Courtland Milloy:The Race Man Cometh

Courtland Milloy: The Race Man Cometh

By Michelle Parson

     JOMC Journal Reporter

Washington City Paper-11/26/10

Washington Post columnist Courtland Milloy proudly acknowledges the “collective struggle of those who came before us.”  His knowledge of the African-American experience is immense, as is his connection to his cultural roots.  As a columnist, Milloy writes from the perspective of being more “comfortable with his own,” but an awareness of current events enables him to connect the two.

 Milloy’s message about himself and race was recently delivered to journalism students at N.C. A&T.  He began by telling how he became interested in being a journalist.  His journey began with his father who taught journalism, and young Milloy often helped him grade assignments.  He said he thought journalism would be easy because he knew the answers to all of the test questions.

Indeed, when Milloy discovered that one could be paid for the use of words, his career as a journalist began.  He encouraged the A&T journalism students to improve their grammar skills, and stressed the importance of reading and writing.

“Readers write and writers read,” he said.

Milloy began working at The Washington Post in 1974 after working for two years at The Miami Herald.  A native of Shreveport, La., Milloy said that being reared in that region during the 1950s left a strong impression on him where he saw both suffering and broad accomplishments of African Americans.

Milloy left the South to attend college at Southern Illinois University.  He spoke of having taught at the college level, and seemed at ease expressing what he observed when comparing his generation to the generation of the present day.

Milloy voices a concern about what he regards as a lack of personal interaction skills among young African-Americans, saying there continues to be a fear of white people among some young blacks.  He advised the students : “Be fortified and get rid of your fear of asking questions.”

When presented a question about the meaning of a  “Race Man,” which is how Milloy was introduced,  the term was defined as a person who stands strong against racism.  DeWayne Wickham, a USA Today columnist and A&T professor, explained that Milloy writes about the truth and “will aggressively attack racial issues to bring attention to it no matter which side it comes from.”

Wickham, along with Bonnie Newman Davis, teaches the class in which Milloy spoke.

Later, in providing the students interviewing tips, Milloy encouraged them to not be afraid to ask a question.  Yet Milloy was vague about answering certain questions, such as his age.  A 2010 online article titled, “What’s Tweeting Courtland Milloy?” states his age as 59.  (He failed to respond to an email that requested confirmation.)

Milloy did not leave the students before discussing current events and politics. In an almost nurturing manner, he reminded the students that despite the many strides made toward racial progress, racial issues still exist.  He suggested there is a silent conspiracy against African-American males, and advised young women that abstinence remains a strong attraction for many males.

Courtland Milloy with JOMC Students

Just before departing, Milloy left the students these final words of advice by saying, “Write your own obituary.”