Last week, Main Street Project, Waite House and Headwaters Foundation for Justice together with The Center for Media Justice and Free Press welcomed author Joseph Torres to the Twin Cities to promote his book, News for All the People: The Epic Story of Race and the American Media, co-written with Juan González. Over the course of his two-day visit, Torres brought the story of race and the American media to several audiences, mostly of color.
The high point of his visit was an evening community event in which Torres detailed the legacy of racial segregation in the media and the ways in which it has distorted news coverage and impacted the health, safety and well-being of communities of color. Using a mixture of images, storytelling and facts, he covered over 300 years of history that is not typically taught in schools.
The audiences seemed receptive to Torres’ message that media creates the landscape that shapes how society views and responds to communities of color. He also explained the role the media plays in the legitimization of racial hierarchy.
—Story and photo by Amalia Deloney
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