Black journalists launch program to improve the image of Black men

By Frederick H. Lowe
Contributing Writer

(Special from NorthStarNews Today) — The National Association of Black Journalists (NABJ) has launched a new program to change the lives and images of black men in the news and in society.

The NABJ Black Male Media Project, which is designed to change the narrative concerning Black men, will launch its first program throughout the U.S. beginning June 10.

“NABJ has created the Black Male Media Project to combat the blotter to- mug-shot images of Black male faces, and to create a fresh and real view of Black men across Diaspora,” said Sara Glover, president of NABJ.

The initiative follows a similar effort by the Ford Motor Company Fund, a unit of Ford Motor Co., the nation’s second-largest automobile manufacturer.

Ford’s program is called Men of Courage, and its goal, like NABJ’s, is to improve the lives of Black men who create jobs for others employed by jails and prisons by being victims of mass arrests yet who are perpetually suffering from the nation’s highest unemployment rate.

The Men of Courage conference is comprised of a daylong series of forums during which Black men share with each other their life stories or other events of significance.

The forum’s goal is to change one story at a time the negative social narrative about Black men. Black men face significant challenges living their lives that include a daily onslaught of insults or microaggressions.

The NABJ’s goal is the same but the focus is narrower though extremely important because Black men are almost always being shown on television news in police handcuffs. These images severely limit their being seen as trustworthy and therefore limit their job opportunities. Even Black men who have never been involved in criminal activity are affected.

The National Association of Black Journalists wants to inspire, support and develop training and mentorship opportunities for Black men working in journalism and media and those that aspire to work in those fields.

All NABJ chapters are invited to promote the project by creating workshops and sessions aimed at cultivating skills and broadening the networking skills opportunities for Black men in media. Participating chapters are encouraged to use #InspireBlackMen beginning June 10.

The second phase of the Black Male Media Project will be a digital and photography project at the NABJ Annual Convention & Career Fair Aug. 9-13 in New Orleans.

The convention also will host a special workshop on Black men.

This article originally published in the May 8, 2017 print edition of The Louisiana Weekly newspaper.