EDUCATION NEWS
Nikole Hannah-Jones On Choosing Howard University
WKHHOHFWLRQZDV³VWROHQ´IURPIRUPHU3UHVLGHQW'RQDOG7UXPS many Republican-controlled states have passed laws limiting when and where people can vote. The battle over voting rights continues to be waged in Congress and state legislatures across the country. It’s all connected, Hannah-Jones said. When the 1HZ <RUN 7LPHV published the 1619 Project in August 2019, Hannah-Jones said she expected pushback but could not have anticipated the magnitude of the backlash. Trump threatened to de- fund schools that implemented the project into curriculum. The for- PHU 6HFUHWDU\ RI 6WDWH 0LNH 3RPSHR SXEOLFO\ FULWLFL]HG LW 6HQDWRU Tom Cotton, a Republican in Arkansas, introduced a bill this year in Congress to prevent elementary and secondary schools from receiving federal funds to teach the project. And several state legislators across the country are still trying to ban the project and other teachings about racism in classrooms. The journalist became a symbol — admired by some, despised by others. ³,UHDGWKHWKLQJVWKDWSHRSOHVD\´+DQQDK-RQHVVDLG³,W¶VQRWMXVW attacking my work, but my ethics as a journalist, my skills as a journal- ist and then also my humanity. I get some of the vilest, most threaten- LQJHPDLOV,¶YHHYHUUHFHLYHGLQD\HDUFDUHHU´ And it took a toll. Hannah-Jones said she looks to history to remain motivated in her ZRUN6KHORRNVWR%ODFNMRXUQDOLVWVOLNH,GD%:HOOVDQG(WKHO3D\QH who faced attacks without the backing of powerful institutions. ³,Q WKH HQG , MXVW GR WKHZRUN´+DQQDK-RQHV VDLG ³, MXVW UHDG PRUH,VWXG\PRUH,WU\WRWDNHP\YHQJHDQFHRXWLQWKHSHQ´ 0DULHO3DGLOOD LVD*HQHUDO$VVLJQPHQW5HSRUWHUDW7KH WKDQ LQGHSHQGHQWQRQSUR¿WQHZVURRPUHSRUWLQJRQJHQGHUSROLWLFVDQG SROLF\ZZZ WKQHZVRUJ
BY MARIEL PADILLA, THE 19TH
,Q D FRQYHUVDWLRQ ZLWK 7KH WK WKH FUHDWRU RI WKH 3XOLW]HU 3UL]HZLQQLQJ 3URMHFWVDLGLWZDVWLPHWR³EULQJP\WDOHQWVKRPH´ >(G1RWH 7KLVVWRU\ZDVRULJLQDOO\SXEOLVKHGE\7KH WK@ ,QWKHWZR\HDUVVLQFHKHU3XOLW]HU3UL]HZLQQLQJ 3URMHFWZDV published, Nikole Hannah-Jones said she has experienced the lowest moments of her career — and the highest. ³,W¶VRQHRIWKRVHFDVHVZKHUHVRPHWKLQJUHDOO\EHDXWLIXOFDPHRXW RIVRPHWKLQJUHDOO\XJO\´+DQQDK-RQHVVDLGDW7KH WK5HSUHVHQWV 9LUWXDO6XPPLW³$QG,MXVWIHHOOLNHJRLQJWR+RZDUGLVZKHUH,ZDV VXSSRVHGWREHDOODORQJ´ -XVW ODVWPRQWK WKH1HZ<RUN7LPHV MRXUQDOLVWGHFOLQHGD WHQXUH R̆HU IURP WKH8QLYHUVLW\RI1RUWK&DUROLQDDW&KDSHO+LOOKHUDOPD mater, after experiencing pushback from conservatives and the board of trustees. Hannah-Jones had been named to a position that typically FDPHZLWKWHQXUHEXWWKHERDUG LQLWLDOO\RQO\R̆HUHGKHUD¿YH\HDU contract, sparking outcry from faculty and placing the award-winning MRXUQDOLVW LQ WKH FURVVKDLUVRIDQDWLRQDO FXOWXUHZDU'HVSLWH81&¶V HYHQWXDOWHQXUHR̆HU+DQQDK-RQHVXOWLPDWHO\GHFLGHGWRMRLQ+RZ - DUG8QLYHUVLW\DVWKHLQDXJXUDO.QLJKW&KDLULQ5DFHDQG-RXUQDOLVP In a conversation with The 19th’s Editor-at-Large Errin Haines, +DQQDK-RQHV WDONHG DERXW KHU SODQV IRU +RZDUG 8QLYHUVLW\ WKH meaning of true representation and the urgency of this moment. ³$WVRPHSRLQWLQVWHDGRIDOZD\VZRUNLQJDWDSODFHWKDW¶VLQRSSR - VLWLRQWR\RXZHFDQJRDQGEXLOGXSRXURZQ´+DQQDK-RQHVVDLG +RZDUGDQGWKHPRUHWKDQRWKHUKLVWRULFDOO\%ODFNFROOHJHVDQG XQLYHUVLWLHVKDYHRSHUDWHGXQGHUWKHEHOLHIWKDW%ODFNH[FHOOHQFH LVD QRUPDQG%ODFNVFKRODUVKLSPDWWHUV+DQQDK-RQHVVDLG ³&HQWHULQJ%ODFN$PHULFDQVLVFULWLFDOWRRXUXQGHUVWDQGLQJRIDQ\ ¿HOGRIDFDGHPLDWKDW\RXZRXOGZDQWWRJRLQ´VKHVDLG³$QG,MXVW WKRXJKWLWZDVWLPHLQP\FDUHHUWREULQJP\WDOHQWVKRPH«&KRRVLQJ WRJRWR+RZDUGZLOOKHOSRWKHU%ODFNSHRSOHNQRZWKDWDFWXDOO\RQHRI RXUJUHDWHVWFDOOLQJVLVEXLOGLQJRXURZQLQVWLWXWLRQV´ In the fall, Hannah-Jones said she plans to launch the Center for Journalism and Democracy in her new academic position. The aim will be to strengthen investigative reporting and history-infused re- SRUWLQJDW+RZDUG8QLYHUVLW\DQGRWKHU+%&8VZLWKMRXUQDOLVPSUR - grams. 6KH DOVR VSRNH DERXW WKH GL̇FXOWLHV RI ULVLQJ SURIHVVLRQDOO\ DV D %ODFNZRPDQDQLGHQWLW\WKDWLVRIWHQGRXEO\PDUJLQDOL]HGDWWKHLQ - WHUVHFWLRQRIUDFHDQGJHQGHU%ODFNZRPHQVKHHPSKDVL]HGVKRXOG go where they are valued when they can. ³:HFDQQRWUHDFKRXUIXOOSRWHQWLDODVMRXUQDOLVWVDVFDUHHUZRPHQ as human beings if we’re constantly working at institutions that are battling us — where we’re not feeling respected, where we’re being sti- ÀHGZKHUHZH¶UHEHLQJTXHVWLRQHGDQGGRXEWHG´+DQQDK-RQHVVDLG 7KRXJKDQWL%ODFNQHVVDQGVWUXFWXUDOUDFLVPDUHQRWQHZVKHVDLG WKH8QLWHG6WDWHVLVLQDFULWLFDOPRPHQW,WLVVWLOOUHHOLQJIURPDSDQ - demic that disproportionately impacted people of color and a mass PRYHPHQWDJDLQVWSROLFHNLOOLQJVRI%ODFNSHRSOH ³-RXUQDOLVPLVWKH¿UHZDOORIRXUGHPRFUDF\´+DQQDK-RQHVVDLG ³$QG,GRQ¶WWKLQNZHKDYHHQRXJKXUJHQF\LQWKRVHZKRDUHFRYHULQJ WKHSROLWLFVRIRXUGD\DURXQGZKDWLVDFWXDOO\RFFXUULQJ´ +DQQDK-RQHVZDUQHGWKDWRXUGHPRFUDF\LVIDFLQJD³IULJKWHQLQJ SHULRG´² LQSDUWDVDUHDFWLRQ WR WKHHOHFWLRQRI%DUDFN2EDPD WKH FRXQWU\¶V¿UVW%ODFNSUHVLGHQWZKLFKFRQWULEXWHGWRWKHHOHFWLRQRID White nationalist president. Then, spurred by the false assertion that
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PATHWAYS—Fall 21—15
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