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A Jacksonville journalist brings humanity to an NFL Press Conference

A reporter offered up encouragement to an NFL head coach after a devastating playoff loss. The Jacksonville Jaguars lost to the Buffalo Bills 27-24 in the Wild Card playoff on Sunday at Everbank Stadium. You would think this team’s loss would make the rounds on social media, but it was what happened after the game […]

Published

5 months ago

January 12, 2026

Oakland Post

ESPN Senior NFL Insider Adam Schefter posted a clip of the post-game exchange between Lynn Jones from the Jacksonville Free Press News and Jaguars head coach Liam Coen. In the clip, you only hear Lynn’s comments towards Coach Coen, but I immediately began searching for her name and publication. The exchange was warm and uplifting.

“I’m going to tell you, congratulations on your success, young man,” Jones said. “You hold your head up. You guys have had a most magnificent season. You did a great job out there today. You just hold your head up, OK? Ladies and gentlemen, Duval. You keep it going. We got another season.”

However, many media members voiced their displeasure.

Media Members such as ESPN NFL reporter Brooke Pryor, who covers the Pittsburgh Steelers; Yahoo Sports senior writer Dan Wolken; The Atlantic Contributing writer Jemele Hill; and Associated Press Sportswriter Mark Long.

Brooke stated, “Look, it’s a kind sentiment, but it’s not the job of a reporter to console a coach in a postgame press conference. Pressers are to ask questions to gain a better understanding of what happened or figure out what’s next– and do it in a limited amount of time.”

Now I know Brooke thought she ate that, considering this tweet had over a million views, but mam shut up. Lynn is a seasoned journalist who covers local news and culture, so she was ethically correct to share the comment she had. The Jacksonville Free Press represents the Jaguars fan base, which supports the team.

Now, let’s jump into Dan Wolken’s comments.

Dan simply quote-tweeted Adam Schefter’s tweet, “What would give you the impression that was a reporter?” First off, Dan asked this question to try to dismiss Lynn’s presence in the post-game press conference. Secondly, he continued to explain why he asked that question, which only pissed me off more. Dan stated to someone on Twitter, “the only reason why you’re in that room is to get information about what happened in the game so that you can relay it to the public.”

In that case, Lynn exceeded her job’s expectations. She didn’t need to beat a loss over this coach’s head because she knew everyone else in that room would do it after her. The connection that local journalists and media outlets have with sports teams is often dismissed because of the popularity of national media outlets. For example, South Carolina women’s basketball head coach Dawn Staley consistently says the local media shows up everywhere her team is, and she demands they be credentialed to be in the room.

Let’s go visit the Jacksonville Jaguars’ Instagram page, where you will see the team posted the full video clip of Lynn’s introduction and the naming of the publication she works for.

I am telling you now that if that team and organization didn’t like how she did what she did, they wouldn’t have posted that on their main page. Not even for engagement.

Let’s move on to what Jemele had to say.

Jemele Hill quote-tweeted Adam Schefter’s tweet by saying, “That can’t be a reporter. Cause if so, I would not have used the term awesome.” Here we go again. Another media member dismissed someone’s role because they didn’t do what they thought Lynn should’ve done. Let’s continue.

Jemele also replied to one of my favorite Twitter accounts, DragonflyJonez, after he quote-tweeted Brooke Pryor. DragonflyJonez, whose real name is Tyler Puryear, explained to Brooke who Lynn Jones was.

“Hard disagree. This wasn’t some dude from Cincinnati who works for NBC Sports. Saying this was just “consoling” is reductive to the dynamic between local reporters and the coaches/teams they cover. Those who cover sports locally are not just covering X’s and O’s. They’re covering community and a shared kinship in a city. And I’m sure she was speaking for that community when expressing this sentiment. I do not believe that reporters solely need to just ask questions. Sometimes they need to be the mouthpiece for the fandom they cover as well.”

FINALLY SOMEONE WHO GETS IT!!!

Jemele’s reply to this, “Ehhhh… I hear you, but I’m going to push back. You can echo the fan without coming off like this coach’s Auntie. I get it. The media is never going to win these battles because people see the media as self absorbed, but also realize this is a working press room and a lot of other reporters there are on a deadline and need to ask a question. So I imagine a couple of them were like… aight now Auntie.”

Now Jemele, full stop. To be clear, Associate Editor Lynn Jones from the Jacksonville Free Press News has been covering news in Duval County for over 20 years. She has rapport with this team and its organization to the extent that, if she uses her time to address the head coach in this way, it is ethically acceptable.

What’s not acceptable is how many seasoned media members chose this moment to call out a Black woman who was clearly doing her job and being human in that moment. It wasn’t a fan moment. It was a “I SEE YOU” moment. There have been many college football or NFL post-game conferences I’ve sat in where a white man or white woman has said something similar or just overall inappropriate to a head coach and players. This was NOT that moment.

Let’s add this video clip from the Browns post-game conference, where NO media member said this exchange was unprofessional. I don’t have to wonder why because that was a white man speaking to another white man.

Now let’s add what Mark had to say here, because he actually needs to apologize to Lynn Jones and the Jacksonville Free Press News.

Mark really fixed his fingers to quote-tweet Adam Schefter’s tweet saying, “Nothing ‘awesome’ about fans/fake media doing stuff like that. It should be embarrassing for the people who credentialed her and her organization, and it’s a waste of time for those of us actually working.” Heavy sigh, and did he really call the Jacksonville Free Press “fake media”? This is how mainstream media outlets and reporters tend to view Black Press outlets and journalists, yet they get their top news stories from us. The Black Press fights against fake news and disinformation daily.

Conversely, Pat McAfee absolutely fried Jones’s critics after seeing the outrage. A tweet from Pat McAfee criticizing sports journalists for negativity.

“Love seeing these sports ‘journalists’ getting ABSOLUTELY BURIED for being curmudgeon bums..” he wrote. “OBVIOUSLY NOT ALL OF THEM but a LARGE % of these things hate sports.. they hate what sports are for people (happiness).. They hate what sports are for society (unifier).. they’re political journalists by nature who’ve preyed on sports because they saw it as an easier path to ‘make it.’

One thing that I’ve loved the most about working with the Black Press is our freedom to cover news and connect with our communities. We can use our free will and discernment in our press coverage, and that freedom scares the mainstream media. To know that this Black woman was bold enough to speak to this white man and encourage him in that moment really ruffled feathers amongst media members.

I want to give credit to Robert Littal of Black Sports Online, who was one of the first media members on Twitter to properly state Lynn Jones’ name and publication. I will say that he misspoke about the Jacksonville Free Press being one of the few Black newspapers out here, when we have over 200 black newspapers still active across this country. I would also like to note that while more mainstream and legacy press publications have stopped printing, our Black newspapers have not.

At this moment, the Black press needs your support. During these difficult times, it was refreshing to hear Lynn express her care and support, when all we hear and see on our social media timelines is terrible news. This is just one of those moments where you need to be okay with what happened and move on. But I am afraid that because it’s the Black press, people will continue to pile on their negative thoughts and energy. Media members do better.

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Study: Waiting Lists for Child Care Assistance Nearly Doubled

BLACKPRESS USA NEWSWIRE — “Since the expiration of tens of billions of dollars in federal child care funding in 2023 and 2024, an already fragile child care system has been pushed even closer to the brink.”
The post Study: Waiting Lists for Child Care Assistance Nearly Doubled appeared first on BlackPressUSA.

Published

2 days ago

June 8, 2026

Oakland Post

By National Women’s Law Center

The National Women’s Law Center released its annual State Child Care Assistance Policies report, finding that the number of children placed on waiting lists for federally funded child care assistance nearly doubled between 2024 and 2025 — and that number has only continued to grow.

The report serves as a key resource for state lawmakers, advocates, and policymakers by tracking state child care assistance policies and identifying where states are strengthening support for families and early educators — or falling behind.

“This deeply troubling increase in the number of children on child care waiting lists is the result of a failure to invest in this crucial sector,” said Karen Schulman, senior director of state child care policy and author of the report. “Since the expiration of tens of billions of dollars in federal child care funding in 2023 and 2024, an already fragile child care system has been pushed even closer to the brink.”

Key findings in the report related to waiting lists for child care assistance include:

• 17 states had waiting lists or a freeze on intake for child care assistance in February 2025, up from 13 states in February 2024.

• Approximately 106,700 children nationwide were added to waiting lists between February 2024 and February 2025, bringing the total to 225,500 children in February 2025 — a 90 percent increase compared to February 2024.

• The numbers climbed even further between February 2025 and summer/fall 2025, with more than 175,000 additional children added to state waiting lists in just a few months — a 78 percent increase.

• At least seven states newly began placing families on waiting lists or freezing intake, while at least 10 additional states saw their waiting lists grow, after February 2025.

The report also includes state-by-state data on key child care assistance policies, including income eligibility limits, parent copayments, provider payment rates, and eligibility policies for parents searching for work.

Click the link to learn more: Warning Signs: State Child Care Assistance Policies 2025.

The post Study: Waiting Lists for Child Care Assistance Nearly Doubled appeared first on BlackPressUSA.

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Venus Williams Calls a Sabalenka Exit a Tragedy

ROLLING OUT — Crucially, Williams did not read the comment as a real farewell. She said she did not believe Sabalenka truly wanted to leave, calling such an outcome a loss for both the player and the sport.
The post Venus Williams Calls a Sabalenka Exit a Tragedy appeared first on BlackPressUSA.

Published

4 days ago

June 7, 2026

Oakland Post

The seven-time major champion read frustration, not a real goodbye, in the world No. 1’s words

By David Kesiena | Rolling Out

When the world’s top-ranked player said she wanted to walk away from the sport, Venus Williams chose empathy over alarm.

Aryna Sabalenka’s blunt remark after her French Open quarterfinal collapse rattled plenty of fans, but Williams heard something different in it. The seven-time Grand Slam champion treated the comment as the raw reaction of a hurting athlete rather than a serious signal about her future.

The collapse that triggered the comment

Sabalenka looked headed for a routine win over Diana Shnaider. She took the opening set 6-3 and built a commanding lead in the second, climbing to 4-1 and later serving for the match at 5-4 while sitting just two points from victory.

Then everything unraveled. Shnaider stormed back to steal the second set 7-5 and bageled the world No. 1 in the third, with Sabalenka dropping 12 of the final 13 games in gusty conditions that reached around 26 mph. The 3-6, 7-5, 6-0 result sent Shnaider into her first Grand Slam semifinal and extended Sabalenka’s long wait for a maiden Roland Garros title.

In the aftermath, Sabalenka did not soften her feelings. She told reporters she had no thoughts and no emotions left and felt like quitting on the spot. She described being stuck in a deep, dark mental hole during the match, unable to find her way back.

What Venus Williams said about Sabalenka

Williams reacted with understanding. She admitted the moment made her sad and said she had been swept up in Sabalenka’s emotions, feeling a surge of empathy for her. She praised the Belarusian for laying everything bare on court, where every feeling shows.

Crucially, Williams did not read the comment as a real farewell. She said she did not believe Sabalenka truly wanted to leave, calling such an outcome a loss for both the player and the sport. Rather than scold her, Williams offered a gentle observation about the rhythm of professional tennis. She suggested players might benefit from a little more time to gather themselves before stepping in front of the cameras, a quiet acknowledgment that athletes are routinely asked to dissect painful defeats before the sting has faded.

Sabalenka walks it back

The story did not end on that bleak note. Within days, Sabalenka signaled she was not actually quitting, framing the press-conference outburst as heat-of-the-moment honesty rather than a plan. At the time of the loss she had also left the door open, saying she would see how she felt in a few days and hoped to get back on track mentally. The walk-back lined up with how Williams had read the situation from the start.

It is not the first time a Paris quarterfinal has pushed Sabalenka to her limit. In 2024 she exited at the same stage and skipped her press conference entirely because of illness, with the tour later releasing her quotes on her behalf. The pattern underscores how heavily this particular tournament has weighed on her despite deep runs in recent years.

For now, attention shifts to the grass. Wimbledon offers Sabalenka a quick chance to reset, and a strong showing there would turn this French Open meltdown into a footnote rather than a turning point.

Originally published by Rolling Out — https://rollingout.com.

The post Venus Williams Calls a Sabalenka Exit a Tragedy appeared first on BlackPressUSA.

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COMMENTARY: Using Art, Healing, And Community to Transform Mental Health Dialogue

THE CAROLINIAN — Operating at the intersection of the arts and mental health, Darkness RISING uses music, storytelling, wellness programming, and community engagement to inspire healing while addressing barriers that have historically prevented many Black Americans from accessing mental health support.
The post COMMENTARY: Using Art, Healing, And Community to Transform Mental Health Dialogue appeared first on BlackPressUSA.

Published

4 days ago

June 7, 2026

Oakland Post

By Judaea Ingram | Special to The Carolinian

RALEIGH, N.C. – Music filled the air as families danced through the crowd, children gathered around activity stations, and community members explored wellness resources from local organizations. Black-owned businesses lined the streets while people stopped for chair massages, conversations, and moments of connection inside the wellness suite.

At the center of the event stood a simple but powerful reminder:

“You Matter.”

For Darkness RISING, those words represent far more than a slogan. They reflect the organization’s mission to break the stigma surrounding mental health in the Black community while creating spaces centered on healing, honesty, and hope.

Operating at the intersection of the arts and mental health, Darkness RISING uses music, storytelling, wellness programming, and community engagement to inspire healing while addressing barriers that have historically prevented many Black Americans from accessing mental health support.

The organization hosts a variety of programs and events throughout the year, including block parties, wellness workshops, mixers, kickoff events, community classes, and Darkness RISING: Live — a free annual arts and wellness festival now celebrating its ninth year.

The festival combines entertainment with healing-centered resources, featuring live music, dancing, singing, food trucks, Black vendors, children’s activities, mental health resources, wellness spaces, and opportunities for open conversations about mental health.

While the events may feel celebratory on the surface, organizers say the deeper purpose is creating safe spaces where people can feel comfortable discussing mental health without fear of judgment.

Darkness RISING also provides free nationwide resources, including a Black Mental Health Resource Packet, a Black Mental Health Provider Database, and its “Find Me a Therapist” initiative, which helps connect individuals with culturally competent care.

The organization’s work is rooted in addressing longstanding inequities that continue impacting mental health access within Black communities.

Historically, segregation, redlining, racial discrimination, incarceration, poverty, and unequal healthcare access have contributed to higher rates of behavioral health challenges while simultaneously limiting access to proper treatment and support. Darkness RISING approaches those issues through what organizers describe as a transformative justice lens, focusing on healing rather than punishment and creating equitable wellness opportunities for marginalized communities.

Its REBUILD program specifically supports justice-involved and formerly incarcerated people of color through free therapy and wellness support, while the REBUILD Youth program focuses on young people impacted by Adverse Childhood Experiences, also known as ACEs.

For Rudolph, therapy became life-changing after decades of incarceration and years of rejection after returning home.

“Came home in 2015, started my own computer company, investing in real estate, did the normal thing and got some jobs here and there and was met with rejection after rejection and people telling me I am not a good person,” Rudolph shared. “Even had a rejection in church.”

He said one of the hardest battles became overcoming the mental barriers created during incarceration.

“I got in touch with a couple of friends, and they explained to me how I had to get over the mental hurdles and get rid of the way my prison mindset was in order to survive and become successful,” he said.

Rudolph later moved to North Carolina hoping for a fresh start, but the struggle continued.

“Things were looking bad,” he said. “Could not get a job. The struggle was real.”

Eventually, therapy and support through organizations like Darkness RISING helped begin his healing process. He said working alongside other justice-involved men through therapy gave him the ability to rebuild mentally while finding community with people who understood his experiences.

Stories like Rudolph’s reflect the foundation behind Darkness RISING’s mission: ensuring people feel seen, supported, and worthy of healing regardless of their background or circumstances.

Community members who attend the organization’s events often describe them as emotionally transformative.

Some participants say Darkness RISING encouraged them to seek therapy for the first time, while others say the organization gave them a safe space to openly discuss struggles they previously kept hidden.

“I have been encouraged by the beautiful, generous, brave and open individuals who come together and use their talents to create art, share personal experiences and provide hope to those who may be struggling with mental health,” one participant shared.

By combining art, wellness, education, and community outreach, Darkness RISING continues changing how mental health conversations happen within the Black community.

Not through silence.

But through healing, honesty, connection, and joy.

Originally published by The Carolinian — https://caro.news.

The post COMMENTARY: Using Art, Healing, And Community to Transform Mental Health Dialogue appeared first on BlackPressUSA.