BY: ALEXIS FOSTER
As riots and racism flared during the American 1950s and '60s, the President's National Advisory Commission on Civil Disorders—known as the Kerner Commission—released a report condemning the media for misrepresenting people of color. The School of Communication on Thursday will host, The Kerner Report: 50 Years Later, a panel discussion that will examine the report's 50-year legacy.
The event will take place Feb. 15 in the Malsi Doyle and Michael Forman Theatre at 6:30 p.m. Dr. Sherri Williams, race, media and communication professor, will be moderating the panel. Panelists include Washington Post reporter Richard Prince, Buzzfeed News reporter Hannah Allam, citizen reporter and Ferguson protestor Johnetta Elzie, and Carolyn M. Byerly, Ph.D., Howard University professor.
The Kerner Report was released in 1968 and focuses on racial disparity in America. Most notably, the report condemned 1950s media for worsening race relations through skewed reporting on people of color.
Since the Kerner Report, the media climate has changed, but misrepresentation remains a pressing issue. The panel will discuss these issues and how, even after 50 years, the Kerner Report remains important in identifying the shortcomings of American media.
