Uprooted won a regional Emmy last night!!! ๐
Itโs my second Emmy and first as a film director.โผ๏ธ
THANK YOU!!! This past year has been incredible, and Iโm grateful for it all! ๐๐ฟ๐๐ฟ๐๐ฟ
Congrats to our team at @thevcij @WHRO and @propublica.
๐Worth noting: In Newport News, concerns linger over a lack of transparency w/ a local task force reviewing @CNUcaptains role in displacing the Black community unofficially known as โShoe Lane.โ Though said to be in the works, no public meetings held yet, a year+ in
๐๏ธ New for @virginiamercury:
After operating on just $28K last year, Virginiaโs commission probing Black community displacement by public universities got a big boostโ$200K in new state funding.
These efforts are rare.
Link: https://t.co/WASp0pRPrS
Here's where things stand:
1๏ธโฃ Four subcommittees are underwayโfocusing on outreach, reparations research, displacement history, and coordination with public universities.
2๏ธโฃ Nearly all 45 public higher-ed institutions in Virginia have been contacted
Exciting news!
Thrilled to share that Iโll be joining the 2025โ2026 class of Spencer Fellows at Columbia Universityโs Journalism School as a non-residential fellow. Iโm looking forward to expanding my investigative work alongside an incredible group of journalists and scholars.
๐ Columbia Journalism School is proud to announce the 2025โ2026 Spencer Education Journalism Fellows: Colette Coleman, Tara Garcรญa Mathewson (@TaraGarciaM), Brandi Kellam (@brandkells) and Eleni Schirmer.
"Uprooted" uncovers a long-buried history of displacement, loss, and resistance. Through archives & firsthand accounts, it traces how a Black community in Newport News was uprooted for a university. These BTS moments show the people & stories that brought this history to light.
Join me in Newport News on March 20 for a special screening of my Emmy award-winning documentary Uprooted and a discussion on community displacement! Iโll be joined by two impacted community members and a historian for a powerful discussion! @HOMEofVA@CanHeadquarters
2/As far as I'm aware, there was not an invitation to participate.
Moreover, I remain deeply grateful for the impact of "Uprooted." As evident in my ongoing work, Iโve consistently contributed to discussions that seek to meaningfully address it and related subject matter.
Now, turning to another item of business:
1/During the task forceโs update they were asked whether I was specifically contacted to inform their research. Since this was in a public forum, I'm sharing that I have sent a direct response to the council regarding those questions.
At several points yesterday,my name and reporting were mentioned in a public city council gathering. I've since addressed the council.I'll share a 24-hour update in the next thread.First, the latest from the Newport News task force examining the displacement of a Black community: