Wanda Lloyd, author of Coming Full Circle: From Jim Crow to Journalism, came to MTSU to speak on her book and discuss discrimination in the workplace.
On Monday afternoon, Wanda Lloyd, author of Coming Full Circle: From Jim Crow to Journalism came to Middle Tennessee State University. The trailblazing journalist spoke on overcoming racism, sexism, and other adversities throughout her career.
Hundreds of students and faculty crowded the MTSU Parliamentary Room to watch the panel discussion featuring the author. Director of MTSU’s John Seigenthaler Chair of Excellence, Deborah Fisher and Vice President of the MTSU chapter of the National Association of Black Journalists, Rhianna Cotton, led the panel.
Fisher and Cotton led the panel by asking Lloyd of her experiences as a black woman in an executive position during the Jim Crow era. They discussed a range of topics, most of which was inspired by her book.
Wanda Lloyd was named top editor of the Montgomery Advertiser in 2004. She became the first black editor of the publication, as well as the first black woman to hold this position at a major newspaper company in the United States. Since then, she has gone on to receive many honors, including the NABJ Ida B. Wells Award and the Robert G. McGruder Award. In 2019, she was inducted into the National Association of Black Journalists (NABJ) Hall of Fame.
Following the conclusion of her panel, junior Multimedia Journalism major DeAngelo Conley raised his hand to ask a question. "What advice would you give someone who is black and wants to work in journalism?" The room fell silent.
"Find a mentor. Join organizations that can support you. Most importantly, keep going."
She described moments where she was discriminated against in her job but still persevered. Many experiences she mentions could also be found in her book.
Conley later received a free copy of her novel to read.
Lloyd stopped at MTSU on Monday as a part of her book tour, which she says runs through October 2020.