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Good Morning Tom, Sybil, and Jay.

Tom, you’ve heard me talk about issues of media and race before… Very important, given that in our society, unfortunately, image is everything…

And given this visual approach to politics, news and society, it is critical that we have individuals in positions of visibility and power who look like us and come from experiences similar to ours to help us navigate these images.

Let me explain: All of us, at one time or another, have experienced being ‘the only African American in the room…’

…could have been at a new job, at a conference, or in a new neighborhood or school…

And in those unfamiliar and sometimes uncomfortable situations, many of us have been relieved to spot another black face –be it an employee or neighbor—who sees us, gives us a knowing wink, and then kindly “shows us the ropes…”

Well I bring this up today, Sybil, because you may have seen the CNN interview a few days back with pioneering and now-retired anchor woman, Carole Simpson, on the current lack of black anchors on mainstream news networks…

Simpson did not hold her tongue… She came out firing at the mainstream news organizations – including CNN — about their lack of diversity and the racism she faced years ago and the racism African Americans continue to face in a media industry that continues to be white male-dominated…

Simpson pointed out that, in this day and age, it is absurd that the numbers of black mainstream anchors is declining…

And she had every right to … for no one would know better how broadcast media works than Simpson … When it comes to media, she was that beautiful African American face in a white-dominated society that showed us the ropes each day…

One of the most successful and prominent journalists who ever lived, Simpson was a staple on ABC News for nearly two decades winning three Emmys, covering the most significant world issues, and becoming the first woman and first minority to moderate a presidential debate…

Whether it was the first Persian Gulf War, the Tiananmen Square massacre, the Clarence Thomas-Anita Hill hearings or other major stories, Simpson was always there…

And if you want a brutal example of what she went through to bring us this crucial African American perspective, I got one for ya…

You may recall, Tom, that Simpson was in South Africa in 1990, broadcasting live, the release of Nelson Mandela…

But what many may not remember was that Simpson was beaten across the back by a white South African policeman while covering a demonstration led by Archbishop Desmond TuTu the day before Mandela’s release…

Talk about news from a black perspective… or better yet, black and blue perspective…

But you get the point… Simpson, like other black journalists and anchors, can offer a unique perspective …
Without such voices and representation, our American story lacks both relevance and context…

Now, of course, there are things we can do to try and change this… We can certainly reach out to all the major networks and push them to hear our voices and show our faces…

We can go online to the Federal Communications Commission site at fcc.gov and file a complaint with their Consumer & Governmental Affairs division…

But we can also start our own media outlets which, given the internet and changing technologies, is a realistic step that many in our community are already taking…

And, of course, we can continue to support our own existing black-owned media vehicles, like the excellent platform you provide for us, Tom, thank you very much…

So whatever we do, let’s push to ensure our perspectives, our context and our stories get heard in the vehicles we support and that get their advertising dollars from our viewership…

We shouldn’t support or empower vehicles that don’t support or empower us…

I’ll close with this. A prominent 20th century media executive once said: “All of us who professionally use the mass media are the shapers of society. We can vulgarize that society. We can brutalize it… Or we can help lift it to a higher level.”

Until Next Time, this is Stephanie in Love and Hope.

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