NPR CEO: 'We Must Meet This Moment'

 

As a native Minnesotan, I am heartbroken by the horrendous death of Mr. Floyd at the hands of police in my old neighborhood. And I recognize that, with the evolution of smartphones, we are often witnessing the extrajudicial violence against African Americans and other people of color that has been an epidemic in the U.S. for hundreds of years.

 

In the span of a couple of weeks we have seen the same pattern repeated in Brunswick, Georgia, with the killing of Ahmaud Arbery, and the outrageous and telling attack on Christian Cooper in NYC by a white woman whom he simply asked to follow the rules so he could peacefully pursue his bird-watching passion. All this while protesters in Louisville, Ky., are demanding answers to the March killing of Breonna Taylor — who was shot by police conducting a raid on her home.

 

[Image: John Lansing. Credit: Deveny Williams/NPR]

 

I recognize that these events, coupled with the disproportionate death toll of the coronavirus on communities of color, is heaping extraordinary stress on all communities of color — including our awesome workforce.

 

This is a call to action that forces us to confront our own shortfalls in the NPR culture. That, we are doing and will continue to do, and I know we have miles to go. But let me be clear: this is not the lone responsibility of our colleagues of color, it is everyone's responsibility. Anything that stresses any of us, stresses all of us. We must meet this moment of three potentially world-changing events: a global pandemic that has killed more than 100,000 and counting; an economic collapse that may lead to years of joblessness; and an imperative to finally face up to the racism and racial inequities that are America's original sin. I reiterate that our top priority is to serve younger and more diverse audiences.

 

 

And read this response from the public media journal Current.