By Tyana Jackson, Damenica Ellis & Leah Clark<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Donald Trump\u2019s attendance at the National Association of Black Journalists conference in Chicago was met with protests, interruptions, debates in the crowd and even the resignation of the convention\u2019s co-chair. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
The former president didn\u2019t smooth over the tension during his discussion with the event\u2019s moderators, ABC News\u2019 Rachel Scott, FOX News\u2019 Harris Faulkner and Semafor\u2019s Kadia Goba, and he questioned the Black identity of Vice President Kamala Harris, the likely Democratic presidential nominee. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Trump took the stage in front of a full room of mostly Black journalists who stood in long lines and went through a mild security search at the Hilton Chicago with little applause, boos and expressions of disgust on many guests\u2019 faces. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Scott opened the conversation citing examples of Trump\u2019s insults and descriptions of Black journalists that have been described as racist, asking \u201cWhy should Black journalists trust you after you have used language like that?\u201d Trump evaded answering the question and instead attacked Scott, calling her question \u201cnasty\u201d and making additional comments about her after new questions were asked. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
The moderators went on to question Trump about abortion, immigration, the Jan. 6 Capitol attack, \u201cBlack jobs\u201d and the killing of Sonya Massey, a Black woman, in her home \u2014 all topics which Trump evaded in some manner. Scott ended up cutting the planned hourlong talk short, citing requests \u201cby the Trump team.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Attendees who were eager to hear what Trump had to say ultimately said they left disappointed and with more questions than answers for Trump and for NABJ leadership. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Disappointment from guests <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Numerous NABJ members expressed displeasure with the decision to invite Trump. Former NABJ 2024 convention co-chair Karen Attiah stepped down from her position amid the initial announcement that Trump would speak at the convention.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cWhile my decision was influenced by a variety of factors, I was not involved or consulted in any way with the decision to platform Trump in such a format,\u201d she posted on X on Tuesday. <\/p>\n\n\n\n NABJ members also expressed displeasure at the facilitation of fact-checking protocols during the event. The organization stated PolitiFact would provide live fact-checking on NABJ\u2019s website, but Attiah tweeted during the Q&A, \u201cThis does not help us here in the room, who aren\u2019t seeing it on the screens.\u201d Other guests also said they were frustrated that fact-checking was not available on the screen inside the event. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Former NABJ board members Khorri Atkinson and Brandy Merrierweather bristled over what they saw as a lack of planning for the event. Atkinson also said there \u201ccould\u2019ve been a Black male journalist on the panel\u201d for additional perspective. <\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cThe good thing about this is that he came, but we were sitting here for over 30 minutes and nobody was prepared,\u201d Merrierweather said. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Protests outside the hotel<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Many local protesters made it clear that Trump was not welcome at the NABJ conference or in Chicago, forming crowds across the street from barricades of police on bicycles. Protesters chanted for Trump to go away, engaged in debates with Trump\u2019s supporters and called Trump racist, sexist and anti-LGBTQ+.<\/p>\n\n\n\n A group of musicians called The Sousaphones Against Hate stood across from the Hilton playing \u201cNot Like Us\u201d by Kendrick Lamar because \u201cTrump is not like us,\u201d they said. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Organizers, including members of the revived Students for a Democratic Society (SDS) \u2014 a descendent of the organization that disrupted the Democratic National Convention in 1968 \u2014 gathered along with members of the Chicago Alliance Against Racist and Political Repression.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cWe\u2019ve only had about 24 hours to organize this protest because we weren\u2019t expecting the National Association of Black Journalists to invite a racist to come and speak,\u201d said Kobi Guillory, co-chair of Chicago Alliance Against Racist and Political Repression. \u201cBut I know for a fact most of the Black journalists in there do not accept Donald Trump being here. I understand that they have to protect their jobs and can\u2019t come out here to protest, so that\u2019s why we\u2019re out here coming to protest.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Trump attracted onlookers to the venue of the Q&A, including one White family who had never heard of NABJ before. \u201cWe\u2019re here to possibly see him\u2026When we heard he was here we came to check it out,\u201d Chad Godwin said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Questioning Harris\u2019 identity <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Trump did not hesitate to take a dig at his likely presidential opponent, Harris, attacking her racial background. <\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI didn\u2019t know she was Black until a number of years ago when she happened to turn Black and now she wants to be known as Black,\u201d Trump said. Harris has frequently talked about having a Jamaican father and an Indian mother. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Harris\u2019 campaign released a statement in response to Trump\u2019s comments, saying \u201cthe hostility Donald Trump showed on stage today is the same hostility he has shown throughout his life.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n “Trump lobbed personal attacks and insults at Black journalists the same way he did throughout his presidency \u2014 while he failed Black families and left the entire country digging out of the ditch he left us in,\u201d the statement read. \u201cDonald Trump has already proven he cannot unite America, so he attempts to divide us.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Following Trump\u2019s Q&A, attention quickly shifted to whether Harris would get a chance to speak directly to NABJ members as well. NABJ said in a statement released Wednesday that Harris would appear virtually for a Q&A in September. NABJ President Ken Lemon said in a statement that NABJ had been in talks with both the Democratic and Republican parties since January as part of customary organization practices and were told that Harris\u2019 campaign could not accommodate the request. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Amaya Mann, who attended the event in person, said she\u2019s now anxiously awaiting Harris\u2019 opportunity to address NABJ.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cCome September, I will definitely be tuned online for that,\u201d Mann said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/p>\n\n\n\n Listen to NABJ Monitor Podcast: Donald Trump at NABJ<\/strong>: <\/p>\n\n\n\n