As America’s birthday was celebrated on the 4th of July, The CW’s liberal, racial sports drama All American aired an episode the following day that was racially divisive and celebrated liberal politicians and activists for “saving [America] from itself.” It’s shows like these that separate us rather than bringing us together as citizens of this great, free country, no matter our race.
Monday’s episode, “Homecoming,” took place at a fictional HBCU - Bringston University in Atlanta, GA. Main character Simone (Geffri Maya) is there for the school’s homecoming celebration to decide if she wants to apply there after being rejected by Princeton. Simone’s aunt is a professor at Bringston and we meet her right at the beginning as she tells her class that black journalists are “held to a higher standard,” and have a “larger, unrealistic” burden on them, especially when they’re also activists, which journalists are not actually supposed to be.
One student, Keisha (Netta Walker), even criticizes white reporters and “the views of whiteness” as being the “objective neutral” in journalism, which the professor believes isn’t the same as being “ethical, fair and telling the truth:”
Dr. Patterson: It's just like in any other space. As black journalists, you will be held to a higher standard. There's a larger, unrealistic burden on black journalists. And if you take someone like me, who lies in the intersection of journalism and activism, that burden is even greater.
Olivia: Is that your aunt?
Dr. Patterson: Keisha?
Keisha: So how can you maintain journalistic objectivity?
Student: The same way white reporters do.
Keisha: Except, do they? Just because the views of whiteness are normalized to be the objective neutral doesn't mean that they actually are.
Dr. Patterson: All right. Forget about journalistic objectivity, Keisha. I, instead, believe in being ethical, fair, and telling the truth. There's a difference. And as for ethics, my philosophy is if it doesn't cross your line in the sand, there is no shame in walking away. But if it does, you pursue it until you have it right, and then bring it all to the light.
Keisha: Ok. Yas, poetry!
Keisha is serving as an “unofficial ambassador” of the university for Simone and as they (along with Simone’s friend Olivia, played by Samantha Logan) walk around campus, they discuss alumni of HBCUs like Vice President Kamala Harris, failed Georgia gubernatorial candidate Stacey Abrams, and Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms - all of whom Keisha says are “out here saving the country from itself:”