As Black Press Week is upon us, our communities have a moment to reflect on the hardships and successes of Black media. Various media outlets across the nation have evolved to include the perspective of Black Americans and many outlets have a unique opportunity to cover minority issues exclusively.
Historically, the African American experience has often been disregarded in American media coverage. This lack of coverage has, over time, lit a fire beneath many Black journalists and media personas to create a space for our people.
I’m originally from Memphis, Tenn., where I grew up being well-acquainted with the inequalities in coverage for important Black issues. As time passed, the coverage gap between other communities’ issues and our own became glaringly apparent.
When I watched TV news or read the newspapers, I would notice one thing: “Where are the people that look like me?”
Being born in a majority Black neighborhood and attending majority Black schools, I noticed the lack of representation in our most consumed media outlets.
When we would finally make it to February, we would see Black everything. Black heritage, values, and people of import were finally displayed in abundance. Just as we seemed to have finally found our role models and heroes, they would vanish or only be present in black and white photos in the smallest reaches of our decades-old textbooks.
As the 29 days of “our month” had passed, so did our pride and jubilance. “Why is that?,” I used to ask myself. Accompanied by the dull school uniforms we were required to wear, I would wonder where those beautiful tapestries we saw during the Black History Month programs went.
Even as many of us have journeyed forth to provide the level of coverage we lacked, we as journalists and media professionals get asked, “You plan on writing for a career? Do you think that’ll make you some money?” This is a question I get from most people as I inform them of my aspirations.
The vision of Black Press Week is to inform, empower and advocate for Black communities. As a community, we owe it to ourselves to become more aware of the matters surrounding our people. History has shown that time and time again,; other communities won’t do it for us.
While many minorities have been thwarted by the preconceived notion of failure and discrimination, there are those of us who have refused to be denied. Nearly two centuries after the launch of Freedom’s Journal, the country’s first Black-owned and operated newspaper, we have made great strides but we must remain steadfast.
In an age where misinformation and discrimination have proliferated across all news mediums, our literacy in discerning facts from fiction is imperative. If the powers that be had their way, Black voices would remain isolated and silenced.
However, there is strength in community, and that is what we must build. Our voices have grown into a foundation that must be built upon. That is our charge.
When one isn’t enough, send in two — a notion in sports. We can use this same thinking in our circles. Black people’s grievances have long gone unnoticed and ignored, but now with our platforms growing, our communities have a chance to be heard. Time has shown us that Black communities are wholly capable of coming together and getting things done, hence every other community relying on our involvement in their movements.
Being from the South, we have a “Show me” attitude, where we need to see it to believe it. So, go out and show the youth and our peers how it’s done. We must lead by example and take the initiative and grow our understanding of the issues that plague our communities.
My mission in journalism has always been to develop literacy in our communities with factual reporting. This mission doesn’t just end with my actions, but the actions of all of us within the Black community.
When I look back at what we’ve accomplished, the school-aged version of me grins and gives the nod to keep going. Where some may see no hope; others see opportunity. Our people have a strong constitution and legacy, and it is our duty to grow that legacy to make our predecessors proud.
Contact Staff Writer Malik Simon at 317-762-7847.
Malik Simon is a Staff Writer for the Indianapolis Recorder Newspaper. Originally from Memphis, TN, he graduated from Mississippi Valley State University with a Bachelor of Arts in General Studies concentrating on journalism. Before joining the Recorder, he wrote for the Devil’s Gazette newspaper at MVSU and served as a freelance content and video editor. He seeks to use media to help communities flourish through literacy and factual reporting.
