As a first-time in-person attendee at the National Association of Black Journalists convention, my excitement was through the roof to gather in this space by and for Black journalists. But when the organization announced less than 48 hours before this year’s convention kicked off in Chicago that former president Donald Trump would be making an appearance, delight turned to dread for myself and countless others.
“Every presidential election cycle we invite the presidential candidates to come,” NABJ president Ken Lemon said in a two-minute video posted on X a day before the convention. “We extend that to anyone who is a nominee and in this case we have two presumptive nominees.”
But to me safety trumps tradition. Given the assassination attempt on the former president less than three weeks ago, my first concern was the potential threat of violence as well as the heavy law enforcement presence that Trump’s appearance would involve. My second concern was that there would be little benefit to the NABJ community to invite someone who has repeatedly been aggressive toward Black members of the media, particularly women like veteran journalists April Ryan and Abby Phillip.
Another important factor is that Trump is no ordinary candidate. He was convicted on 34 felony counts earlier this year, and a mob of his supporters stormed the US Capitol on January 6, 2021. Plus, he and his supporters have called to outlaw or defund equity and inclusion (DEI) organizations, which makes his appearance at a conference for Black journalists particularly frustrating.
Many planned attendees shared similar concerns and didn’t hold back in expressing their outrage and frustration online, with #NABJ24 trending on X. Still, a long line formed outside the ballroom where he was set to speak on Wednesday. Our fears were proven right when Trump took to the convention stage more than an hour late for a brief fireside chat with three Black female journalists. His remarks were littered with hostility and racist remarks about Vice President Kamala Harris, who is poised to become the Democratic presidential nominee.
From the very first question, Trump took a hostile tone with ABC News journalist Rachel Scott. Scott referenced several of his past racist comments about Black individuals and communities, like when he told four congresswomen of color to “go back to where they came from” and used language like “animal” and “rabid” to describe Black district attorneys. She then asked him why Black voters should trust him after the type of language he has used.
“Well, first of all, I don’t think I’ve ever been asked a question so — in such a horrible manner, a first question,” Trump responded. “You don’t even say, ‘Hello, how are you?’ Are you with ABC? Because I think they are a fake news network.”
The approximately 35-minute conversation only got worse after he was asked if he thought it was acceptable that some of his supporters have referred to Harris as a “DEI hire,” which many interpret as a dog-whistle term for “Black.”
“I didn’t know she was Black until a number of years ago when she happened to turn Black, and now she wants to be known as Black,” Trump said about Harris, who is of Indian and Jamaican descent. “So, I don't know, is she Indian or is she Black?” Audible gasps were heard both in the lobby and on the livestream as the former president questioned the vice president’s Blackness. My phone quickly began buzzing with texts from friends who were livestreaming the event and were left in shock at the ignorant response.
Several journalists who have attended the convention in years past told me the event lacked the family reunion vibes it typically has, thanks in large part to Trump’s appearance. Many others I spoke with had even stronger opinions, saying they believe the organization’s board should step down over this mess.
Although Lemon says invitations to presidential nominees are extended every election year, the decision for Trump to attend seemed last minute as his chat caused several panels to be rescheduled or canceled altogether. His appearance even seemed to catch Washington Post columnist Karen Attiah off guard, as she announced via X on Tuesday that she was stepping down from her position as co-chair of this year’s convention, saying she had not been "involved or consulted with" on the decision to include Trump.
More chaos erupted when April Ryan, citing sources familiar with the situation, posted on X that Lemon and the executive director of NABJ Drew Berry rejected Harris and her team’s offer for a virtual fireside chat due to her not being able to attend in person. Tia Mitchell, an Atlanta Journal-Constitution correspondent, who says she helped orchestrate invitations to both nominees, posted a series of rebuttals to Ryan’s post stating that Ryan was missing context. After receiving intense backlash for her defense of the organization’s decision, Mitchell has gone private on X.
Nevertheless, when it was confirmed that the vice president wouldn’t be attending, Trump used the moment to try and make himself look good, posting on Truth Social that he was on the way to Chicago, “unlike Crazy Kamala.”
Watching the event from the lobby, in company with dozens of other journalists who refused to attend, I felt tense and upset. Police officers paced the floor, and strangers became supportive as we lamented the former president’s appearance at what we thought would be a safe haven for Black media professionals. Ultimately, I believe his attendance was unnecessary and counterproductive to an environment that many hoped would be free of the microaggressions we often endure in predominantly white newsrooms on a day-to-day basis.
As a young Black female journalist, I feel a sense of powerlessness. I watched the organization that I once relied on to condemn this sort of callous attack on Black journalists and women instead be the one who orchestrated the moment.
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