Blackbelt Voices

The Blackbelt Voices podcast propagates the richness of Black Southern culture by telling the stories of Black folks down South. Through first-person narratives and in-depth conversations, hosts Adena J. White, Kara Wilkins, and Katrina Dupins share the experiences of Black Southerners living in, loving, and reconciling with the region we call home. Music: Prentice Dupins Jr. Logo Design: Kara Darling Creative

Adena and Kara talk to broadcast journalists Brittany Noble and Lisa Benson, who share their experiences with racism in the newsroom. This episode’s Turn to Your Neighbor segment features newspaper reporter Stephen Simpson.

This summer, Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Wesley Lowery wrote an articlecalled a “Reckoning Over Objectivity, Led by Black Journalists.” His reflections were poignant — that media organizations do not reflect the diversity of the communities they cover. And that all became obvious to more people (not us; we been knew) with the protests following the murder of George Floyd.

Media institutions, while trying to be objective, had to come to terms with their role perpetuating the status quo. And when Black journalists challenge those conventions, they’re often pushed aside or labeled as a non-team player, looked over for promotions, and/or fired.

Brittany Noble tells her story in this Medium article.

Lisa Benson is now a diversity and racial consultant who recently published the book, Anchored in Bias: Fired Over White Tears.

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Follow @BlackbeltVoices on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. Share your thoughts about this episode and all things Black + Southern on social media using the hashtag #BlackbeltVoices.

CREDITS AND SPECIAL THANKS

Edited and produced by: Katrina Dupins and Prentice Dupins Jr.

Music: Prentice Dupins Jr.

Logo Design: Kara Darling Creative

The Blackbelt Voices podcast is a production of Blackbelt Media LLC.