This week, an article in the Huffington Post claimed that a senior ABC News executive made insensitive and sometimes racially tinged comments about several journalists of color at the Walt Disney-owned unit.
Mort Meisner was beyond saddened by this allegation. He knows the executive in question and it seems out of character for her. Even so, as much as these allegations surprise him, he’s witnessed so much racism in the television news industry, it wouldn’t shock him at all if they are completely true.
And that’s particularly discouraging – given the many times he went to battle to right the wrongs of racism in the industry.
Enough to Be Dangerous Exposes Blatant Racism
When Mort decided to write his memoir, Enough to Be Dangerous, he was at no loss for stories and vignettes that highlighted how rampant racism was in the industry. And because it was a different time, how accepted it was. He never accepted it though.
“Wrong is wrong,” he says.
Growing up in Detroit, he embraced diversity from a very young age. Even his abusive father was a strong proponent for Civil Rights and regardless of the other horror he put Mort through, he did teach him those values. Then when Mort began working as a music promoter right out of high school and through college, he was immersed in an industry that embraced racial differences in a way many other industries had not at that time.
All of that changed when he moved into the world of television news – a domain ruled largely by white men. The blatant racism was jarring and sickening. And he wasn’t going to take it.
Blazing a New Trail
In our previous blog post, we discussed the “garbage men” in the industry. “Garbage men” was the term that high-level (typically white male) executives used when referring to black male reporters. These reporters, who were few and far between, were typically given the easy “throw-away” stories, because the executives deemed these were all they could handle.
Disgusted by this behavior and widely accepted protocol, Mort decided he needed to change the industry from within. As relayed in many places throughout his memoir, he championed for the rights of black journalists and newscasters in every newsroom where he worked for the next several decades.
When he recognized talent in a black reporter, he would go the distance to foster and encourage that talent. It didn’t matter that he was in an industry where it was okay to refer to an African American weatherman as a “black Q-Tip.” Or to make casual statements about the likelihood of skilled black athletes becoming heroin or crack addicts when it was something that would NEVER be said of white athletes.
Mort knew that wrong was wrong—no matter how you cut it. And in the end, his efforts paid off to some extent. Today, more than a handful of black male anchors thank Mort for seeing something in them and not being afraid to go to bat for them to help them rise in the industry.
Today, working as a news talent agent, he continues to promote and place African American talent on a regular basis.
How Much Has Changed?
Of course, Mort is still incredibly disheartened by the recent allegations.
As Whoopi Goldberg says about the situation – “Everything I know about her doesn’t say she has this in her. But I will say that one of the things that everyone should always make sure we say, and I say it all the time — let’s find out. If it’s true, she’s gone. If it’s not, let’s find out what’s going on.”
Even just twenty years ago, nobody would have dared to make those sorts of allegations in the news industry – in spite of the fact that racial slurs were commonplace. And even if they had, you can be sure no action would have been taken.
So while progress has been slow, things have moved in a better direction at least. And Mort’s efforts have not been in vain.
Find out More in Just Dangerous Enough
Sink into the story behind Mort’s powerful climb to the top of the TV news industry and get inspired by his advocating for justice, equality, and integrity every step of the way.
Enough to Be Dangerous will officially be released in hardcover, paperback, and ebook on October 1, 2020 from Two Sisters Writing & Publishing.
Meanwhile, stay tuned for updates on how you can pre-order your autographed copy, as well as all the info about a book launch party and other exciting events. We look forward to seeing you!
