MILTON COLEMAN
On January 25, 1984, six months before the National Association of Black Journalists convened its 9th annual convention at the Colony Square Hotel in Atlanta, Ga., Washington Post political reporter Milton Coleman met with Jesse Jackson in a National Airport restaurant for breakfast and an“ on background” conversation that he said was signaled by Jackson’ s request:“ Let’ s talk Black.”
Days earlier Jackson, a candidate for the Democratic Party’ s presidential nomination, had embellished his political standing when he went to Syria over the objection of Republican President Ronald Reagan and obtained the release of Navy Lt. Robert Goodman, whose plane had been shot down in December 1983 by Syrian anti-aircraft fire during a bombing mission over Lebanon. Goodman, who survived his plane’ s crash, became the first American prisoner of war since the Vietnam War.
All of this put a bigger spotlight on Jesse Jackson’ s presidential campaign. But the increased attention he got proved costly.
During their airport meeting, Coleman said Jackson referred to Jews as“ Hymie” and New York City as“ Hymietown.” While Coleman never reported Jackson’ s use of the antisemitic slur in a story with his byline, he gave it to a White Washington Post reporter who included it in a long story about Jackson’ s relations with Jews, without naming his source. Coleman was listed at the bottom of that story as a contributor, without it being said what he contributed to the story.
On August 16, 1984, Coleman took the stage at the opening plenary session of the NABJ convention to discuss his decision to make public Jackson’ s“ on background” use of a Jewish slur.
This is an excerpt of what he said:
Listen here
Throughout all of this, and even today, I remain convinced that I did the right thing. That I acted on principles and stuck to them firmly. I do not come here this afternoon in search of sympathy. For most of my professional life as a reporter I dished it out and I am prepared to take it, as well. I don’ t come seeking a platform to denounce my critics, an opportunity to second guess Jesse Jackson’ s campaign. I come neither seeking an apology, nor prepared to offer one... I come here today in good faith mostly to explain what I did, what went through my mind and what I think reporters and other journalists can glean from this.
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