Black Journalists in a Time of Crisis

Erika D. Smith is a columnist for the Los Angeles Times writing about the diversity of people and places across California. Jamil Smith is a Senior Writer at Rolling Stone, where he covers national affairs and culture. In addition to being writers, the two have one other commonality - both were born and raised in Cleveland.

After the killing of George Floyd at the hands of police, both journalists wrote about the racism and the race-based inequities embedded in America's systems and structures: American Plague and Cities are being destroyed. California clearly isn’t as enlightened about race as we think.

Currently, Americans are experiencing a "cascade of crises" – rising unemployment due to the coronavirus pandemic; increased risk of death, either from COVID-19 or policy brutality, both of which disproportionately affect the Black community; an increased militarized police presence in cities and towns where protests are prevalent, and a looming housing crisis.

Where do we go from here?

The livestream will be available beginning at 12:30 p.m. Have questions? Tweet them at @TheCityClub or send a text to 330.541.5794.

Resources:

• All the stupid excuses for not investigating hangings of Black men in the high desert by Erika D. Smith
• I’m Black. I’m gay. The high court proved there’s nothing equal about equal rights by Erika D. Smith
• No, white people. You can’t ease your guilt over racism by paying black people via Cash App by Erika D. Smith
• Emancipation is not Freedom by Jamil Smith
• The Power of Black Lives Matter by Jamil Smith

The ideas expressed in City Club forums are those of the speakers, and not of the City Club, Ideastream Public Media, or their sponsors.