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CNN Ignores ‘Moral’ Issue in Refusing to Meet with NABJ

NNPA NEWSWIRE — NABJ President Sarah Glover said she’s stunned that CNN canceled a planned meeting to discuss the importance of diversity and Black representation within the ranks of the network’s executive news managers and those who report directly to the cable channel’s president Jeff Zucker.

Published

5 years ago

March 13, 2019

Oakland Post

By Stacy M. Brown, NNPA Newswire Correspondent
@StacyBrownMedia

NABJ President Sarah Glover said she’s stunned that CNN canceled a planned meeting to discuss the importance of diversity and Black representation within the ranks of the network’s executive news managers and those who report directly to the cable channel’s president Jeff Zucker.

“It’s a moral issue,” Glover told NNPA Newswire in an interview on Tuesday, March 12.

“The diversity discussion is not a buzz word, it’s really serious discussions we are seeking to have with major media companies,” she said.

After AT&T agreed to a deal last summer to acquire Time Warner and CNN, NABJ officials reached out to AT&T CEO Randall L. Stephenson who responded in a positive manner, Glover said.

The plan was to then meet with CNN and Zucker – a meeting was scheduled for Jan. 22.

A pre-meeting between CNN and NABJ officials was held two weeks earlier to discuss the Jan. 22 agenda.

In the pre-meeting, NABJ shared who would be present at the Jan. 22 meeting, which included news personality and NABJ Executive Board Member Roland Martin as part of a four-person NABJ delegation.

At that time, CNN did not express any concerns, Glover said.

“It was not until the business day before the Jan. 22 meeting that CNN expressed their desire to not have Roland Martin present,” she said.

Glover and NABJ said that was insulting and they would not dis-invite anyone from their delegation, particularly a longtime board member like Martin.

As the meeting approached and after five months of preparations, CNN canceled the session only hours before the scheduled time of the meeting.

“We’ve had discussions with other broadcasting companies as well as print and digital companies and we’ll continue to have those discussions,” Glover said.

She said CNN likely doesn’t understand that the meetings are part of NABJ’s three-year Strategic Plan, which includes bringing advocacy issues front and center.

“We’re implementing the strategic plan which is very thoughtful and it’s important to our mission,” Glover said.

Other networks like Fox, CBS, ABC, and NBC all have complied with NABJ requests for meetings, Glover said.

Other organizations like the National Newspaper Publishers Association, the Rev. Jesse Jackson’s Rainbow Push, and Color of Change have reached out to NABJ offering their support, Glover said.

The recent headlines about the refusal by Zucker, who has declined comment, has made public what was meant to remain private, Glover said.

“The majority of our meetings, no one hears about, but it is highly unusual that a news organization would place constraints upon how they will engage us,” she said.

Color of Change, a national online force driven by more than 1.4 million members, joined NABJ’s call for a civil rights audit at CNN and more black representation among its news leadership.

“When there’s more of us in the room fighting for our stories to be told, and raising awareness about the issues impacting our communities, we have an even better chance of creating change and ending the practices that unfairly hold us back,” Color of Change officials said in a statement.

“We support NABJ as they call for a civil rights audit and put pressure on CNN President Jeff Zucker to make diversity and inclusion improvements at the network.”

Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc., with more than 120,000 members, has also joined the fight.

In a statement, the organization said it “shares the concern of the National Association of Black Journalists about the lack of black representation within the ranks of CNN’s executive news managers and direct reports to CNN President Jeff Zucker.

“As an organization specifically concerned with the issues affecting the African-American community, we lend our voices to those who would encourage constructive dialogue regarding creating an inclusive workplace at CNN,” Alpha Phi Alpha officials said.

The Rev. Jackson tweeted that CNN has no African American executive producers, vice presidents on the news side, or senior vice presidents.

“Don’t crush the darkness. Fight back with shifting eyes,” Jackson said.

In a tweet, NNPA President and CEO Dr. Benjamin F. Chavis Jr., wrote, “NNPA Supports the NABJ and NAACP.” Chavis used the hashtags, diversity and inclusion and end racism.

NNPA’s Chairman and Chicago Crusader Publisher Dorothy Leavell, also spoke out.

“The National Newspaper Publishers Association is in full support of equal and fair treatment of blacks in the media and stands solidly behind NABJ’s efforts to diversify CNN,” Leavell said.

Congresswoman Ayanna Pressley (D-Mass.) added that, “the people of this country depend on our news organizations to deliver unbiased & fair reporting. That is impossible without equal representation. I stand behind NABJ’s investigation into the lack of diversity within CNN’s leadership.”

And, in its statement, the NAACP said, “CNN’s lack of black representation in leadership roles is troubling and another example of the media industry’s reluctance to address an issue that continues to plague newsrooms across the country.”

Meanwhile, Glover said the NABJ will continue to focus on diversity and inclusion issues.

“The meeting will be up to CNN now,” she said. “My focus is on improving diversity in the newsroom and seeing measurable improvement at CNN. That’s why CNN is on our special monitoring list and they will remain on there until there’s improvement.”

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IN MEMORIAM: Ramona Edelin, Influential Activist and Education Advocate, Dies at 78

NNPA NEWSWIRE — Born on September 4, 1945, in Los Angeles, California, activist Ramona Edelin’s early years were marked by a commitment to education and social justice. According to her HistoryMakers biography, after graduating from Fisk University with a Bachelor’s degree in 1967, she pursued further studies at the University of East Anglia in England. She earned her master’s degree before completing her Ph.D. at Boston University in 1981.
The post IN MEMORIAM: Ramona Edelin, Influential Activist and Education Advocate, Dies at 78 first appeared on BlackPressUSA.

Published

3 weeks ago

April 3, 2024

Stacy M. Brown

By Stacy M. Brown, NNPA Newswire Senior National Correspondent
@StacyBrownMedia

Once upon a time, Black Americans were simply known as colored people, or Negroes. That is until Ramona Edelin came along. The activist, renowned for her pivotal roles in advancing civil rights, education reform, and community empowerment, died at her D.C. residence last month at the age of 78. Her death, finally confirmed this week by Barnaby Towns, a communications strategist who collaborated with Dr. Edelin, was attributed to cancer.

Born on September 4, 1945, in Los Angeles, California, Edelin’s early years were marked by a commitment to education and social justice. According to her HistoryMakers biography, after graduating from Fisk University with a Bachelor’s degree in 1967, she pursued further studies at the University of East Anglia in England. She earned her master’s degree before completing her Ph.D. at Boston University in 1981.

Edelin’s contributions to academia and activism were manifold. She was pivotal in popularizing the term “African American” alongside Rev. Jesse L. Jackson in the late 1980s.

Jackson had announced the preference for “African American,” speaking for summit organizers that included Dr. Edelin. “Just as we were called Colored, but were not that, and then Negro, but not that, to be called Black is just as baseless,” he said, adding that “African American” “has cultural integrity” and “puts us in our proper historical context.”

Later, Edelin told Ebony magazine, “Calling ourselves African Americans is the first step in the cultural offensive,” while linking the name change to a “cultural renaissance” in which Black Americans reconnected with their history and heritage.

“Who are we if we don’t acknowledge our motherland?” she asked later. “When a child in a ghetto calls himself African American, immediately he’s international. You’ve taken him from the ghetto and put him on the globe.”

The HistoryMakers bio noted that Edelin’s academic pursuits led her to found and chair the Department of African American Studies at Northeastern University, where she established herself as a leading voice.

Transitioning from academia to advocacy, Edelin joined the National Urban Coalition in 1977, eventually ascending to president and CEO. During her tenure, she spearheaded initiatives such as the “Say Yes to a Youngster’s Future” program, which provided crucial support in math, science, and technology to youth and teachers of color in urban areas. Her biography noted that Edelin’s efforts extended nationwide through partnerships with organizations like the National Science Foundation and the United States Department of Education.

President Bill Clinton recognized Edelin’s expertise by appointing her to the Presidential Board on Historically Black Colleges and Universities in 1998. She also co-founded and served as treasurer of the Black Leadership Forum, solidifying her standing as a respected leader in African American communities.

Beyond her professional achievements, Edelin dedicated herself to numerous boards and committees, including chairing the District of Columbia Educational Goals 2000 Panel and contributing to the Federal Advisory Committee for the Black Community Crusade for Children.

Throughout her life, Edelin received widespread recognition for her contributions. Ebony magazine honored her as one of the 100 Most Influential Black Americans, and she received prestigious awards such as the Southern Christian Leadership Award for Progressive Leadership and the IBM Community Executive Program Award.

The post IN MEMORIAM: Ramona Edelin, Influential Activist and Education Advocate, Dies at 78 first appeared on BlackPressUSA.

Stacy M. Brown

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Tennessee State University Board Disbanded by MAGA Loyalists as Assault on DE&I Continues

NNPA NEWSWIRE — Recent legislative actions in Tennessee, such as repealing police reform measures enacted after the killing of Tyre Nichols, underscore a troubling trend of undermining local control and perpetuating racist agendas. The new law preventing local governments from restricting police officers’ authority disregards community efforts to address systemic issues of police violence and racial profiling.
The post Tennessee State University Board Disbanded by MAGA Loyalists as Assault on DE&I Continues first appeared on BlackPressUSA.

Published

3 weeks ago

April 3, 2024

Stacy M. Brown

By Stacy M. Brown, NNPA Newswire Senior National Correspondent
@StacyBrownMedia

Tennessee State University (TSU), the state’s only public historically Black college and university (HBCU), faces a tumultuous future as Gov. Bill Lee dissolved its board, a move supported by racist conservatives and MAGA Republicans in the Tennessee General Assembly, who follow the lead of the twice-impeached, four-times indicted, alleged sexual predator former President Donald Trump. Educators and others have denounced the move as an attack on diversity, equity, and inclusion (DE&I) and a grave setback for higher education.

Critics argue that TSU’s purported financial mismanagement is a manufactured crisis rooted in decades of underinvestment by the state government. They’ve noted that it continues a trend by conservatives and the racist MAGA movement to eliminate opportunities for Blacks in education, corporate America, and the public sector.

Gevin Reynolds, a former speechwriter for Vice President Kamala Harris, emphasizes in an op-ed that TSU’s financial difficulties are not the result of university leadership because a recent audit found no evidence of fraud or malfeasance.

Reynolds noted that the disbanding of TSU’s board is not an isolated incident but part of a broader assault on DE&I initiatives nationwide. Ten states, including Tennessee, have enacted laws banning DE&I policies on college campuses, while governors appointing MAGA loyalists to university trustee positions further undermine efforts to promote inclusivity and equality.

Moreover, recent legislative actions in Tennessee, such as repealing police reform measures enacted after the killing of Tyre Nichols, underscore a troubling trend of undermining local control and perpetuating racist agendas. The new law preventing local governments from restricting police officers’ authority disregards community efforts to address systemic issues of police violence and racial profiling.

The actions echo historical efforts to suppress Black progress, reminiscent of the violent backlash against gains made during the Reconstruction era. President Joe Biden warned during an appearance in New York last month that Trump desires to bring the nation back to the 18th and 19th centuries – in other words, to see, among other things, African Americans back in the chains of slavery, women subservient to men without any say over their bodies, and all voting rights restricted to white men.

The parallels are stark, with white supremacist ideologies used to justify attacks on Black institutions and disenfranchise marginalized communities, Reynolds argued.

In response to these challenges, advocates stress the urgency of collective action to defend democracy and combat systemic racism. Understanding that attacks on institutions like TSU are symptomatic of broader threats to democratic norms, they call for increased civic engagement and voting at all levels of government.

The actions of people dedicated to upholding the principles of inclusivity, equity, and justice for all will determine the outcome of the ongoing fight for democracy, Reynolds noted. “We are in a war for our democracy, one whose outcome will be determined by every line on every ballot at every precinct,” he stated.

The post Tennessee State University Board Disbanded by MAGA Loyalists as Assault on DE&I Continues first appeared on BlackPressUSA.

Stacy M. Brown

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Braxton Haulcy and the Expansion of Walker|West Music Academy

May 24, 2023 – Walker West Music Academy gets an early start on expansion. Join us for a Wednesday episode of The …
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