CHICAGO—Before former U.S. President and Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump hit the stage during the National Association of Black Journalists (NABJ) 2024 Convention, his expected appearance had already created a buzz more than 24 hours before journalists gathered in downtown Chicago.
Social media sites hummed with people criticizing NABJ President Ken Lemon and NABJ leadership for inviting Mr. Trump. Some questioned why the presumptive Democratic presidential nominee Vice President Kamala Harris would not be in attendance. Mr. Lemon shared an updated statement on July 31 that read: “NABJ is currently in conversation with the Harris for President campaign team to schedule a Q&A session between Vice President Harris and NABJ, either in person or virtually, at some point in September 2024.”
The vice president said she could not attend NABJ because she was in Houston and the White House confirmed that she would attend the funeral of Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee. Vice President Harris eulogized the longtime public servant on Aug. 1.
Founded in 1975, NABJ is a nonprofit professional organization of Black media professionals, students and journalists. “NABJ’s membership is more than 4,000 strong and includes emerging journalists, professional journalists, student journalists, journalism educators and media professionals of all kinds,” the group’s website states. The group’s annual conventions provide a space for Black journalists to network, participate in career development, training and engage with other Black media professionals from around the country.
According to the group’s website, former Presidents George W. Bush, Barack Obama, and Bill Clinton have attended NABJ conventions either as presidents or presidential candidates.
Many NABJ members and attendees expressed concern and displeasure over Mr. Trump’s appearance.
Pro and anti-Trump demonstrators clashed outside in Grant Park in front of the Hilton Chicago where the NABJ convened. Attendees could see dozens of Chicago Police with barricades set up to keep the protesters contained. A few White people were seen in the sea of Black attendees waiting in line to enter the ballroom for the event. According to the NABJ Monitor, the student-led official newspaper of the NABJ Convention, “Trump attracted onlookers to the venue, including one White family who had never heard of NABJ before, saying ‘We’re here to possibly see him …When we heard he was here we came to check it out.”
After an hourlong delay, Mr. Trump’s moderated conversation with ABC’s Rachel Scott, Fox News’ Harris Faulkner and Semafor’s Kadia Goba kicked off tense after Ms. Scott’s initial question asking why Black journalists should trust him after citing examples of Mr. Trump’s insults and descriptions of Black journalists. The interactions were at times contentious.
Mr. Trump responded saying, “I don’t think I’ve ever been asked a question in such a horrible manner first of all. You didn’t even say hello, how are you?” He then asked if Ms. Scott was with ABC, calling it a “fake news network” and “terrible network.” Mr. Trump continued saying, “I think it’s disgraceful that I came here in good spirit.”
Mr. Trump called Ms. Scott “nasty,” complained of not being able to hear Ms. Faulkner well and cited technical difficulties for the delayed start. Many NABJers shared word the delayed start was because Mr. Trump didn’t want the live fact-checking with PolitiFact, a fact-checking project of the Poynter Institute, to take place, although that could not be confirmed. In the ballroom where the event took place, there were no screens of live fact-checking that the audience could see in real time.
The moderators questioned the former president on several issues including employment, inflation, immigration, the Jan. 6 Capitol attack, and the killing of Sonya Massey, a Black woman shot in her Springfield home by a White sheriff’s deputy after calling 911 for help.
The NABJ conversation with Mr. Trump abruptly ended about 15 minutes before the advertised hourlong timeframe after several outbursts from the audience.
Ms. Faulkner stated that it did “get a little chippy” which she said is sometimes to be expected when interviewing politicians.
“What I loved about what you couldn’t see today is how much of that audience was enjoying the moment of hearing from a candidate that they might not always agree with, and that is the whole point. That is the growth of journalism, to be able to listen and question those things you may not know about because you may not talk to that person or those people. That was the goal here. So, for all of that pushback, young journalists that I’m talking to after the event are saying, ‘Well we’re glad he’s here,’” Ms. Faulkner said on a Fox News interview right after the program.
A group of Morehouse College students shared about their NABJ experience and what they learned.
Ian Shaiyen, a first-time attendee, said being at NABJ was “an inspiring experience.”
Shaiyen said the Trump conversation “was definitely a way to open up my first NABJ experience. It was a lot and I think that the panelists handled it really well. … I’m also very concerned just kind of with some of the language that was being used by the former president.”
Brodric Houston, a rising junior and first-time attendee, said his NABJ experience so far was “a new and exhilarating experience being around so many of my peers—journalists who look like me who have been able to get far in their careers … brings me hope that I can be in their shoes one day.”
SeMaj Museo, a senior and second-time attendee, said, “NABJ has always been an amazing experience being able to see and interact with and learn from the people that I grew up that got me into writing in the first place. It’s always amazing. It’s always extremely inspiring and I enjoy being here that’s why I made the decision to come back.”
Final Call staff contributed to this report.
