Nikole Hannah-Jones has become a household name for many Black homes. It all started with the long-form journalism endeavor, “1619 Project” published in the New York Times newspaper in August of 2019. To many people, 2019 was another year of witnessing the height of the Black Lives Matter protest. But to Nikole Hannah-Jones, she knew August 2019 marked the 400th year that slavery was brought to, what we now know as, America.
While Hannah-Jones has become a household name, the name has certainly become popular amongst the Howard University community. This past summer, the author shook the HBCU community when she declined a tenured position at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Instead, she accepted the Knight Chair Appointment of Race and Journalism at Howard University. This past Monday, January 31, the author sat down with senior journalism major, Micah Washington.
Students received 16,190 copies of the project thanks to singer John Legend and penguin books. Hannah-Jones credits the singer for supporting the project: “[Legend] has been a supporter since the beginning”.
This event is one of many ways that Hannah-Jones has given back to her community. Throughout the nearly hour and half long event, she emphasized the importance of paying it forward. When acknowledging the privilege of being able to publish one of the “Blackest [books] from the New York Times”, she had a message for aspiring Black scholars. “If you make it, it is a moral to be the only one in the room”, the author told aspiring journalists. “If you are not opening doors and pulling other people through with you, why are you there?”
In addition to being the Knight Chair, the professor holds a class surrounding her project at the university. The author reflected on how she regrets not coming to Howard University sooner. She remembers all the Black journalists throughout her career who pulled her though the doors she now has entered. She hopes that she can do the same for students at “the Mecca”. Whether that be emotionally or financially, she aims to be the professor she once needed in her college years.
While Hannah-Jones did not attend a historically black college or university during undergraduate studies, she wished she could have attended Howard. “So much of my life is repayment. The part of what I am building is student support, building into a way to support students academically and financially. I hope students feel like they can come up to me.”
However, the Pulitzer Prize recipient is hoping to learn from her students as well. Following her statements regarding support for students and the importance of giving back, she showed a sense of vulnerability that is not often seen in someone with high praises. “I need this.” According to her, the campus “pours” into her and it gives her a sense of wholeness.
The Howard Community embraces Nikole Hannah-Jones. The Cathy Hughes Department of Media, Journalism and Film welcomes the author with open arms. Faculty and students are excited to learn and continue this journey.
Welcome home, Professor Nikole Hannah-Jones!