Arianna Speaks At The National Association Of Black Journalists 2011 Conference (VIDEO)

Arianna appeared as a keynote speaker at NABJ 2011 on Thursday, highlighting issues currently faced by African Americans.

"I love the conference's theme: the power of now," Arianna said. "It truly is so key, because that power of now, that fierce urgency of now, is precisely what has been missing from our debate."

Arianna added that she believes the media plays a key role in bringing attention to topics affecting the African-American community. HuffPost BlackVoices also launched on Thursday, serving as an online platform to help achieve that goal.

"Remember that famous weekend when Wall Street was in trouble, and everybody -- all the financial establishments, the political establishments -- came together?" Arianna asked. "They threw everything against the wall and they said 'we cannot allow Wall Street to fail.' We've never had that sense of urgency when it comes to African-American issues, and I believe it's up to us in the media to generate that sense of urgency."

WATCH (via NABJ):

Video streaming by Ustream

 

Comments

[gary357]

11:29 PM on 08/06/2011

It is highly likely that MLK might not draw any attention in today's media headlines. Times do change-as does everything with slow human progress. When will society see thru the smoke and glitter of politics and finance and demand true substance in this country?

[mightbesane]

12:54 PM on 08/05/2011

We will end discrimination when we stop discriminating. We will be truly post-racial when we refuse to separate ourselves by race.

[JohnHKennedy]

11:50 AM on 08/05/2011

http://BlackCommentator.com

is a great publication for hard hitting reporting and opinion. Best one I've found.

[Skunkman]

09:50 AM on 08/05/2011

This will be the day when we shall bring into full realization the American dream -- a dream yet unfulfilled. A dream of equality of opportunity, of privilege and property widely distributed; a dream of a land where men will not take necessities from the many to give luxuries to the few; a dream of a land where men will not argue that the color of a man's skin determines the content of his character; a dream of a nation where all our gifts and resources are held not for ourselves alone but as instruments of service for the rest of humanity; the dream of a country where every man will respect the dignity and worth of human personality -- that is the dream.” ~Martin Luther King Jr.

Mike

[jaycee3]

09:27 AM on 08/05/2011

I've said it before... the D's have rediscovered Black folk because they need them energized to vote...
President Obama will RE-Discover the community as well.... as the election draws closer....

[lobear00]

10:02 AM on 08/05/2011

Maybe' its just about "people".

[ODixon]

12:35 PM on 08/05/2011

Do you honestly believe that?

[dirtydog1776]

06:02 PM on 08/06/2011

Sounds like blacks are being used and hoodwinked again. Typical.

[Rosalee Harris]

07:21 AM on 08/05/2011

All of a sudden the left is focus on Black issues as if its a newly developed phenomena rather than being around from the dawn of america. It was all about Gays and now that gays have enjoyed some successes its now back to Blacks. Umm we were always HERE.

[Lesperado]

08:34 AM on 08/05/2011

"All of a sudden..." not really.

"...gays have enjoyed some successes..." barely.

[rrobinnyc1]

12:23 PM on 08/05/2011

This is precisely, what the far right wants minorities, whatever, race or orientation to do, put each other down, fight, and beat each other up until we're bruised, bloodied and unable to fight them. It's a classic case of divide and conquer. Stop it.

[Antoinette Anderson]

05:48 AM on 08/05/2011

ha!

[BlindChance]

09:35 AM on 08/05/2011

x2

[JohnnyAce Okeke]

02:16 AM on 08/05/2011

Utter jive. If Arianna is not talking about reporting more stories about economic progress for Blacks, then she does not have the best interests of the Black journalists or their reader base.

Black journalists need to create their own media, far separate from places like HuffPost. {{-_-}}

[Plasma003]

09:12 AM on 08/05/2011

Better to further isolate yourself then to accept the prevailing culture... Yeah, good idea....

How about well all just be Americans... Not hyphenated Americans...

Just a thought..

[stepintothelight]

09:26 AM on 08/05/2011

When America stops hyphenating us then no one will care!!!

[BlindChance]

09:47 AM on 08/05/2011

Johnny Ace is talking about black self reliance, of owning our own image. How exactly is any of that analogous to isolation? Why is it that everyone else is allowed to have their own, but when black people talk about it we're suddenly militant and isolationists? And no one hyphenates African American any more than they hyphenate white American, sing a new song already.

[ggradkiss]

02:05 AM on 08/05/2011

"I believe it's up to us in the media to generate that sense of urgency."
There is a bit of logic to what Arianna mentioned; if one receives an equal benefit, then all should...and all should; apart from all the attention Government is giving to a tradition of recessions and economic woes that only historically diminish what a human being is.
There is a solution to the events we are witnessing today...and it will be to remove the dollar from being the foundation for the ways and means of human beings.

[RJrocks1]

11:32 PM on 08/04/2011

She doesn't need to be, last I checked.

[BrunoChopps]

10:20 PM on 08/04/2011

Shes not black, last I checked.

[MrTown3]

12:28 AM on 08/05/2011

That matters why?

[Kay-B]

03:24 AM on 08/05/2011

She was invited, last I checked.

[dadw5boys]

10:20 PM on 08/04/2011

Are we to assume the news is Black and White or just News ?
I'll take the news .

[LonosCurse]

08:43 AM on 08/05/2011

Oh if only it worked that way.

[ODixon]

12:51 PM on 08/05/2011

Perhaps that would be true if this were a country where everyone was equal. Sadly, it's not.

[CabinAgue]

10:19 PM on 08/04/2011

Um -- LOL?

[jcarterla]

10:16 PM on 08/04/2011

Am I the only one who can see the irony?

[Mr Muckle]

10:52 PM on 08/04/2011

Not at all.

[CabinAgue]

11:08 PM on 08/04/2011

I'm with you.  Have some more interesting comments, too, but I guess that's not allowed. :)

[LonosCurse]

08:45 AM on 08/05/2011

f&f I heard you anyway.

[iswideopen]

10:33 PM on 08/04/2011

Joe Blow 100:
exactly.