By Donnovan Bennett

There is no manual that explains how to break into the world of sports journalism as a minority. The usual route through university and internships is there, and I took it. But as I learned the craft and looked for a foothold in the industry, there were very few minorities I had access to that I could ask for guidance. This series, presented in four parts over the course of Black History Month, is an attempt to address that. I reached out to seven established black journalists to get their perspective on the complexities of being a minority journalist. I also offered some thoughts of my own. The panelists were told they could pass on questions and their responses could be as short or long as they desired.

David Amber has been an anchor and reporter for NBA TV Canada, ESPN and CBC. One of the best sideline reporters in the business, he can currently be seen on Hockey Night in Canada.

Morgan Campbell is a sports and business writer for the Toronto Star and a co-host of Fight Network’s Boxing Weekly.

Rosey Edeh made a name for herself working for CNN, MSNBC and NBC’s Early Today. Before her broadcasting career, she represented Canada in the hurdles at three straight Olympics. She’s now back home working for Global.

Jay Harris is an award-winning host for ESPN who has appeared on Sportscenter, Outside The Lines, NFL Live, Baseball Tonight, First Take and Friday Night Fights. Canadian viewers maybe most familiar with his work hosting ESPN Sports Saturday on ABC.

Eric Thomas spent time doing sportscasts for TSN 690 and working as the sports anchor for CTV Montreal. He’s now an anchor on Sportsnet Central.

Perdita Felicien is a retired world champion and Canadian record-holding hurdler. Her broadcasting career began with CHCH and now includes work on CBC’s Pan Am and Olympic Games coverage.

Jason Whitlock has written for ESPN, The Kansas City Star, AOL Sports and Foxsports.com. The award-winning columnist is currently an on-air personality for Fox Sports 1 and blogger for J.School.

Parts one, two and three of their responses are available here, here and here. This is part four.

Why is celebrating Black History Month important?

Rosey Edeh Black history is not taught in schools beyond the “black folks were slaves and then were freed” story. Black history is vast, intricate and rich, and spans millennia beyond the slave narrative. The slave narrative is important and an undeniable part of black history, but when the majority—the very heart—of black history is glossed over, it becomes a poor, woefully incomplete history and can leave black people feeling, in a sense, incomplete.

Jay Harris It’s hard to know where you’re going if you have no clue where you’ve been.

David Amber What makes our society great is we have a collection of people with varying experiences and backgrounds. We need to embrace how every culture enriches us as a whole. Black history has shaped so much of our world and there is much to celebrate and reflect upon.

Donnovan Bennett One of the costs of being underrepresented in most social settings is we don’t learn our own stories—they aren’t represented in the media or taught in the education system. Taking time once a year to tell black stories is illuminating for everyone because the history of black people in North America is an important part of the larger history.

Jason Whitlock Because as a people we need to reflect on our journey. Once we truly understand our history, the path to freedom, equality and justice becomes crystal clear.

What past athlete is your favourite Black History Month icon?

Amber Has to be Muhammad Ali. He is the preeminent sports icon of my lifetime. Ali’s greatness in the ring is transcended by his powerful voice on civil, racial and political issues. He embodies exactly what every athlete should strive for regardless of colour.

Whitlock Jim Brown is my Day 1. His complicated and flawed journey inspires me to remain loyal to the truth.

Bennett I’d have to say Bill Russell. We know him as the greatest winner in the game but he was influential and commanded respect. He understood his power as an athlete and refused to play in towns where black athletes were treated as second-class citizens. He leveraged his athletic fame to demand respect in the social arena. He later got into coaching and demonstrated that black men can be leaders, and that our intellect can be desirable—not just our athleticism. Russell was a winner in every way.

Harris Muhammad Ali

Edeh Jesse Owens

Perdita Felicien Molly Killingbeck was part of the Canadian 4x400m relay that won a silver medal at the 1984 Olympics in Los Angeles. She is my sports icon. Molly has seen sport in Canada from every angle: as an athlete, Olympic coach, national sports administrator and, most recently, as a manager for three sports at the Pan Am Games. I look at all the hats she wears and wonder how she still finds the time to mentor young athletes—and transitioning ones like myself. I hope I can give back to athletics in this country as much as she has, and be humble and secure enough to celebrate and help all the talent that will come after me.

Who is a current athlete that will be a Black History Month icon in the future?

Whitlock LeBron James. No question about it. His ambition is black and righteous. I’m mesmerized by his journey.

Amber Many possibilities here. LeBron James may finish his career considered one of the greatest players ever and he has a huge philanthropic side that is rarely dis-cussed.

Bennett LeBron James. He’s changed the perception of the black athlete from mercenary to mogul; he’s no longer a pitchman for companies, he owns them. He’s found ways to circumvent the salary cap so his earning potential isn’t as stifled. He’s revitalized impoverished areas of Cleveland and Akron. When he spoke up against Donald Sterling and for Trayvon Martin’s family, people listened. I’m not sure if he’s laid the blueprint for influential African-American athletes, but people are following his lead. And don’t sleep on Cam Newton, either. He’s unapologetically authentic, playing the most high-profile position in the most popular sport in the Southern United States. He’s in a position to not just change the game but change divisive rhetoric.

Eric Thomas This kind of hurts me to say, but right now, I don’t know that there is one. It’s not necessarily a bad thing, but we live in an age where everyone has a cause they’re fighting for, and the only thing that seems consistent about the cause of the day, is how often it changes. I am agree that things like equal rights for same-sex marriage and the raising awareness about ALS (as just a couple of examples) are important, but their degree of importance varies from person to person. I’m a University of Missouri alum, and it was impressive and uplifting to see the way the football program came together last year to execute a boycott in response to the underlying and unaddressed racial tensions on campus. But, I also feel like there is a certain strength in numbers. Gone are the days of Muhammad Ali, Tommie Smith and John Carlos. And unfortunately, one of the more recent examples that proves that is an individual for whom I have a great deal of respect: LeBron James. It’s not his responsibility to be a social activist, and he has spoken up on certain issues, including donning an “I Can’t Breathe” shirt following the death of Eric Garner. But, his general avoidance of the subject of the death of Tamir Rice, a black 12-year-old who was gunned down by the police in Cleveland in November of 2014, is telling about athletes overall—protecting their brand and trying to remain politically correct, if not simultaneously socially indifferent.