Culture

3 U.S. Black Journalists Covering Gaza Crisis Alphonso Van Marsh of CBS News, one of a handful of battle-tested U.S. journalists of color covering the Gaza crisis, stood outdoors Monday interviewing Micky Rosenfeld, spokesman for the Israel National Police, in Sderot, Israel. “It is one of the heavier hit areas by Hamas rockets. Sunday evening, Israel’s…

Network’s Recall Was Criticized as Pro-Israel Bias Veteran war correspondent Ayman Mohyeldin announced via Twitter Friday night that NBC News had reversed course and was sending him back to Gaza. The removal of the Egyptian-American journalist a day after he live tweeted an Israeli airstrike in Gaza that killed four children drew criticism from fellow…

Immigration Cases Awaiting Resolution at All-Time High Jose Antonio Vargas might have received a “Notice to Appear” before an immigration judge after his detention in McAllen, Texas, on Tuesday, but it might be years before he goes to court — if ever, an immigration lawyer told Journal-isms on Wednesday. “The first priority is the kids,”…

For Three Years, Authorities Have Declined to Prosecute Jose Antonio Vargas, the undocumented journalist-turned-activist, has been taken into custody by the U.S. Border Patrol, a border patrol spokesman confirmed on Tuesday. “All I can say is that we have him in custody,” Omar Zamora said from the border patrol offices in Edinburg, Texas. Vargas had…

“I Can’t Recall Any Other Story Comparable,” Editor Says LeBron James’ decision to return to the Cleveland Cavaliers, announced Friday, “changes everything” in the Cleveland area, Thomas Fladung, managing editor of the Plain Dealer, told Journal-isms by telephone. “I’m 54. I can’t recall any other story comparable to this. If you grew up in the…

Administration Disagrees With Assertions by Columnists The Obama administration has denied suggestions by at least two columnists that the children migrating to the United States from Central America are potentially spreading communicable diseases. “CDC does not believe the children arriving at U.S. borders pose a public health risk to the general public or U.S. communities,”…

Event Boosts Magazine, Raises Millions for New Orleans “The 20th annual ESSENCE Festival attracted a record-breaking 550,000 attendees from around the world to New Orleans this Fourth of July weekend, earning the distinction of being the largest gathering in the event’s history,” Essence Communications announced on Monday. New Orleans Mayor Mitch Landrieu said Friday that…

Did Colonists Fear England’s Moves Against Black Bondage? A professor of history and African American studies has written a book that challenges the conventional narrative about American independence and should broaden the discussion of the July 4 holiday. But based on the limited attention it has received, likely won’t. Gerald Horne, who holds the John…

Race-Studies Scholars Share Their Responses to the Haters Journalists of color are often accused by their readers, viewers, listeners — and sometimes editors — of devoting too much attention to race, even when race isn’t their subject. Not surprisingly, a similar dynamic takes place in academia, but also includes white professors who think race is…

$20,000 in Ads, Social Media Helped GOP Senator An African American political action group that helped Sen. Thad Cochran, R-Miss., eke out a nail-biting runoff victory Tuesday against a tea party opponent who spent “somewhere in the area of about $20,000” in media targeting black people, the organizer of the PAC told Journal-isms on Wednesday.…