By Jermale Dabney and Khai Phinney
NABJ JSHOP Reporters
There was already a weird vibe about former President and current Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump on Wednesday attending a panel discussion during the National Association of Black Journalists Convention in Chicago.
The conversation, which was supposed to be an hour long, was contentious from the beginning and remained throughout the 30-minute chat that left many attendees mad, sad, angry and confused. Afterward, we asked students from NABJ’s JSHOP, the association’s high school journalism workshop for their take on Trump’s appearance.
“You would think that he would appear with some sort of decorum,” said JSHOP student Jada Strong about Trump. “But he comes and starts insulting NABJ, the members, and our organization as a whole. So I just think people need to realize that that is who you’re voting for.”
JSHOP student Ryann Dawson said she expected Trump to be rude, but not that temperamental. Dawson said seeing Trump in action in person is something she will never forget.
“The same way he talked to all of those Black journalists and reporters is the same way he would talk to you, me, our parents, our grandparents, our loved ones, our friends, and our family,” Dawson said.
JSHOP student Dion Harding recalled Trump being more than an hour late because rumors were spreading that “he refused to go onstage unless they got rid of the fact-checking,” provided by PolitiFact, a site that fact-checked Trump’s comments during the panel.
“He made comments like, ‘I never knew Kamala was Black,’” JSHOP student Amariyah Mallory said about Trump questioning Vice President Kamala Harris’ ethnicity. “And I feel like that’s a bad sign of his character.”
After Trump’s NABJ appearance, the students agreed that their peers, especially those who are eligible to vote, need to pay close attention to both presidential campaigns.
“I really encourage them to make sure they’re fact-checking, especially if they’re 18 and they can vote this year, they can make the right choice,” Mallory said. “Whatever they think that is.”
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