Systemic Racism Exists At St. Louis Public Radio

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That’s according to GM Tim Eby. He says it exists at the organization he runs and that’s unacceptable. “I’m committed to making meaningful change as a leader, as an organization—and through my personal growth. I pledge to share our progress.”

Eby, who’s been GM at St. Louis Public Radio since 2009, posted his comments on the organization’s website. He says diversity, equity and inclusion is crucial at St. Louis Public Radio and I am grateful for the people of color for bringing their talents and perspectives to St. Louis Public Radio. “I take responsibility for creating a culture where they feel valued.”

An external investigation of the diversity, equity and inclusion practices at St. Louis Public Radio began this week in response to concerns of station employees.

Last week, a group of St. Louis Public Radio producers and reporters shared stories of their experiences as people of color at this organization. An article posted to Medium by St. Louis Public Radio reporters stated: “Our station’s leaders need to take responsibility for their role in cultivating a culture that perpetuates racism. St. Louis Public Radio had an all-white newsroom until 2013 and has failed to both racially diversify its staff and retain journalists of color. The station received hundreds of thousands of dollars in public funds to increase its diversity in 2017. But even after internal issues were exposed in a Current article, very little changed.”

4 COMMENTS

  1. It’s run by mostly white liberals! Racial bias is something most of us whites have grown up with regardless of our politics. It is almost ingrained in our DNA. Which is why it can be difficult to notice or admit to it. My parents were immigrants with socialist political leaning. But that did not stop them from using racist cultural phrases for anyone different from them. The bias was there and I absorbed some of it as a child. My first encounter with black children on a subway train was met with my innocently saying out loud, “those kids are dirty. Why don’t they wash?” In retrospect, well over a half century later, I still feel bad about those words and how they may have impacted those kids. It’s time you tried walking in someone else’s shoes and have a little more empathy.

  2. This whole ‘black lives matter’ and ‘systemic racism’ had already entered into the theater of the absurd, many months ago. Now, it totally spins out of control with the assertion that public radio, which is a leftist bastion, is racist.

    If there is any real racism at NPR, PBS and other public media outlets, it is the shaming of the white ‘race’. This just reinforces why millions of hardworking taxpayers are so strongly opposed to any of their dollars going to these liberal-hucksterism stations.

    Millions of us love our country and choose to learn from our history, not ‘cancel’ it…as public media now disgustingly strive to do.

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