A recent local media conference shared a loud and clear message with attendees: Black-owned media and media outlets led by other people of color are truly democracy’s last line of defense and are needed now more than ever.
This message, however, wasn’t the intended main focus of the recent Houston Community Media (HCoM) Expo and Conference held at the United Way Building. Rather, HCoM, a network of multilingual, multiracial media outlets building inclusive communications across the Greater Houston area, and founded by Sandy Close, envisioned the expo as a coming-out party.
The expo was one of the first truly public-facing events of this dynamic collective, allowing the Greater Houston area general public to learn more about the dynamic work produced by media entities owned and operated by people of color.
And to that end, mission accomplished.
Protect democracy
But what became crystal clear through the words of the event’s opening set of speakers was a call to action, a “Bat Signal,” if you will, alerting HCoM members of their critical role in saving the U.S. from becoming a “former” democracy.
State Rep. Gene Wu (District 137) used his opening remarks to remind event attendees of the importance of the “Fourth Estate” (the media) in holding the powerful accountable by fearlessly reporting the facts and alerting their readers and website visitors to issues of critical importance.
“There is no democracy without the Fourth Estate,” said Wu in his remarks, uplifting the importance of “minority” media.
The HCoM Expo was the perfect place. HCoM has media entities owned, led by, and serving African American, African, Asian American, Caribbean, Chinese American, Indigenous, Korean American, Latino, South Asian and Vietnamese American constituents.
That reality was not lost on State Rep. Ron Reynolds (District 27).
Celebrate diversity
“Look at this room; this is Texas. This is America. The diversity is our strength,” said Reynolds. “Now is the time for us to realize that with our collective strength, we’re stronger together. United we stand, divided we fall. So, I’m so excited when I look in this room and see such great diversity, gender, ethnicity, national origin.”
Reynolds echoed Wu’s call-to-action directed toward the gathering of diverse media members. Reynolds then went into one of the reasons he believes journalism from diverse perspectives is so critical, because of direct attacks on diversity.
“We need to ask Governor [Greg] Abbott, ‘Are you against the diversity, or is it the equity, or is it the inclusion? Which one is it? Or is it all of the above?’ Because it doesn’t make any sense. And we’ve seen, unfortunately, anti-DEI is proxy for anti-Black, anti-Brown, anti-woman, anti-Muslim, anti-LGBTQ. That’s really what it is.
“Because it is not about quality. It is not about ‘merit-based.’ Because if you look at what’s happening, many of the people who are competent, capable and qualified who have risen up against the odds to positions where they occupy, they didn’t get there because of diversity, equity and inclusion. They got there because they were competent, capable and qualified.”
Power of voice
State Rep. Christina Morales (District 145) underscored the importance of diverse media by sharing that her grandmother, Angela Morales, co-owned and operated a Latina-run radio station decades ago.
KLVL (“La Voz Latina,” aka The Latin Voice), which debuted in 1950, provided play-by-play for the Houston Astros games when the team was known as the Colt 45s.
“The station would announce different jobs that were needed throughout the city, and people would call in and say, ‘I have experience [in that field],’” shared Rep. Morales. “That station helped employ thousands upon thousands of people… and helped make the Houston economy the vibrant and dynamic one it is today.”
Morales, too, called on Houston-area media outlets led by people of color to continue telling our stories and standing up for democracy. To that end, Morales discussed the importance of political engagement on the national level and for diverse media voices to cover national politics and policies and make local connections.
“People were saying what happens on the national level doesn’t affect us as much as local politics, which used to be true,” she stated. “But now, what happens on the federal level impacts us directly every day like never before.”
Security
Ft. Bend County Commissioner Dexter McCoy, another one of the expo’s invited speakers, was asked by an audience member about the political drama in Ft. Bend County. That drama involves Ft. Bend County Judge KP George’s indictment on two third-degree felony charges for money laundering, his switch from the Democratic to the Republican Party and moves to bring about a redistricting plan that could potentially unseat McCoy and others.
McCoy responded with a plea for the media to redirect its focus.
“I don’t believe people elected me here to try to keep a job. I believe they elected me to try to do the work on their behalf,” said McCoy. “And every day that we’re spending talking about this, what’s going on with our county judge, and this and that politician, we are missing the work that our residents like you are expecting us to do every single day.”
To that point, McCoy mentioned that because of the current political climate, it is getting less safe for people in immigrant communities.
“Over a third of the people who live in Fort Bend County today are foreign-born,” stated McCoy. “How are we making sure that they and everyone who lives in our community feels safe, that they don’t have to worry about whether or not they’re gonna be able to pick up their kid after school, because they might be picked up by ICE?
“Those are the things we need to be talking about.”
