It has been a long week. In the midst of much disappointment, some serious indignation, tears and rage about the verdict in the State of Florida v. George Zimmerman case, I nearly forgot one detail: the story of Trayvon Martin first gained national attention in February 2012 thanks to the tenacity of Black media. Roland S. Martin reported on this story aggressively in the first days following the crime. Numerous segments on The Tom Joyner Morning Show and The Steve Harvey Morning Show brought the story to a national audience. In early March national media finally caught up to the story.
There is one thing I know for sure: Black media matters. A lot. For those that question whether there is a need for independently owned publications, websites and radio stations the dogged determination to bring this story to national prominence proves the case. The Amsterdam News, Chicago Defender, Jet and Ebony have covered everything from Emmett Till to Trayvon Martin and more recently, Jordan Russell Davis and Ramarley Graham. Melissa Harris Perry, This Week in Blackness, Polite on Society have carried the torch online. These outlets carry on the work that Frederick Douglass began with The North Star and Ida B. Wells continued with The Free Speech and Headlight.
I am not a traditional journalist, but through 40Muse I hope to contribute to the conversation and ensure that our voices and stories continue to be heard, regardless of whether larger media outlets care to cover the topics and issues that reflect our myriad experiences and impact our lives. Especially because larger media outlets do not care to cover the topics and issues that reflect our myriad experiences and impact our lives.