April 18, 2007
Greensboro, N.C. — Betty Baye is no joke. Sure she’s fun loving and full of joy, but there’s also that level of intensity, of fire, that is sure to bring any audience to its feet.
You can describe her as unbought, uncompromised and definitely unbossed. She’s fearless and fierce—the type of woman you want on your side in any battle.
It was that fire and passion that Ms. Baye brought to the campus of North Carolina A&T State University at the Institute for Advanced Journalism Studies’ Vernon Jarrett Awards Luncheon last week.
Speaking about her good friend Vernon Jarrett, Ms. Baye painted a vivid picture of the founder of the NAACP’s ACT-SO Program, who also was a founder and president of the National Association of Black Journalists.
“If you want to follow in the footsteps of Vernon Jarrett, you’ve got to be about something,” she said. “Vernon lived until the day he died. Vernon was never apologetic about being an activist who happened to be a journalist.” Ms. Baye, who is an editorial writer and nationally syndicated columnist for The Louisville Courier-Journal, said she began her journalism career when she was 35. She recalled meeting Mr. Jarrett, who died in 2004, and how the relationship grew. Having worked with the Student Non-Violent Coordinating Committee for years, Ms. Baye was about honoring her race, something many say she does everyday through her works.
She recalled that growing up she was teased and called “Black Betty.” Her father was the brunt of jokes in the community as the children teased her about her “drunk daddy.” Her retort to them, she said, was “At least I have a daddy.” And that Daddy instilled in her a pride that shows on her face as she talked about him. It was that same “drunk daddy” who told her that she could do anything and that she needed to “carry myself in a way that would honor the race.”
The race is being dishonored, when “our young girls are called ‘nappy headed hos,” she said, referencing disparaging comments made by radio talk show host Don Imus that led to his firing by CBS and MSNBC. “We have to let our girls know that they are beautiful…that they are not nappy headed hos.” Just as Mr. Jarrett spoke “truth to power,” the native New Yorker said aspiring journalists need to do their homework and research.
“Vernon wanted to be fair, but he was not objective about Black people,” she continued, adding that she wanted to be in the “liberation army” for Black people. “We gotta start helping our young people, that’s what Vernon Jarrett taught me. I measure what you are about by what you do for children.” Joining in the enthusiastic applause for Ms. Baye, A&T’s Provost, Dr. Janice Brewington praised the journalist for her message. “She brought a message for all of us to hear. Her message, soul and spirit radiated throughout this room.” As she prepared to present Vernon Jarrett Medals to three journalists with former NABJ president Arthur Fennell of CN8, Dr. Brewington also had kind words for Institute for Advanced Journalism Studies Director DeWayne Wickham.
“DeWayne Wickham brings life to the people,” she said. “The Institute for Advanced Journalism Studies has been one that has stood above the crowd. Wickham’s leadership and passion has opened doors for them (students).”
Veteran journalist Les Payne, upon receiving his medal, which came with a $5,000 honorarium, said the award ranked above the Pulitzer Award he received. Also a founder and past president of NABJ, Mr. Payne, who is currently a columnist at Newsday, spoke to the Institute fellows about their responsibility as journalists, to get to the answer of “why.”
The 2007 class of Fellows were in attendance at the 2007 Spring Symposium, “Blacks and the Fourth Estate.” This year’s annual program focused on Black childhood obesity.
In accepting his award, CBS National Correspondent Byron Pitts expressed gratitude as he praised Mr. Payne as the “Mount Rushmore for journalists.” The other recipient, CNN’s Africa Correspondent, Jeff Koinange, was on assignment in Africa and was unable to appear to accept the award. Mr. Pitts asked the audience to pray for his friend.
Mr. Pitt’s message to the students, “If you want to be like Ed Bradley, you can’t just sit behind a desk and look pretty, you have to walk the talk!”
Cheryl can be reached at csmith@dallasweekly.com
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