Alum news: Breea Willingham
Breea Willingham was a reporter here about 10 years ago. She now teaches journalism at St, Bonaventure University. She published this piece in USA Today today.
People often ask me how I managed to get out of the neighborhood and not follow a similar destructive path. I don't really know. My brothers and I grew up in the same house, raised by the same mother. With little money, we all had temptations to go down the wrong path. I think my brothers, like many black people, fall into a self-defeatist mode and believe all they can be is a victim. The hopelessness and despair in the black community are ever present in the media, so is it any wonder so many young black men feel they can't get out? I know Josh wants a better life. But he, like many black men, feels stuck.
Worth a read. She shares some of the response, too, at her blog.
Comments (6)
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Thanks for sharing this story with us. It is so sad that even in her successes she is further separated from her family. This is particularly true with substance abuse. She didn't discuss drugs, but I'll bet that was a part of both of her brothers problems.
I pray to God that answers will come to help people who are trapped. In some ways they are more enslaved now than under Jim Crow.
Posted on December 14, 2007 2:51 PM
Ah yes.
The Esteemed "mad" Professor Willingham.
I love all her work..
Especially this wonderful piece from her blog a few weeks back!!!
Incredible Journalism... I think...
Posted on December 17, 2007 1:47 PM
Keep posting away with new blog posts John Robinson...
I can tell you are trying to do more posts today to push this one off the main page of your blog.
Looks like only 3 more and you can say goodbye to this one...
Keep it up...
Posted on December 17, 2007 5:19 PM
I've been looking over her blog, too...
Interesting that a Journalism PROFESSOR can take her students out and make them do a civil rights march (what does it have to do with Journalism?)
I can't even make this stuff up
http://mediastarr.livejournal.com/30880.html
What a mess.
Oh, and this is nice. Wonderful comments from a Professor about nooses (many of which have since turned out to be false) .
"Let me just say if I ever come to work one day and find a noose hanging from my office door, heads and asses will roll, and they will NOT be mine.
This is some bullshit and it's really beginning to piss me the hell off. I mean come on! Is this 1960 or 2007? Hanging a noose from someone's door is supposed to do what exactly? Scare a person? Send that person packing? Idle threats are a waste of time, especially unoriginal ones.
All of this noose hanging is just ridiculous. Stop it."
http://mediastarr.livejournal.com/27990.html
Yes, ridiculous is the term I would use.
But, of course, the Professor is perfect.
Posted on December 17, 2007 8:36 PM
Ah, and then there is this little gem I discovered about her new poster that is on the door of her office.
Seems the professor has a slight chip on her shoulder:
"And most importantly, it represents the freedom and victory I feel whenever I accomplish a goal and am able to say "f-- you" to all of the people who never had any faith in me. " (The honorable professor spelled out the F-word.)
http://mediastarr.livejournal.com/2359.html
Who knew a poster said ALL THAT?
Posted on December 17, 2007 9:07 PM
Thanks, John, for posting my column. I always enjoy the "colorful" feedback from your readers.
Posted on December 19, 2007 4:27 PM