A Black Aide to LBJ Speaks Up on "Selma"

Milwaukee Columnist Eugene Kane Leaving After 33 Years

After 33 years at the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel and the old Milwaukee Journal, more than 20 of them as a columnist, Eugene Kane is leaving the newspaper, he told readers at the end of his Sunday column. As reported in September, newspapers have laid off, reassigned or retired at least 21 black opinion writers since 2008 as the industry contracts.

Kane told Journal-isms by email on Thursday that his departure follows a July announcement that the newspaper's parent Journal Communications is merging with the larger E.W. Scripps Co. He also noted that Editor Martin Kaiser is leaving in February and that changes are expected with a new op-ed section.

"Many of the folks I've worked with for decades in my age/experience range also took buy-outs a few months ago and I figured it was a sign that the new company wanted severe cut-backs," Kane said.

"My only concern is that there are precious few Black folks covering the community these days in Milwaukee, none on Metro and James Causey," an op-ed columnist, "the only black voice left." As for the future, Kane said he "will be teaching a class at UW-Milwaukee this year and working on some other writing projects. Also, looking for that next chapter in life that can be as satisfying as the last one."

Kane began his career as a columnist with a humor column in the old Milwaukee Journal, then moved to a metro column in the merged Journal Sentinel. He took a buyout in 2012 but remained as a Sunday columnist.

He wrote last month about his experiences with Bill Cosby in light of the allegations of sexual misconduct by the comedian. "In 2004, I worked with Cosby to hold a community forum in Milwaukee at North Division High School centered on education and parental responsibility. The event came about because I had written a column in the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel about Cosby's remarks at an NAACP event in Washington, D.C., months earlier that many took to be overly harsh and judgmental about low-income, poorly educated black people.

"My column criticized Cosby for the tone of his remarks. The next workday, I received a call from one of his representatives: "Mr. Cosby is going to call you in a half-hour about your column."

"As it turned out, Cosby didn't unload on me for my temerity to criticize him — just the opposite. He began a conversation with me that put his words in context, and we began to bond over the phone due to our mutual Philadelphia connections. . . ."

• Maynard Institute for Journalism Education: Eugene Kane | Mentor

$10 Million Grant to Aid Female Journalists

"In October, IP reported on the Howard G. Buffett Foundation's $4 million grant to the International Women's Media Foundation,"Joan Shipps reported Dec. 22 for Inside Philanthropy. "That was a lot of money, given how infrequently funders throw big support behind this focus area. But it turned out that Buffett wasn't done: He's now tossed another $10 million into the pot for women journalists. Wow.

"What's more, IWMF has hit the ground running since that first gift in October and has big plans for promoting women in journalism in 2015 and far into the future.

"With the latest $10 million in Howard G. Buffett support, the IWMF is implementing three areas of programming:

"The Courage in Photojournalism Award . . .

"The African Great Lakes Reporting Initiative . . .

"The Howard G. Buffett Fund for Women Journalists . . ."