Pulitzer Prize winning New York Times Journalist, Nikole Hannah Jones was in her element at Hampton University, Wednesday, when she shared her journey of where her passion for reporting began and how she continues to expose African Americans to their rightful place in history. She spoke to students via Zoom.
An investigative journalist known for her extensive background in journalism and history, she spoke with students at the Scripps Howard Journalism and Communications School at Hampton University. After her in-person address, she answered questions from students.
Moderator and Historian, Mary Elliot, celebrated Jones’s ability to prompt people to think deeper.
Although the 1619 Project is Jones’ most notable mark within her career, she continues to pursue excellence within her writing experience, which she began as an adolescent.
Jones shared with the audience that when she was eleven years old she was compelled with passion in 1988 when the Rev. Jesse Jackson, a black man, ran for president and lost. With this passion she was prompted to write a letter that was later published, which aroused her sense of power.
“My takeaway from today’s experience is that, number one, with hard work you can do anything, regardless of gender, race, ethnicity, or sexuality,” said Noah Hogan, a Journalism and Communications student at Hampton University. “Jones works for the New York Times so it was really informational, not just for the writing and publishing aspect of journalism, but the conceptualization of pitching ideas to editors. It taught me about being a journalist, most importantly a Black journalist.”
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