LET’S UNPACK THIS

I Stand With Nikole Hannah-Jones

Denying tenure, jobs, and salary to Black people is just how America rolls

Nikole Hannah-Jones speaks at the 2021 Morehouse College commencement ceremony. Image: Getty

Nikole Hannah-Jones is my journalistic hero. I was introduced to her work for the first time in 2014 with the ProPublica article “Segregation Now,” a story about systemic problems in education told through three generations of a Black family in Alabama. Since then, I’ve watched her career transform and net her critical acclaim, a Pulitzer Prize for the “1619 Project,” and a MacArthur Genius Award.

She was a beacon for an aspiring journalist who primarily wrote about race. Her pieces were well-written, intelligent, honest, and seemed to be done with great care. She proved writing about Black people and Black issues could be done at the highest levels while garnering worldwide respect.

This case is so egregious because everyone who is a scholar, everybody who is knowledgeable in this field already passed it forward.

Hannah-Jones’ resume should make her a first-round draft pick for college professors. She’s earned accolades that should make an alma mater not only proud enough to claim you but put you on a tenureship path to inspire future generations…