| AMERICAN JOURNALISM Volume 42 Number 3 Summer 2025 Interviewed by: Amber Roessner Q: Can you share the story of how you first became familiar with Mattie Smith Colin? A: I learned of Colin’s story through her obituary, which was written by Maureen O’Donnell, my former Chicago Sun-Times colleague. I knew Colin during my times at the newspaper and would greet her at local fashion events. I realized Colin’s life had not been researched. Q: How do the theoretical lenses of intersectionality, womanism, and the ethics of care influence this research? A: The theoretical lenses allowed me to explore the texts from The Defender in a more intimate way. The Till story has spoken to broader issues about civil rights and lynching. The literature used in my article re-centers a mother’s grief and love. In addition, I wanted to explore other joys and burdens carried by Black women as they navigated domesticity and the public sphere. Seeing Colin’s journalistic perspectives in articles from 1950-1955 helped me to focus on her early career and her sophisticated writing on topics. Q: What methodological challenges have you encountered while examining the life of this fearless journalist, who has previously been relegated to the footnotes? A: I found reading the articles to evoke a range of emotions. The profiles of Venice Tipton Spraggs and Ethiopian Princess Seble Desta were fascinating to read. Colin immersed readers in the world of these women and her interactions with them. Then, the Mamie Till-Mobley articles were difficult and sad to read. My researcher and I had to practice our own care to engage with the difficult texts, as we relived the horror of a teenager murdered by adult men. Media discourses do tell rich stories about power, agency, and history. Q: Based upon your research, what set Colin’s reporting apart from her colleagues at The Defender? A: The Defender documented Black life and advocacy. Colin followed the similar journalistic formats of her colleagues. However, I noticed she really engaged with the English language and relied on all senses to document occurrences covered. Some might think its flowery or sensational. But the oral tradition of the Black experience comes through in her writing. And while she may have been assigned lighter fare articles, Colin used her articles to amplify the multidimensionality of her interviewees. Q: How might centering Colin’s reporting change our understanding and cultural memory of the murder of Emmett Till? A: Colin reminded us of the graveness of Till’s killing. We know of others not always named who were lynched but Till-Mobley and Colin knew the power of the Black press. The platform documented the first shock and call to action by community leaders. Recently, I found a telegram in the National Archives of John H.H. Sengstacke’s correspondence with President Dwight D. Eisenhower about Till’s killing. This illustrates the significance and the need to tell the story to never forget the horror and impact on American history. |
