Award winner: It always has been about giving opportunity

Commentary

10.20.04

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Bennie Ivory

Bennie Ivory, executive editor and vice president/news of The Courier-Journal in Louisville, Ky., accepted the 2004 Robert G. McGruder Award for Diversity Leadership for newspapers over 50,000 circulation during the Associated Press Managing Editors convention in October in Louisville. Here are his remarks.

I would like to thank APME, the Freedom Forum and ASNE for this award.

I am humbled, surprised and honored at the same time.

I am surprised because I have never thought that anything that I have done was anything special. I have done the things that I have done simply because I thought they were things I ought to do.

As one who grew up in the Deep South and spent most of my career there, I found that this stuff just comes to you somewhat naturally.

When you live it, breathe it and experience it, you realize how important it is.

I am honored because I knew Bob McGruder. That makes it truly special.

Bob was a fine editor and a wonderful person.

For a lot of years, when I attended APME and ASNE, there were only a few of us there - Bob, me, Al Johnson, Norm Lockman, Al Fitzpatrick and Merv Aubespin.

And every year at convention time, Bob and I would steal away once during the week to a corner of the bar and have a few drinks and talk abut what wasn't happening in our industry.

For me, it always has been about opportunity — giving people the opportunity to do great journalism and hiring and promoting qualified people into decision-making positions.

We all should feel compelled to provide those opportunities when we get in positions to do so.

Ed Manassah, my publisher in Louisville, gave me an opportunity seven years ago when he asked me to come here to be his editor. He might regret it now, but it's too late.

Curtis Riddle gave me an opportunity when he asked me to come to Wilmington, Del., to be his editor. The Wilmington experience was unique because it likely will be the only time I will work for a person of color in the industry. The Wilmington experience also was unique because Curtis, who is African American, was the publisher, I was the editor and I hired E.J. Mitchell as my managing editor. Norm Lockman was the associate editor of the editorial page. And Sam Martin, the advertising director, also was African American.

One of our readers in Wilmington wrote a letter to our corporate counterparts in Washington asking the question: "Are there any qualified white people you could send to Wilmington?"

Mike Coleman gave me my first opportunity to become a top editor when he asked me to be his editor at FLORIDA TODAY in Brevard County.

And then there was John Johnson, the late John Johnson.

John was my editor for most of the eight years I spent in Jackson, Miss., as managing editor.

John was my editor, but he became my friend.

I once heard Charles Overby say that if he were to leave his family with anyone, it would be John Johnson.

I later learned what Charles meant.

John gave me the opportunity of a lifetime. He gave me an opportunity a lot of other people probably wouldn't have. He gave me great latitude to do my job, to stretch and to grow.

John had my back, and I had his back.

We went through a lot of good times together and a lot of tough times.

There certainly were more good times than bad times, but even the good times can come with challenges in Mississippi.

When we were in the midst of the reporting that ultimately led to the reopening of the Medgar Evers case, there were a lot of days when we were out there all alone. There was a deafening silence in the community. There were divisions in the community and in the newsroom.

But John never wavered. He stood tall right next to me the whole time.

John Johnson was special.

Again, I'd like to say thank you for this honor.

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Editors at The Courier-Journal and St. Cloud Times to be honored at APME convention.  09.29.04