Social media is in uproar after it was announced that former President Donald Trump would be attending the annual convention for the National Association of Black Journalists.
Trump will sit down with three renowned Black female political journalists — Rachel Scott, senior congressional correspondent for ABC News who will serve as the moderator for the discussion; Harris Faulkner, co-host of Outnumbered on Fox News and Kadia Goba, politics reporter at Semafor.
The same Trump that attacked Black journalists from the stump. The same Trump who is attacking DEI, can't get ahead of his own racism and sexism. And the guy who wants to dissolve journalism as we know it, that's who is speaking at #NABJ24 w/ record attendance. Cmon yall https://t.co/i9HMUYrBFp
— Ameshia Cross (@AmeshiaCross) July 30, 2024
The convention runs from July 31 to Aug. 4 at the Hilton Chicago. The discussion will take place on Wednesday at noon. According to the NABJ website, the event will not be open to the general public; however, it will be live-streamed via NABJ’s YouTube and Facebook pages.
Vice President and the likely Democratic presidential nominee Kamala Harris has also been invited to the convention but has yet to confirm her attendance.
“We look forward to our attendees hearing from former President Trump on the critical issues our members and their audiences care about most,” said NABJ President Ken Lemon in a statement. “While NABJ does not endorse political candidates as a journalism organization, we understand the serious work of our members and welcome the opportunity for them to ask the tough questions that will provide the truthful answers Black Americans want and need to know.”
There’s something sadly ironic about @nabj platforming Trump and Faulkner when no black journalists have been incited to debate events. And wouldn’t you wait for Harris to confirm before setting Trump to speak ? https://t.co/4WLvO3xqxI
— Kamala’s Baby Cuzin???? (@CandeyQ) July 30, 2024
On X, formerly Twitter, Roland Martin shared that no Black journalists have been invited to interview the former president.
“This is a problem. I understand that concessions sometimes need to be made with big interviews, but if Trump is claiming to have gained support among Black men, it seems like he should be asked about that. And not that these women can’t, it generally doesn’t feel right not to have a respected Black male journalist like Roland involved,” Jemele Hill remarked in response to Martin’s tweet.
This is a problem. I understand that concessions sometimes need to be made with big interviews, but if Trump is claiming to have gained support among Black men, it seems like he should be asked about that. And not that these women can’t, it generally doesn’t feel right not to… https://t.co/5ifLWmtw7Y
— Jemele Hill (@jemelehill) July 30, 2024
Former Presidents George W. Bush Jr., Barack Obama and Bill Clinton have all attended NABJ conventions in the past either as presidents or presidential candidates.
