In all the talk about Tom Brokaw allowing his inner xenophobia to spill out on the national stage, little has been said about the part Yamiche Alcindor played in immediately and unapologetically pushing back. Of course, I’m not surprised that she has been erased out of the scene by some. As a black woman, her presence was ignored and her contribution unacknowledged. Par for the course.
Ms. Alcindor showed why it is imperative that we have diversity in the media. She challenged the racist and historically incorrect narrative about a much-maligned and marginalized community even as the others around the table continued to look at Brokaw as a respected elder dropping knowledge.
Here’s Yamiche administering a much-deserved whupping:
She only needed 14 seconds to set him straight:
“I grew up in Miami, where people speak Spanish, but their kids speak English,” said the former Miami Herald reporting intern. “And the idea that we think Americans can only speak English, as if Spanish and other languages wasn’t always part of America, is, in some ways, troubling.”
She identified the problem and wasn’t afraid to describe the views of the veteran newsman as “troubling.” I imagine that after listening to that brutal setdown, Brokaw knew he was in trouble...knew that he had just stuffed his xenophobic foot into his bigoted mouth.
Thank you, Yamiche! We see you. We hear you. We acknowledge you.
