My one recommendation to Black journalists in Canada (it requires leaving the country)
Have you ever done the electric slide on a dance floor full of other Black journalists?
I hadn’t until I went to the National Association of Black Journalists’ (NABJ) annual convention this past August in Birmingham, Alabama. On the first night of the five-day event, I was in lockstep with about 40 strangers who speak the language of pitches, mixdowns and standups. We danced in front of a DJ playing “Candy” by Cameo. I wasn’t the only one whose braids were swinging back and forth. I was one of many, and it was refreshing.
Roughly 4,000 people were at the conference and I could feel it. It was a huge event with over 200 sessions, workshops and panels, 17 breakfasts, luncheons and receptions, and almost 90 media companies and organizations at the career fair. There were three overflow hotels, which quickly booked up. I ended up getting a nearby AirBnB with my friend, journalist Pacinthe Mattar (she wrote an award-winning article in The Walrus about journalism, race and objectivity). It was the perfect arrangement and made my time even more special because of our nightly recap sessions on the couch.
Watch my #NABJ23 Instagram recap here.
It can be overwhelming to decide what to do at such a massive conference, but by stalking hashtags, paying attention to Journalists of Color Slack channels and using the convention app, I figured it out. I wasn’t there for a job but I did want to spread the word about research I’m doing on the experiences of Black journalists in Canada. I also wanted to meet members of the NABJ Academic Task Force, which I recently joined. There really was something for everyone at the conference. Here is a sample of the sessions:
One of the Few: How to Navigate Newsrooms and Communities that Lack Diversity
Journalism in the Age of Political Extremism: Black Women on the Front Lines
LGBTQ+Task Force Reception
Wearing Your #CROWNONAir – A Conversation with On-Air Journalists, Academics and You about Black Hair On-Air
The Vibe
The vibe was like Toronto’s Carnival (formerly Caribana), but for word nerds and storytellers. There were no mas costumes but I spent time thinking about what to pack, because the unspoken expectation is that people will be coming correct and so should you. I believe the two unwritten commandments are Thou Shalt Arrive In Thy Best Attire, followed closely by Thou Shalt Arrive With Freshly Done Hair.
Pacinthe and I ran into a few other Canadian journalists, including Ginella Massa and Faiza Amin.
Now, I tried to look good. We all did, in my opinion, to great results. I know this because the compliments from attendees were many and given freely. We told each other we looked good in the hallways, before sessions and in bathrooms. There were plenty of smiles of appreciation and good morning greetings. And just like at Carnival, the bodies were varied in shape and size, including thick, thicker and thickest, reminding me that all bodies fit in and are beautiful. I saw big bums and high heels, and bright colours hugging curves of all types. Our hair was in braids, fades, locs, weaves, beads and wigs. I was stopped several times because of my own style which is currently in braids and mini afro balls. An emerging photographer working for the NABJ Monitor stopped me to take a picture for a photo essay about The Crown Act, a U.S. law prohibiting discrimination based on hair style and hair texture.
I Still Like This Country
It's important for me to raise the point here that I’m not advocating we abandon what we have in Canada. I feel a bit guilty suggesting you have to leave this land to get your life. We do have the Canadian Association of Black Journalists (CABJ), which recently launched the RISE conference. I value and appreciate their work, and will be working with them on future projects. We also have employee resource groups, Whatsapp groups and other informal networks for Black journalists in this country. But here’s the truth: if you want to electric slide with us in all our diverse glory, it’s going to require a cross-border journey. Maybe I need to talk to the folks over at CABJ and offer to help organize a similar event for us here, but until then – I plan on making this trip an annual thing.
Many of us don’t feel like we can celebrate who we are as we are in our individual spaces. At NABJ you can. It’s an opportunity to refresh yourself, be validated for every cell in your being and be rejuvenated to continue your work, whatever it may be.
Next year the conference is in Chicago. Wanna come?