Meet the Sun Herald’s new reporter covering communities of color and racial justice
Dear Sun Herald readers,
I’m writing this column on a historic day for Mississippi. By the time you read this, Gov. Tate Reeves will have signed legislation to remove the Confederate battle emblem from the state flag, and begin the process of choosing a new one.
In early June, I moved to the Coast to join the Sun Herald and take a new position covering racial justice issues and communities of color, particularly the Black and Vietnamese-American communities. Since I arrived, I’ve had the chance to meet people who have long hoped and worked for this moment, when the old flag has come down and Mississippians await a new design that everyone in the state can fly proudly.
But nearly everyone I talk to hopes that the flag change is not an end in itself but rather a starting point. As I look toward the rest of my time here, I’m excited to write about the ongoing work, especially by Black people and other people of color, to build a more equitable Mississippi.
I joined the Sun Herald through a national service program called Report for America, which places journalists in local newsrooms across the country to cover critical and under-reported issues. Report for America pays a part of my salary, and the Sun Herald is fundraising for the rest.
In fact, you can make a donation. My job is to serve you, our readers, with information that enables you to understand your community and make decisions about who should hold power and what they should do with it.
I’m writing now to ask for your help in that task.
I want to hear from you about what I should be covering and what questions I should be asking about issues affecting people of color on the Coast. I have some ideas, a few of which I’ll discuss below, but all of you know the Coast much better than I do, and I would love to hear from you. There is a Google survey at the bottom of this column, where you can submit suggestions.
Coast activists have joined people across the country in calling for police reforms and increased accountability in the wake of the killing of George Floyd by a Minneapolis officer. In the last few weeks, I’ve talked with many Black residents about their experiences with the police, from being trailed while driving home from church to feeling harassed when they hold family gatherings in their neighborhoods. I hope to continue these conversations to write stories about the state of the relationship between the police and all of the communities they serve.
In Gulfport, activists have specifically sought greater police accountability, through mechanisms like a civilian review board and more regular conversations between police and community members. How will police respond to such calls, and what might change?
The coronavirus pandemic has exposed and exacerbated the deep racial inequities in our healthcare system and in the many factors that affect an individual’s health. Black people account for just under 40% of Mississippi’s population, but have suffered more than half of all deaths from the virus. What are the causes of this disparity in Mississippi, and how should policymakers respond?
As I’ve gone to events and talked with people all over the Coast in the last few weeks, I have often asked what they think the Sun Herald can do better. One thing I’ve heard repeatedly from people of color is they would like to see more stories about the great things happening in their communities, from successful local businesses to service organizations to arts and culture events. I plan to work on those stories, too, and I welcome tips for events and inspiring community members I should cover.
I have so much to learn about the Coast, and I hope you’ll help me along the way. I’m just as eager to have general conversations as I am to hear specific story ideas, so please get in touch with whatever is on your mind. My email address is itaft@sunherald.com, and you can also fill out a survey online to share your thoughts.
Thank so much for reading, and I hope to hear from you soon.
Best,
Isabelle Taft
