May 29, 2004

‘He Was Ours. We Were His.’

NABJ President Herbert Lowe offered the following remarks at Vernon Jarrett’s funeral in the Great Hall at the Rainbow/Push Coalition’s national headquarters in Chicago. Jarrett died on May 23, 2004, at age 85.

Grace and peace, everyone, especially to Vernon’s family:

I have the daunting responsibility of representing the National Association of Black Journalists at this ‘going home’ service for one of our founding members, our second national president, president of the NABJ-Chicago Chapter, and perhaps our most beloved member, Vernon Jarrett.

These will be brief remarks. Certainly that is ironic. At no time in listening to Vernon – whether it was him giving one person or 2,000 people a history lesson, or him urging NABJ to do better, or him giving me advice, or him simply talking about himself – did I ever hear Vernon say anything brief.

In 1975, Vernon and 43 other men and women founded NABJ. Two of those founders are here today: Les Payne, who is also one of our past presidents, and Joe Davidson. So, too, is Paul Brock, our founding executive director.

Today, NABJ boasts more than 3,600 members in U.S. media markets large and small and even in some other countries. This week, many members have written or said Vernon was personally responsible for leading them into, or keeping them in journalism. We all will miss him dearly.

NABJ meant everything to Vernon. He meant all that and so much more to NABJ. Just as important, what Vernon meant to black journalists, meant to black America, meant to America, meant to journalism, meant to Chicago, meant to young people, meant to the world will never be forgotten.

There simply can be no overstating his legacy. And our love for the man. At chapter meetings and at NABJ conventions – by the way, he would proudly tell you, he never missed one – our members treated him like a father, a grandfather or a great-grandfather. He was ours. We were his.

Lynn Norment, of Ebony magazine and the Chicago chapter, wrote in the 2000 book, “Committed to the Cause: A Salute to NABJ’s Presidents”: “There are many adjectives that describe Vernon Jarrett – courageous, pugnacious, aggravating, knowledgeable, loving, affectionate. But the one word that perhaps sums him up best is committed.”

Three times, Vernon was chosen for one of NABJ’s highest honors: Lifetime Achievement in 1990, the President’s Award in 1997, and the Legacy Award in 2004. I invite everyone to visit our Web site – www.nabj.org – to see and read much more about Vernon’s impact not only on our great association, but also on our country.

Vernon is the first of NABJ’s 15 presidents to make the final transition. During his presidency, he helped bring legitimacy to NABJ. Let all we do as journalists in our newsrooms, on our assignments, in our nearly 50 local chapters and in our lives serve as a tribute to Vernon’s legacy.

Many memorial resolutions have come from the various segments of society Vernon so greatly impacted. As president, I have and will continue to proclaim a special NABJ day in honor of a chapter or a member.

Today, I, Herbert Lowe, president of the National Association of Black Journalists, do hereby proclaim, in the vast and growing community of NABJ, the month of June 2004 to be “President Vernon Jarrett Month.”

Not only that, I call upon every NABJ chapter to spend a portion of their monthly meeting during “Vernon Jarrett Month” reflecting on the life of this great man, this great journalist, this great agitator, this great role model.

Chicago’s chapter already aims to do it. I’m told tributes also are likely in Philadelphia and the D.C. metropolitan area. (NABJ-Chicago will celebrate [Vernon’s] life and legacy on Wednesday, June 16, 6 p.m., at NBC Tower. For more information, check www.nabjchicago.org.)

Again, to the family, know that black journalists everywhere are celebrating the life and legacy of Vernon Jarrett, reporter, columnist, talk show host, author, crusader, NABJ founder, NABJ president.

May God be with him. And he with God.

Grace and peace.