Mission San Jose High School and School of the Arts
Six thousand minority journalists were brought together for a week last July in Atlanta. Now they want to do it again. Their goal is to come together, to bond and to define Unity.
Unity 1994 was the first convention of organized minority journalist groups in the country. Because of its great success, the next Unity convention is scheduled for 1999 in Seattle, Washington.
Steve Montiel, president of the Maynard Institute and member of the National Association of Hispanic Journalists (NAHJ), said that Unity '94 brought different people together.
"It made the journalism profession more inclusive of people of all colors," Montiel said.
There were more than 85 panel discussions that brought many issues to the surface.
"One (panel) sticks out in my mind, something like, `Can you cover the minority community and be a minority?' said Jeordan Legon, a member of the California Chicano News Media Association (CCNMA), NAHJ and the National Lesbian and Gay Journalists Association (NLGJA).
There was also room for open political discussion.
"We were able to explore issues of civil rights, affirmative action, meet each other, talk, dance," said NAHJ member Joe Rodriguez.
Unity 1994 also served as a forum for journalists to seek out prospective job offers. In about a month, 300 people were interviewing for new jobs.
"That's 5 percent (that interviewed for new jobs)," said Legon. "It paid off for me big time." Legon acquired his position at the San Jose Mercury News from a connection he made at the convention.
David Li, of the Asian American Journalists Association (AAJA), said he learned one rather important thing from the convention.
"A real challenge is to change culture. It's important not to just look like a community, but to think like one," Li said.
The rest of the convention was a good opportunity to socialize and relax. "You didn't see self-segregation at Unity," Rodriguez said. "A lot of personal friendships came out of that."
"The convention as a whole showed power, talent, and strength," Legon said.
"It was so empowering to see so many minorities gathered together in one place and show that they're there," he said.
They did have some funny moments together. AAJA sponsored a karaoke night to raise money. Everyone who attended was reported as acting silly.
Two editors, Shelby Coffee from The Los Angeles Times and Leonard Downey of the Washington Post, began to sing `Wild Thing.' They were surprised to find it was the rap version. The crowd responded by stuffing money into the editors' belts.
The National Association of Black Journalists (NABJ) sponsored a large party on the first Wednesday of the conference. The party brought all the journalists together.
"I looked out at the floor to see all races of people dancing. At that point it (Unity) really came together and worked," said Miki Turner, NABJ member and sports columnist for the Orange County Register. "It brought people together who normally would not have gotten together."
Added Rodriguez, "Through all the joking and learning the reporters were able to achieve a common ground. There's a little bit more solidarity now among journalists because of Unity 1994."