Watch: NABJ Panel’s Analysis of Trump and His History of Disrespecting Black Journalists

For Ryan, the 2017 NABJ Journalist of the Year award winner, the invitation from the Republican presidential candidate’s organization was personal. Although the NABJ said in 2018 that it was appalled by the treatment of Ryan and other black reporters, comparable to Abby Phillip and Yamiche Alcindor, the black press advocacy group decided to ask someone who has made years of harmful and demeaning remarks about black women journalists.

The forty fifth president of the United States lashed out at ABC News’ Rachel Scott, who’s black, saying the wording of her query, during which she challenged him for making racist comments, was rude and “disgusting.” Scott cited Trump’s past comments about black reporters covering events on the White House, in addition to harsh comments about black prosecutors who brought the twice-impeached and convicted former president to justice.

Following NABJ’s controversial panel with Trump, the organization’s founders met to ascertain a strategic management plan and discuss the Trump controversy, in addition to other issues which have landed the historic organization in unwanted headlines world wide.

“What I saw was a lack of accountability from an organization that claimed to want to hold someone accountable,” Reign said of the hour-plus delay to the session. Trump complained profusely in regards to the convention’s “poor” equipment, which he blamed for the panel not starting on time. NABJ has not yet officially commented on the matter.

The panel’s audience gasped audibly multiple times in moments of shock and awe, including when Trump falsely accused his presidential opponent, Vice President Kamala Harris, at one point decided to “turn black.”

As ABC’s Scott identified to Trump on Wednesday, Harris, who can also be South Asian, has all the time identified as a black woman. The vice chairman’s mother is Southeast Asian and her father is Jamaican.

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