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By Mike Cuenca | January 13, 2002
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Wednesday night's River City Weekly on Sunflower Channel 6, with KU
professors Maryemma Graham and Bill Tuttle talking about Langston
Hughes, really must have been among the most valid journalism presented
on television anywhere in this country in recent years. Allowing Graham
and Tuttle to discuss Hughes as he was without "white-washing" honored
him and all others who speak and have spoken for the marginalized in
our world. As Lawrence prepares to honor Hughes once again, this type
of presentation might help more people understand that as we embrace
his life and work we must also remember that because of his ethnicity
he did not fully and equally enjoy the privileges of citizenship in
this city or country. We must honor his life and work by accepting that
if he was here in body today, he likely would still face the same
oppression and exclusion that he fought so eloquently throughout his
lifetime.
Perhaps less overtly than what would have occurred during his lifetime,
today he still would likely be condemned and persecuted for being
uppity and branded as a troublemaker for having the nerve to speak out
about the inherent racism in our city and country. To pretend otherwise
is to cheat him posthumously by exploiting him for selfish tokenism.
As the mainstream media presentations of "news" become more and more
shallow and sensational, and focused more and more on fewer and fewer
segments of society, these kinds of sensitive, thoughtful and
insightful presentations of outside-the-mainstream American heroes are
all the more relevant. It's inspirational to know that there are some
people left who understand how journalists are supposed to serve
society.
A hearty thank you to Greg Hurd and associates.
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Originally published by the Lawrence Journal-World.
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