Editor's Note: On Oct. 6, 2001, Maynard Institute President Dori J. Maynard received the “Fellow of the Society” honor by the Society for Professional Journalists for her contributions to journalism. Below are her acceptance remarks augmented by some of her thoughts on recent events.
I can’t tell you how much it means to me to be honored by an organization that has had such a profound effect on me. SPJ’s mission of fairness, accuracy and free speech inform and inspire my work on a regular basis.
I would also like to thank the organization for its conventions. Every time I attend an SPJ convention, I hear an idea or point of view across the fault lines of race, class, gender, generation and geography that I -- as a professional black woman who lives in the city -- would not hear in the normal course of my daily life.
I can’t say I always agree with those ideas. I can’t say I always like those points of view. I can say, however, that those points of views always deepen my appreciation for the rich diversity of this country. They make me better at my job.
The "N" Word at SPJ
During the business meeting at my first SPJ convention I sat behind two women who were furious when someone raised the issue of diversity. “What we need to talk about is how to save our jobs. We don’t need to be bothered with this,” one said to the other.
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"As we report on the distrust and hatred aimed at “Arab-looking people,” it is important to look back at the results of the similar suspicion aimed at Japanese Americans that lead to interment camps during World War II." |
It was at that same convention that people of color were referred to as “those people” by the in coming SPJ president. Since then, I continue to hear diversity dismissed, have heard references to the “n” word and most recently listened as journalists justified their distrust of Arab Americans.
These are not views shared by my friends and colleagues. They do, however, represent the thinking of many people in this nation. Being in an organization where people give free expression to those ideas gives me greater insight into the rationale behind those ideas. It is something I think would be helpful for all journalists – joining organizations whose membership may hold different viewpoints.
Provide a Multicultural Context
This Saturday Lynne Cheney, former chair of the National Endowment for the Humanities, and wife of Vice President Dick Cheney, illustrated the urgency for more journalists to be able to see across the fault lines.
Speaking to the Dallas Institute of Humanities and Culture on Friday, Cheney objected to Judith Rizzo, a New York deputy chancellor for instruction educator’s call to include more multicultural context in response to Sept. 11.
“At a time of national crisis, I think it is particularly apparent that we need to encourage the study of our past. Our children and grandchildren – indeed, all of us – need to know the ideas and ideals on which our nation was built. We need to understand how fortunate we are to live in freedom,” Cheney said.
“If there were one aspect of schooling, from kindergarten through college, to which I would give added emphasis today, it would be American history,” Cheney said in response to Rizzo’s remarks.
Whose U.S. History Do We Study?
Cheney is right. We do need to study our past if we are to come up with a long-term coherent public policy that can unite and sustain this country in the difficult days to come. Where some may disagree, are which aspects of our history we need to study.
As an African American journalist, my first thought was that added emphasis on American history would mean greater attention to black military contributions in this country, something often ignored. Would a Japanese American journalist assume Cheney wanted to focus on the World War II internment camps?
Perhaps a Native American journalist would think Cheney thought it time to look at the number of Native Americans wiped out by smallpox infested blankets. All three views are important and all three are relevant to our times. As we face the prospect of asking our young men and women to sacrifice their lives for us, it is important that we celebrate all who came before them.
By the same token, as we report on the distrust and hatred aimed at “Arab-looking people,” it is important to look back at the results of the similar suspicion aimed at Japanese Americans that lead to interment camps during World War II. That Native Americans survived an earlier bout of bio-terrorism may offer us modern day clues to survival.
Cheney may not have been referring to any of those episodes of American history. Because of her fault lines perspective those events may not even occur to her. As individuals, it is to be expected that we all have our own versions on history. As journalists, our charge is to weave those versions into a single national narrative.
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