami Herald columnist Leonard Pitts Jr., ProPublica reporter A.C. Thompson and an unnamed member of the Arizona Association of Black Journalists.

Asked Tuesday on Twitter, “How are you with all this? It must feel like a lifted load,” Pitts replied, “Not really. I can’t say I lost a lot of sleep over him. Not to be cynical, but he is the cost of doing business. — my business, at least — in a nation that is losing its mind.”

Short Takes

The Washington-based Dana Tai Soon Dance Company has released the third video in its year-long series of short videos honoring social justice icons in the United States. It features veteran journalist Charlayne Hunter-Gault (video), who with Hamilton Holmes desegregated the University of Georgia in 1961.
The National Association of Black Journalists has opened its convention registration.

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