August 7, 2016
In the 1970s, Nancy Hicks Maynard and her husband, Robert Maynard, knew how editors would respond when asked why they didn't hire black reporters: we can't find anyone qualified.
So the Maynards devised a strategic push back. They asked editors for specific examples of journalistic qualifications that were beyond the capabilities of African Americans.
"It gave us an incredible confidence that there was an integrity problem with the attempt to keep black journalists not only out of the business but out of the leadership," Hicks Maynard said.