The Brief Snatching of Jennifer Delgado’s Edges
When watching the news in the United States, you can almost guarantee that stories focused on Black populations (at home and abroad) will center on narratives of disaster, disease, disorder, and dysfunction. In the case of Haiti, you can be sure that you will be told repeatedly about impoverishment and disaster with almost no mention of the ways in which the United States (and the international scoundrels such as the Red Cross, IMF, and World Bank) has contributed greatly to the current state of Haitian economic and political affairs.
Over and over again, we are taught to link poverty with this nation and its people. Over and over again, we are presented with narratives and images of that fail to capture the complexity of an entire nation, its citizens, and its Diaspora. And without any doubt, the news media has been vital to the distortion of Haiti, the first Black Republic.
This week, however, Jennifer Delgado of the Weather Channel, managed to blatantly lie and disrespect an entire nation. Her lie focused specifically on the children of Haiti, making a mockery of the children of entire nation.
For all those who know me, you know I love and care for Black children fiercely and unapologetically. I’ve taken a few days to bring myself to the point of even addressing this woman and her lack of journalistic integrity.
This post is for Jennifer Delgado and all those throughout the news media with a lack of respect and integrity that is steeped in anti-Blackness.
Even the kids there, they’re so hungry, they actually eat the trees.
Jen, how dare you open your mouth and use your platform to lie in such an undignified manner! Considering the fact that you earned a bachelor’s degree from Webster University in St. Louis, along with a Bachelor of Science in Geosciences, broadcast meteorology from Mississippi State University, you know good and well what factors contribute to deforestation.
The condescending tone of voice in which you discussed the deforestation in Haiti was bad enough (providing no context, no discussion of environmental efforts on the ground focused on reforestation, and using the Dominican Republic as a point of comparison to more or less shame Haiti and Haitians). But then you went on to say that the children of this nation are eating trees. You managed to make a mockery of the children of an entire nation, using the poverty and hunger narratives common throughout Western news media when covering Black nations as a springboard for your lie.
As a member of National Association of Black Journalists and the National Association of Hispanic Journalists, as a woman of color based in Atlanta, GA, you know good and well that what you said was a lie and had no place coming out of your mouth.
And your apology…was complete garbage.
“I want to apologize for a statement that I made yesterday that was inappropriate. My intention is always to provide relevant information to areas impacted by severe weather and I wanted to spotlight the incredibly difficult conditions that the people in Haiti continue to face, particularly in light of Hurricane Matthew. I deeply regret and apologize for any statement that I used on-air that was offensive.” (Source: Jennifer Delgado’s official Facebook Page)
Your intention was not to provide relevant information to the people impacted by this hurricane. Your intention was not to provide relevant information to the Haitian Diaspora. It was not your intention to spotlight the difficult conditions of the people of Haiti. We will never know your true intentions, although I can bet they are rooted in anti-Blackness and anti-Haitian sentiments, but we will always know the impact of your lies. Your words, your lie was offensive, inappropriate, and during the midst of a hurricane that has claimed the lives of hundreds of people.
Your apology is not an apology but rather a sorry attempt at saving your image and the image of your employer. And if your Facebook status wasn’t enough…
Found to be inappropriate? To inform and educate? How Jen?
You are disingenuous and insincere and your apologies mean nothing. Your trifling statements, however, did nothing to damper the strong pride of the Haitian people. As they came together to address the needs of the people on the ground, a few of them managed to make light of the situation.
Jen, I hope you learn from this and make it a point to do better as a journalism professional and as a human being. It’s obvious that you aren’t mature or humble enough to apologize in a sincere way. Maybe over time, you will think before you speak as you never know what consequences await you following such reprehensible behavior.
Do better, be better.
