Independent journalist Georgia Fort reflects on her arrest while covering a protest and the growing threats to press freedom, particularly for Black reporters. Drawing strength from her faith, personal experiences and the legacy of the Black press, Fort remains committed to telling difficult truths despite risks, emphasizing the vital role Black media plays in holding America accountable.
Tag: Don Lemon
Posted inBlack Press
NABJ Town Hall condemns arrests of Black journalists, defends First Amendment
By Dr. Deborah BaileyAFRO Contributing Editor The National Association of Black Journalists (NABJ) teamed up with veteran journalist Roland Martin, founder of Black Star Network, to host a two-hour, live-streamed event on Feb. 2 titled “Not On Our Watch: A National Town Hall on Press Freedom.” The session was prompted by the recent arrests of […]
Posted inOPINION
Opinion: NNPA Stands With Georgia Fort, Don Lemon and all others arrested, and demands all charges be dropped
NNPA President and CEO Dr. Ben Chavis Jr. condemned the arrests of journalists Don Lemon and Georgia Fort, calling the charges an attack on press freedom and a dangerous misuse of the FACE Act and Ku Klux Klan Act. He compared the prosecutions to historic efforts to silence the Black Press and demanded all charges be dropped, asserting that democracy cannot survive when witnesses are criminalized.
Posted inNational News
Federal agents arrest journalists Don Lemon, Georgia Fort for reporting on Minnesota church protest
Federal agents have arrested veteran journalist Don Lemon and Minnesota-based reporter Georgia Fort in connection with their coverage of a Jan. 18 protest at Cities Church in St. Paul, where demonstrators challenged a pastor who also serves as a senior ICE official. The arrests have sparked widespread outrage from press freedom advocates and civil rights groups, who argue the charges represent a dangerous escalation in the federal government’s efforts to criminalize journalism amid heightened national tensions over immigration enforcement and protest.
Posted inNational News
Anti-ICE protest at Minnesota church leads to arrests of Black attorney, journalist
Federal authorities arrested prominent civil rights attorney Nekima Levy Armstrong and at least two others following an anti-ICE protest that disrupted a worship service at Cities Church in St. Paul, Minnesota, though no charges were allowed to proceed against journalist Don Lemon. The arrests came amid a rapid Justice Department investigation and strong condemnation from White House officials, while a judge ruled Lemon’s presence at the protest was protected journalistic activity under the First Amendment.
Posted inPolitics
Leaders discuss democracy in America, closing racial economic wealth gap at Black legislative conference
The Congressional Black Caucus Foundation’s 2024 Annual Legislative Conference discussed democracy in America and closing the racial economic wealth gap, with speakers including Governor Wes Moore, LaTosha Brown, Dr. Michael McAfee, Alexis McGill Johnson, and Derrick Johnson.