#NNPA BlackPress

Standing on Shoulders of Giants, April Ryan is Opening Doors for Others

NNPA NEWSWIRE — April Ryan covered Obama’s two terms as president and wrote about more history when Kamala Harris became the first Black vice president and Ketanji Brown Jackson earned confirmation as the first African American female on the U.S. Supreme Court.
The post Standing on Shoulders of Giants, April Ryan is Opening Doors for Others first appeared on BlackPressUSA.

Published

2 years ago

May 8, 2022

Stacy M. Brown

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

After 25 years working as a White House correspondent, April Ryan has seen it all.

Before he became president, Barack Obama invited Ryan as a guest of his for a Congressional Black Caucus dinner.

She covered Obama’s two terms as president and wrote about more history when Kamala Harris became the first Black vice president and Ketanji Brown Jackson earned confirmation as the first African American female on the U.S. Supreme Court.

Ryan also joined a host of other journalists and minority women to draw the ire of former President Donald Trump, who infamously railed at the decorated journalist in 2018, calling her a loser.

“After what I’ve seen, no,” Ryan remarked when asked whether anything surprises her anymore.

“I hope I don’t have to be surprised anymore. I’ve seen 25 years of ebb and flow, and, at the end of the day, it’s about people and reporting for people.”

Ryan noted that she once worked for a “boutique” news organization, and now she’s achieved near unparalleled success at theGrio, where she opened up the news department and the White House Bureau.

On Saturday, April 30, Byron Allen’s Allen Media Group and theGrio honored Ryan for 25 years of distinguished and passionate service as a White House correspondent during a star-studded bash, “A Seat at the Table: A Celebration of Black Media.”

The bash took place at the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History & Culture and immediately follows the White House Correspondents’ Association (WHCA) Dinner at the Washington Hilton.

Ryan, a Baltimore native, and Morgan State University graduate, serves on the board of the WHCA, only the third African American in the organization’s more than 100-year history to hold such a position.

“It’s been 25 years, so what an honor,” Ryan said.

She added that the secret to her longevity is simply keeping her head down and doing the work.

“It’s not about me. It’s about the story,” Ryan insisted.

“Along the way, people found out about me, but if you’re true to the story and telling all sides, that’s where my longevity has been.”

With fake news, misinformation, and social media wreaking havoc on traditional journalism, Ryan maintains that she’s praying for a middle ground.

“There’s always been opinion, but now the line is obscured more than ever, and there’s misinformation,” she asserted.

“People are in need of facts. They don’t need lies and entertainment. They need facts. We’re in perilous times where the gas prices are higher than they’ve ever been. We’re looking at stores, and they can’t keep stuff on the shelves.

“We’re dealing with a pandemic, and we’re watching one conflict on television when there are several around the world.

“The World Food Organization says it can’t meet the demand for food. We are in a crisis. It’s a pandemic, and people are wearing masks, and then they’re not wearing masks. We need facts, and I don’t have the stomach for entertainment when the stakes are so high.”

An honorary member of Delta Sigma Theta, Ryan has earned numerous journalism awards, including the 2019 Freedom of the Press Award from the Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press.

Last year, Ryan earned an NAACP Image Award nomination for Social Justice Impact.

Backing up her often-professed love of her hometown, Ryan has served as a mentor to aspiring journalists, and she’s assisted the development of up-and-coming broadcasters.

She’s authored “The Presidency in Black and White,” “At Mama’s Knee: Mothers and Race in Black and White,” and “Under Fire: Reporting from the Front Lines of the Trump White House.”

“I watched history, and now I’m scribing the first woman of color who identifies as Black as vice president,” Ryan stated.

“Now, I see someone who identifies closely to Thurgood Marshall, this amazing Black woman who is authentic in herself with her braids, beautiful brown hue, and voice that comes out of the wisdom of our ancestors and our culture and history.”

Ryan said she’s also honored that the WHCA will honor Ethel Payne and Alice Dunagan, two Black Press alumni who blazed trails as White House reporters.

“I stand on their shoulders. So many of us stand on their shoulders,” Ryan said.

“They are brave women, and I thank them because if it weren’t for them, I wouldn’t be in the room.”

Ryan counts daughters Ryan and Grace as her life’s “greatest work.”

“I’m a Baltimorean. I grew up, and I’m still here,” Ryan declared.

“I can’t leave, my family is here, and I know that there’s this vibe here.”

She said Baltimore is primed for a comeback, much like the recent rise of Detroit, which had for decades been mired in problems that stemmed from local government mismanagement and other woes.

“Baltimore is a real community, and I’m an HBCU baby who grew up on the campus of Morgan State, where my mother worked until she died,” Ryan related.

“My heart is here, and I want to see Baltimore come back like Detroit. I see Morgan State’s renaissance, and it’s like a Phoenix – one of the most beautiful schools in the country, and it’s in the heart of Baltimore City. Like Maya Angelou said and Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson repeated, ‘and still I rise.’”

The post Standing on Shoulders of Giants, April Ryan is Opening Doors for Others first appeared on BlackPressUSA.

Stacy M. Brown

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#NNPA BlackPress

#LET IT BE KNOWN — LIVE FROM THE DEMOCRATIC NATIONAL CONVENTION

Published

3 weeks ago

August 20, 2024

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#NNPA BlackPress

Democrats Call for Fierce Defense of Democracy and Working-Class Values

NNPA NEWSWIRE — Democrats from all political backgrounds came together to honor President Biden’s legacy, which includes unwavering efforts to reduce costs for middle-class Americans, repair a deteriorating infrastructure, and defend democracy from unprecedented threats.

Published

3 weeks ago

August 20, 2024

Oakland Post

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

In an electrifying moment at the Democratic National Convention (DNC) that likely set the tone for the party’s campaign, Vice President Kamala Harris made a surprise appearance on the opening night, seizing the stage to the triumphant anthem of Beyoncé’s “Freedom.” The crowd erupted with fire in her voice as Harris declared, “I want to kick us off by celebrating our incredible president, Joe Biden. Thank you for your historic leadership, for your lifetime of service to our nation, and for all you will continue to do. We are forever grateful to you.” The first night of the DNC was more than a celebration; it was a battle cry. Democrats from all political backgrounds came together to honor President Biden’s legacy, which includes unwavering efforts to reduce costs for middle-class Americans, repair a deteriorating infrastructure, and defend democracy from unprecedented threats. The message was clear: Biden’s work is not done, and Vice President Kamala Harris and Governor Tim Walz are ready to continue that fight.

Speakers who are most familiar with Biden, such as Senators Raphael Warnock and Chris Coons, as well as Dr. Jill Biden and Ashley Biden, shared stories that painted a picture of a president who is unwaveringly dedicated to the American people. “In public and in private, President Biden never backed down from his vision for an America where everyone has a fair shot,” Warnock emphasized. Dr. Biden and Ashley Biden gave heartfelt tributes to the man who led the nation and his family with steadfast devotion. The emotional high point of the evening came when Biden, introduced by his daughter Ashley, took the stage to a thunderous ovation as “Your Love Has Lifted Me Higher” filled the arena. The crowd’s response was deafening, with chants of “We love Joe” and “Thank You, Joe” reverberating throughout the hall, a powerful testament to Biden’s connection with the American people.

In a speech that was as much a rallying cry as it was a reflection on his presidency, Biden delivered a stark reminder of what’s at stake. “Let me ask you… Are you ready to vote for freedom? Are you ready to vote for democracy and America? Are you ready to elect Kamala Harris and Tim Walz?” Biden’s words resonated as he recalled the perilous moment of his inauguration, just weeks after supporters of the twice-impeached former president stormed the U.S. Capitol. “You cannot say I love my country only when you win,” Biden asserted. “The winter of peril and possibility has passed, and with a grateful heart, I stand before you to report that democracy has prevailed. But now, democracy must be preserved.” Biden highlighted the progress made under his administration, pointing to economic recovery, healthcare expansion, and the battle against corporate greed. He singled out Harris’s critical role in these achievements. “We’ve gone from economic crisis to the strongest economy in the world… More Americans have health insurance than at any time in American history. And we finally beat big pharma. Guess who cast the tie-breaking vote? Vice President and soon-to-be President Kamala Harris. Now it’s the law of the land—$35 a month for insulin.”

The evening was charged with passionate speeches that struck the heart of the nation’s issues. Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton delivered a searing indictment of Donald Trump, contrasting Harris’s steadfast dedication to American values with Trump’s chaotic legacy. “Kamala won’t disrespect our military and our veterans,” Clinton declared to thunderous applause. “She will defend democracy and our Constitution and will protect America from enemies foreign and domestic. Donald Trump fell asleep at his own trial, and when he woke up, he made history as the first person to run for president with 34 felony convictions.” Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez delivered a fiery endorsement of Harris, framing her as the champion of the middle-class needs. “In Kamala Harris, we have a chance to elect a president who is for the middle class because she is from the middle class,” Ocasio-Cortez proclaimed. “She understands the urgency of rent checks, groceries, and prescriptions. She is as committed to our reproductive and civil rights as she is to taking on corporate greed. She is working tirelessly to secure a ceasefire in Gaza and bring hostages home.”

Ocasio-Cortez didn’t hold back in her critique of Trump, accusing him of being a self-serving demagogue. “Donald Trump would sell this country for a dollar if it meant lining his own pockets and greasing the palms of his Wall Street friends,” she said. “I, for one, am tired of hearing about how a two-bit union buster thinks of himself as more of a patriot than the woman who fights every single day to lift working people out from under the boots of greed trampling on our way of life.” The night was filled with moments that galvanized the crowd. Golden State Warriors Head Coach Steve Kerr, invoking the words of Steph Curry, declared, “After the results are tallied that night, we can tell Donald Trump, ‘Night, night.’“UAW President Shawn Fain tore off his jacket to reveal a shirt emblazoned with the words “TRUMP IS A SCAB,” igniting the crowd into a fervent chant of “Trump’s a scab! Trump’s a scab!”

In one of the night’s most pointed moments, Rep. Jasmine Crockett drew a stark contrast between Harris and Trump: “She became a career prosecutor while he became a career criminal. Who would you hire? Donald Trump or Kamala Harris? Kamala Harris has a resume, and Donald Trump has a rap sheet with 34 felonies, 2 impeachments, and 1 porn star to prove it.” The NAACP President Derrick Johnson and Melanie Campbell, the President and CEO of the National Coalition on Black Civic Participation, led a standing ovation for civil rights icon Rev. Jesse Jackson during the celebration.

Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson also delivered a powerful message that resonated deeply with the audience. “I know that my daughter will see not only a reflection of herself in the White House, but she will experience the deepest part of American values… Kamala Harris—she’s got us.” Harris’s words from earlier in the night echoed as the event ended: “We are at a pivotal moment. The choices we make now will determine the future of our nation. Together, we will fight for the soul of America and build a future where everyone has a fair shot. Our best days are still ahead, and we are ready to lead.”