In the interview with Kast, Dr. Draper discussed the AFRO’s depiction in the series, their coverage of the real-life Lady in the Lake saga, and the disparate treatment of Black victims and Black media outlets.
Dr. Draper, who was a young journalist at the AFRO at the time of Parker’s disappearance, recounted her days covering the story, and detailed the Black community’s intense interest at each step.
“We didn’t call it Lady in the Lake, we called it ‘Shirley in the Lake.’ ‘Shirley in the Lake’ captivated the Black community in Baltimore,” said Dr. Draper. “People would line up outside of the AFRO building on Tuesdays and Fridays waiting for the next episode of what was happening with Shirley in the Lake. It was the talk of the town.”
While Black Baltimore residents consumed the AFRO’s coverage of Shirley Parker with great interest, larger outlets overlooked the story.
“The AFRO was the only media outlet covering this story at the time,” added Draper.
While Dr. Draper acknowledged progress since the days of ‘Shirley in the Lake’, she noted that the series offers viewers important takeaways regarding stories by Black media and about Black citizens.
“The sheer disregard for Black lives and the disrespect of the Black Press is evident, and comes through very loud and clear in the series,” said Dr. Draper. “However, today the Black community depends on news outlets like the AFRO to really give the true and accurate account of what’s happening.
“There’s an overarching theme around how these two crimes were treated differently by mainstream press and the community at large,” she said.
The full interview is available on WYPR’s website, at https://www.wypr.org/show/on-the-record
To learn more about the AFRO, visit: https://afro.com
About the AFRO
The AFRO is the oldest Black-owned business in D.C., Maryland and Virginia, and the third-oldest in the United States. For over 130 years, the AFRO has offered a platform for images and stories that advance the Black community, fulfilling the vision of John H. Murphy Sr., a formerly enslaved man who founded the publication with his wife, Martha Howard Murphy. Today, through the leadership of Murphy’s great-granddaughter, Dr. Frances “Toni” Draper, the AFRO remains the Black Media Authority, providing readers with good news about the Black community not otherwise found.
Media Contact
Nick Jones
Abel Communications for the AFRO
[email protected]
Media Contact
Nick Jones, Abel Communicatons for the AFRO, 908 458 2094, [email protected], https://afro.com
SOURCE Abel Communicatons for the AFRO
