PROGRESSIVE ACTIVISM IS NEEDED
By Felecia Jones Ross
CSM Chair

Now more than ever, we need progressive activism. In a climate in which many of the civil rights gains are being threatened, we must be vigilant in ensuring that we not only maintain the gains, but also break more barriers and continue moving forward. There is much work to do.

We must continue our efforts to increase the presence of faculty, students and administrators of color in journalism and mass communication units. This includes following up on the gender and race equity resolution calling for units to attain a 50% level of women and minority tenure track faculty, as well as supporting the work of the Task Force on Diversity in ascertaining how AEJMC can assist units in achieving this diversity. We must also continue supporting programs such as the Journalism Leadership Institute for Diversity to increase women and minority administrators and the Barrow Doctoral Minority Scholarship to increase the pool from which we draw faculty of color.

The retention and promotion of faculty of color continue to be a major challenge. In his 2005 annual report, past CSM Chair Lionel C. Barrow Jr. reported that the  percentage of full time, tenure track faculty of color was at 14.5%, their percentage as full professors was even lower at 7.5%. We must not ignore women of color. Barrow's report also cited studies that showed that full-time tenure track women earned less than their male counterparts. The gender and race equity resolution also addresses this gap. AEJMC President Sharon Dunwoody has appointed a task force to investigate ways for achieving the resolution’s goals. We should support and monitor the efforts of this task force. With respect to full professorships, I have proposed a panel to discuss strategies for increasing the number of female full professors of color. One of the biggest challenges I’ve had in comprising this panel is identifying full professors representing each of the traditionally discriminated groups of color. Thus, the proposed title "Female Full Professors of Color: Where Are They? How Can We Get More" is appropriate.

We need to increase the number of undergraduate and graduate students of color. Based on the National Study on Diversity in Journalism and Mass Communication Education, accredited units do not have the same percentage of non-white students as there are in their geographic areas of recruitment. We must not only work within our respective units to identify and encourage students of color to enroll, but as a commission we need to encourage AEJMC to develop and strengthen ties with existing programs that target high school students.

The percentage of journalists of color is far below where it should be. The American Society of Newspaper Editors (ASNE) reports a decline in newsroom diversity at larger daily newspapers. To no surprise, ASNE's data show that most newsrooms have failed to hire the same percentage of minorities as there are in the circulation area. Past CSM chairs have noted that media outlets are hiring journalism graduates of color are at lesser rates than their white counterparts. As journalism educators, we must not only prepare all of our graduates for the workforce, but also advocate and show them how to advocate for themselves in the hiring process. Furthermore, we should identify and make our students aware of journalism and mass communication job fairs especially the ones that target people of color. Past CSM Chair Barrow learned that ASNE has discontinued its minority job fairs. To this end, I will propose to the AEJMC Board of Directors that it asks ASNE to seek the funds necessary to bring back the fairs.

As we have much work to do, we need everyone’s participation and ideas. Over the past year, we have made efforts to increase membership which has hovered at a little more than 100. We ask that you encourage your colleagues who are not members to join and for you who are members to actively participate.

 As your new chair, I stand on the shoulders of past chairs who have provided distinguished leadership. On behalf of CSM, I want to thank immediate past chair Lionel C. Barrow, Jr. for his guidance, wisdom, courage and innovation. His CSM leadership was just one of many contributions he has made on behalf of people of color in AEJMC, as well as in the journalism profession. He is a true trailblazer. He led in the establishment of the Minorities and Communication Division, and also created avenues for identifying an recruiting people of color in journalism education. Most importantly, he has served as a mentor and role model for everyone at AEJMC. He has been a pleasure to serve with, and he leaves big shoes to fill.

I look forward to leading CSM and working with you. I encourage your input. Please send me suggestions and comments at ross.256@osu.edu.