I'm cracking up at these folks who are so bent out of shape at my Khalid Muhammad story. Do y'all even realize the stuff Black journalists have to go through just do our jobs? We ALL have stories where we had to "go there." 1/6
When I was a new city hall reporter at the Fort Worth @startelegram, the city was going to pass an initiative to hire ex-gang members. I send a note to Mayor - now Congressman - @RepKayGranger to do a quick interview for our afternoon paper. 2/6
The measure passes, Granger calls me to the rostrum, I kneel down, jot down some quotes, run to the city hall press room and phone it in. When the meeting is over, I'm across the room and City Manager Bob Terrell, who is Black, points at me with his index finger and 3/6
summons me. Now I'm not fond of anyone beckoning me over. He tells me I am never to interrupt a city council meeting again. I tell him that he needs to take it up with @RepKayGranger. She said yes and I don't need his permission for interviews. 4/6
I then add, "And don't ever motion me over like that again." The year was 1993. And I was 25. See, y'all need to understand that I've never taken any stuff off of anyone. Khalid knew it wasn't personal. That's what folks often do to young journalists. 5/6
I guarantee if I assembled a panel of Black journalists, they will all have similar stories. So for all of y'all whining saying I would never stand up to Khalid like that, you are foolish. I did in 1994, and it's 2020 and ain't nothing changed. It's called mutual respect. 6/6
