When minor voices become major warnings

(TriceEdneyNewswire) – Stephen Colbert and Jimmy Kimmel – giants of late-night TV – have faced censorship, dismissal or forced silence when their words cross the powerful. That should alarm us all. If media figures of their stature can be muzzled, what chance do ordinary journalists or community truth-tellers have? I know this pain personally. Decades ago, I was among the first Black women to sit on the editorial board of a major newspaper. I was eventually pushed out – not because of poor work, but because my views did not align with the White male owners. They praised the virtues of free press while silencing those who practiced it. Related Stories The issue is not new. It is the age-old clash between voices that speak truth from the margins and systems that demand loyalty to privilege. When I wrote about poverty, inequality or the struggles of ordinary people, I was not rebellious. I was testifying. But privilege prefers a flattering portrait over an honest mirror. On many occasions, my White colleagues and I could be in the same room or were looking at the same set of facts but walk away with conclusions as if we existed on different planets....