17 minute read
WI Bridge................................................................Center Section OpEd
Protect Journalists: Their Lives Matter, Too
The journalism profession is a noble calling upon those who believe through words, they can make a significant difference in society and in the lives of the people they wish to serve. Consumers of news watch newscasters report stories based on facts and analyze facts to espouse opinions on the day’s major news events. Reporters are extended members of the family whose names are memorized and recalled on a first-name basis. They bring value to the lives of readers and viewers who want to stay informed through news stories about issues they care about and images that bring those stories to life.
The reporter's life appears glamorous and many believe the profession pays high salaries. That’s half true. There is glamor simply derived from knowing hundreds read your story and those in powerful places reacted to it. But, the job does not always pay well despite the ultimate sacrifices it requires.
There is no more extraordinary sacrifice reporters give than their lives often lost in the line of duty. The Committee to Protect Journalists reports that 12 journalists’ lives have been lost this year, many on dangerous assignments in countries including Mexico, Chad and Haiti. Two of them were Fox News reporters killed in crossfire in the current Russian war against Ukraine.
The United Nations reported that 55 journalists were killed worldwide in 2021. They have condemned leaders for not doing more to protect journalists. “Right now, the world needs independent, factual information more than ever. We must do more to ensure that those who work tirelessly to provide this can do so without fear,” said UNESCO Director-General Audrey Azoulay.
It's in this light that communities remember Charnisse Milton, the 27-year-old reporter gunned down at a bus stop in Southeast on May 27, 2015. Milton was returning home from covering an ANC meeting at Eastern Market for Capital Community News. Her murder case remains unsolved and a $25,000 reward remains for the arrest of her killer.
Just two weeks ago, a 25-year-old reporter for the Virginian Pilot was killed by random gunfire outside of a bar in Norfolk, Virginia. Both young Black women were recognized by their respective employers as rising stars with great potential.
Just as soldiers are called to war, law enforcement is called to reduce crime, and first responders are called to provide aid, reporters also play a vital role in covering stories, reporting wrongdoing, or describing a job that is done well. Reporters' lives matter because they accept the responsibility to protect a free and democratic society with their weapons - the pen.
WI
TO THE EDITOR
The Only Ethical Choice for Clarence Thomas is to Recuse Himself
Texts, emails, even occasional pillow talk, exchanged between committed couples or spouses can result in either very happy or unimaginably bad endings. The most recently-discussed example: Justice Clarence Thomas who continues to face a host of questions related to ethics after reports revealed that his wife, Virginia “Ginni” Thomas, participated in aggressive efforts to help overturn the election defeat of former President Trump.
Of course it would be a stretch to assume that the opinions of one’s spouse automatically create a conflict of interest with the job responsibilities of the other spouse. However, most people aren’t married to a Supreme Court justice.
Shortly after the 2020 election, the justice’s wife allegedly exchanged dozens of text messages with Mark Meadows, then the White House chief of staff Mark Meadows. The messages shared ways Mrs. Thomas might employ to circumvent the will of American voters to install Trump for a second White House term despite his loss to President Biden which she called an “obvious fraud” and “the greatest heist of our history.”
Around the same time, Clarence Thomas refused to recuse himself from multiple pro-Trump legal challenges that attempted to counter the 2020 election results. Further, Thomas earlier this year cast the only dissenting vote in a Supreme Court ruling that allowed the House committee to obtain Trump White House records as investigations continue in the Jan. 6 insurrection.
Ginni Thomas recently revealed in an interview with several media outlets that she had attended the “Stop the Steal” pro-Trump rally held prior to the Jan. 6 riot at the Capitol.
Champ for a Spell
Congratulations to Prince George’s County Spelling Bee winner Noemie Jackson-Weaver. I, too, won the spelling bee once upon a time, and it brings me great joy to see the youth keeping it going. Black girl magic!
Wanda Hayes Washington, D.C.
Time to Make History
I can’t wait for the honorable Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson to be confirmed to the Supreme Court. It’s a shame how she has been treated in the Senate confirmation hearings, but she will prevail. History will be made.
Harold Ivey Washington, D.C.
Many of the justice’s critics believe that given his wife’s actions, he should recuse himself from any of the court’s cases or petitions related to the Jan. 6 Committee or efforts to reverse the outcome of the election. In addition, some believe Ginni Thomas’s political activities have led to an ethical dilemma and overlap with her husband’s judicial position.
Said another way, “Can Clarence Thomas maintain his objectivity?”
There remains no evidence that confirms that Ginni Thomas has influenced her husband’s opinion in cases that he has heard about Jan. 6 or the 2020 elections. But with unprecedented public distrust with the Supreme Court and their decreased opinion about the Court, and because Supreme Court justices, as opposed to those on lower federal courts, have both the authority to decide for themselves if recusal is appropriate and are not bound by a code of conduct, we believe Thomas should remove all doubts and recuse himself.
It would be for the good of all Americans and remove all doubts of impropriety or unethical dealings. WI
Guest Columnist
Unquestioned Competence
E. Faye Williams
I remember it well! It hasn't been that long ago and I'm sure that it's still practiced in culturally anachronistic pockets of this nation — like the U.S. Senate. I speak of that circumstance in which the best a Black woman can expect from (some) white folks is to be called by her first name, and if she's older, Auntie! She can never dream of the expectation of conversational courtesies in tone or expression.
In modern America, the same type of blatant and benign contempt of never speaking in tones of equanimity or affording an individual the respect of using a Mrs. or Ms. (or Mr.) and a last name has been reflected in the tone and tenor of (certain) Republican senators during the confirmation hearings of Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson. In the past few days, an exceptionally qualified jurist who has received Senate confirmation on three separate occasions has been subjected to interrogation no better than if she were herself a criminal. I am sure that without the razor-thin majority of Senate Democrats, the Supreme Court would have to wait for the election of the next Republican president to reach its full complement.
It is clear that (Senate) Republicans deeply embrace an anti-abortion philosophy, unfettered access to commercially available firearms, the influx of "dark" money in the political process, and a disregard for the management of climate issues. Their goal of ending protections for same-sex couples and families, and irrefutable acceptance and endorsement of white supremacist values as an integral part of Republicanism (Trumpism) are common to the interests they support. In recent days, a Republican senator from Indiana has even opined that the Supreme Court erred in guaranteeing the legality of interracial marriage. A Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson would be a strong voice against this reactionary agenda.
The confirmation hearings were not easy for me to watch. The longer I viewed them, the more disgusted I became. My disgust was directed at the ridiculous, mindless inquiries of Republican members of the Senate Judiciary Committee and their failed and repeated attempts to entrap Judge Jackson in an ill-considered response.
My disgust was only tempered in the juxtaposition of Judge Jackson's record against those of her inquisitors. Her multifaceted experience in the justice system will serve to enhance her position on the high court. At all levels, she has been credited by and for exemplary performance. Moreover, her lived experiences provide a myriad of perspectives that are not currently available to current Justices. Additionally, she has received endorsements which span divergent political viewpoints far too numerous to list in this space.
We must remember Josh Haw-
Guest Columnist
Ben Jealous
We're Not Letting Anybody Steal Our Joy
A congressional meeting room might be the last place people would expect to find joy.
But joy was in the air on the opening day of the confirmation hearing for Supreme Court nominee Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson. Joy was in my heart and in the hearts of so many friends and colleagues who were in the room that day. Why were we feeling joyful?
We were joyful because this brilliant judge is about to become the first Black woman ever to serve on this country's highest court.
We were joyful because we could feel the love and pride from Judge Jackson's parents, brother, husband and daughters.
As a father, I was joyful because my Black daughter can look to a new role model. She has a new reason to believe that her dreams, talents and hard work can take her wherever she wants to go.
We all knew that the week ahead would be a difficult one for Judge Jackson. There would be grueling 12-hour days. There would be disgraceful lies. There would be examples of barely concealed racism.
All of that happened. And none of it broke Judge Jackson's spirit or calm professionalism.
In the face of smears and false accusations, she gracefully explained the truth about her record and her commitment to applying the law fairly.
She showed Americans a strength grounded in faith. She demonstrated a self-confidence built over years of perseverance and accomplishment.
She spoke about her love for our country and for the Constitution.
We live at a time when the Court is dominated by judges who do not share a commitment to justice for all. We live at a time when white nationalism and bigotry are openly promoted by powerful politicians and pundits. Judge Jackson's nomination gave us a reason for renewed hope that our country can and will continue to make progress toward the
Guest Columnist
Marian Wright Edelman The Invisible Backbone Leaders of Transforming Social Change
Women's History Month is a reminder that in every major American social reform movement, women have always played a critical role. Women at the forefront, acting as the catalyst for progress when it needs to happen, make the front pages and the history books. But women have also always been the invisible backbone, unseen but strong, of transforming social movements and of all anchor institutions in society — our families, congregations, schools, and communities — employing behind the scenes quiet essential leadership and organizational, communication and fundraising skills to get things done.
Many people know Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. first rose to national prominence as a civil rights leader by serving as a spokesperson in Montgomery, Alabama during the Montgomery Bus Boycott of 1955-1956. Not enough of us recognize that there would not have been a bus boycott without a vigilant community catalyst working behind the scenes looking for the right spark to challenge hated bus segregation. The December 1955 arrest of Mrs. Rosa Parks, who refused to move from her seat at the front of the "colored" section of her bus when the white section got too full, was not the first such arrest in Montgomery, but it made history because she was the right public face that could mobilize the entire Black community.
And behind that bus boycott was a community leader named Jo Ann Robinson who had been putting the community infrastructure in place long before Rosa Parks was arrested and was ready to spring into action when the right opportunity arose. Next month will be the 110th anniversary of Jo Ann Robinson's birth.
Robinson, an English professor at Alabama State College, was president of the Women's Political Council (WPC), a group of Black women civic leaders in Montgomery. She had been thrown off a city bus in 1949 for sitting too close to the front although the bus was nearly empty. This infuriating experience — was all too common among Montgomery's Black residents, and the WPC
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ideal of equal justice under law and equal opportunity for all Americans.
It was also a reminder that millions of Americans played a part in making this moment possible.
Millions of us voted to replace former President Donald Trump with President Joe Biden, who made a commitment to putting a Black woman on the Supreme Court.
Millions of us contributed to the effort to elect Sens. Raphael Warnock and Jon Ossoff in runoff elec-
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Guest Columnist
David W. Marshall
Message to Ketanji Brown Jackson: Just Be Yourself
The Lady Justice statue, which is seen often in many courthouses, has become the most recognized symbol of American justice. It is portrayed as a blindfolded woman carrying a sword and a set of scales as she represents the ethics and fairness of how the legal system is supposed to work. The blindfold tells us that justice is blind in its impartiality and objectivity of the law. Therefore, external factors such as partisan politics, wealth, status, race or fame should be removed so they do not prevent the execution of an honest and objective process and decision by the courts.
Justice does not see who is before her regardless if they are rich or poor, black or white, friend or foe; everyone is to have equal treatment. Balance is key, and the scales represents the balance of justice. The scales imply a rational process of fairness where both sides of the case will be considered even-handedly. It counters the realty of a shameless segment of society with its "thumb on the scale" approach to justice. An approach where too much weight (or biased influence) on one side will cause the scales to tilt unfairly in one direction. It takes men and women of character and integrity to serve as court judges on all levels in order to have this type of justice executed. Unfortunately, this is not always the case with those who were given the past honor of being nominated and appointed as a court judges.
Years ago, Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson served a clerk for Supreme Court Justice Stephen G. Breyer. Ironically, the current United States Circuit Court judge has been nominated to replace the retiring Justice Breyer making her the first Black woman to serve on the nation's highest court. "Justice Breyer not only gave me the greatest job that any young lawyer could ever hope to have, but he also exemplifies what it means to be a Supreme Court justice of the highest level of skill and integrity, civility, and grace," Jackson said. "It is extremely humbling to be considered for Justice Breyer's seat, and I know that I could never fill his shoes. But if confirmed, I would hope to carry on his spirit." Given the current political climate, it was not surprising that the four day Supreme Court confirmation hearings had its moments of partisan grandstanding. Regardless, the hearing process overall was a proud and historic moment. During the hearings, the nation had the opportunity to see how much Ketanji Brown Jackson either as a daughter, sister, wife, friend, student, public servant and most of all a working mother reminds us of ourselves.
During the hearings we learned that her parents, Johnny and Ellery Brown, left their hometown of Miami and moved to Washington, D.C., where they both would became public school teachers. Like so many parents from all walks of life, they sacrificed in providing their children every opportunity to
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Guest Columnist
Avery Ross
A Legacy Worth Leaving
We are hardwired to deal with grief, but everyone grieves differently. Acknowledging the complexities and simplicity of grief allows me to live a full life. Sometimes my grief manifests itself as gratitude for another day, sometimes it moves me to help others. As a grief counselor, I encourage others to acknowledge and move forward in grief. When we engage in open and honest conversations about death, we are giving ourselves the tools to manage grief.
My mother never minced words when it came to death. We had conversations over the dinner table throughout my life about it. When we knew she had congestive heart failure, we decided to celebrate her life while she was still here. She chose hospice, an end-of-life care option for terminally ill people and died peacefully in her sleep. She encouraged me to think about death in a positive light, rather than as a negative and frightening thing.
I was in my mother's favorite place when I found out that she died: Las Vegas. So, I went to her favorite hotel and lost $20 in her honor. Because I would go with her, and she would win, and I would take her money and lose it. I said, "I'm just being consistent."
My mother had her affairs in order before she died: from her funeral to where her belongings would go. It made our grieving process smoother to not focus on those things. I want the same for my son, so I've made my wishes clear to him. Instead of looking at it as a daunting task, I look at it as a gift to him. When you prepare your loved ones for what you want if you get sick and when you die, you are showing them just how much you love them.
Start by having a conversation with your loved ones about your wishes and the legacy you want to leave. What matters most to you? How do you want to be remembered? Do your spiritual or religious beliefs inform your values? Is there someone you want involved in your health care decisions?
There are many tools and resources to prepare you to have these conversations and get your affairs in order. Compassion & Choices offers an End of Life Decisions Guide & Toolkit that provides helpful information on end-of-life decisions.
WI
Guest Columnist
Deborah D. Boddie, Esq.
Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson – She’s Superbad!
I didn’t go to Harvard University Law School. I went to Howard University School of Law. A place where I was nurtured challenged and protected. More than likely, I would not have been admitted to Harvard. I was a good student but not the best. During my time in law school I was also parenting a two year old and working long hours.
Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson is a brown-skinned sister with natural hair making her way in a white male-dominated profession. She is definitely “baad.” She has excelled at everything she has touched and last week she made me proud. Nothing in my background would have allowed me to maintain my composure while enduring countless hours of grueling senatorial testimony under hot lights by obviously intellectual inferiors.
But that’s exactly what Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson did. There she was, sitting before U.S. senators with a big smile on her face. She met every challenge to her qualifications with answers that made me stop and applaud. For the last 10 years this sister has been right under our noses. She has done everything right. She hasn’t even had a speeding ticket. If she had, it would have been discussed ad infinitum last week.
This is a jurist who has credentials that cannot be matched by most people – certainly not by the likes of Lindsay Graham. Her trajectory started as mayor of her junior high school, president of her high school, speech and debate team star – traveling across the country for speech competitions to become a national champion. She graduated Harvard magna cum laude. At Harvard Law School, she was an editor on the law review and graduated cum laude.
She has been quietly living here in the D.C. area for a decade, working steadfastly and in love with the law – treating it like the jealous lover it is. She has given her decisions and research so much time and attention that you wonder how she found time to nurture two beautiful daughters and support her surgeon husband.
So, here we are with what seems like an obvious decision to most but it is being weighed down by partisan politics, revenge and bigotry. It was clear
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