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Jarvis DeBerry - Armstrong Branch Lecture Series

Jarvis DeBerry's contribution to the 33rd commemoration of Gwendolyn Armstrong-Chamberlain and Raylawni Adams Branch on March 10, 2026, deeply impressed me.

Having read the brochure in advance of the event, I had firmly expected a biographical speech by the guest speaker about his successes and experiences as an award-winning journalist.

Surprisingly, given that the aforementioned brochure suggested otherwise, DeBerry began by thanking those present for their commitment to March 10, 2026, as well as for their decades of activism and teaching in the field of civil rights.

The speaker continued his selfless speech by not once highlighting his own achievements, but instead addressing the founding of the Armstrong-Branch Distinguished Lecture Series and thus paying tribute to it. DeBerry actively, personally, and respectfully connected with his audience, which, in my view, fostered a sense of unity between speaker, audience, topic, and occasion without necessarily forcing it.

Influenced by the occasion, DeBerry spoke about his research on a first-grade student from the 1960s who was among the first colored children in all-white schools in New Orleans and emphasized the importance of highlighting the journalistic perspective, arguing that it is dangerous to portray the successes and sacrifices of the Civil Rights Movement today as a so called "fairytale" of the unproblematic struggle of the oppressed against evil, as this perspective oversimplifies the complexity and ongoing engagement with this issue.

This event left a profound impression on me, both in its portrayal of journalism and in how it helped me apply what I learned to my own understanding of journalism. For me, it highlighted the selfless elegance of skillful reporting, its empathetic and respectful handling of the past and its influence on the present, as well as the relevance of journalism, writing, and perception to our fellow human beings.

DeBerry's style gave me the impression that his writing was his tool not only to inform people but also to perceive, understand, represent, and connect them. I must reiterate that this touched and impressed me deeply and shaped my thinking about communicative action.

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