What exactly did the University of Alabama student body lose from the university's decision to endpublication of Alice and Nineteen Fifty-Six magazines?
Diverse perspectives, according to Gabrielle Gunter, editor-in-chief of the soon-to-be-defunct Alice magazine.
Gunter and Tionna Tate, editor of Nineteen Fifty-Six, appeared on CNN's "First of All" on Saturday to vent their frustrations.
Partial transcript as follows:
BLACKWELL: The administration's crackdown on programs and initiatives seen as DEI appears to have made its way to the University of Alabama. The school is now shutting down two university-funded student magazines, citing legal obligations.
ALICE magazine was founded in November 2015 and is a fashion and wellness magazine that primarily covers women. Nineteen Fifty Six magazine launched in 2020 and covers black student life and culture.
Joining us now is the current editor in chief of ALICE and a graduate student at Alabama, Gabrielle Gunter. Also with us is Obama alum and the founding editor of Nineteen Fifty Six, Tionna Taite. Welcome to you both. And Gabrielle, let me read part of a statement from a university spokesperson.
"I told CNN that the university will continue to provide funding for student media, including funding for a new student magazine that has a broader scope and will never restrict our student's freedom of expression. The first Amendment rights of our students remain fully intact." How does that explanation align with your view of the suspensions?
GABRIELLE GUNTER, EDITOR-IN-CHIEF, ALICE MAGAZINE AT UNIVERSITY OF ALABAMA: So on Monday when they told us were being suspended, they told us that the new magazine would be for everyone. And it was really offensive to imply that our magazines aren't for everyone. Everyone can pick up our magazines and read them.
We also allow everyone on our like anyone to join both staffs. So it's really offensive to be told that our magazines aren't for everyone.
BLACKWELL: Yes. Tionna, the university says that this new magazine will have a broader scope. When you launched Nineteen Fifty Six five years ago and again you were the founding editor, were there stories and perspective that were subsequently published in Nineteen Fifty Six that would not have been in other university funded media?
TIONNA TAITE, FOUNDER, NINETEEN FIFTY-MAGAZINE: Yes, for sure. The whole purpose of Nineteen Fifty Six was to showcase a broader perspective of students on campus. And one of those stories that I believe wouldn't have been featured in other publications was the adultification of black girls and how that impacts their childhood and how they really don't have a childhood because of that. And so also throughout Nineteen Fifty Six we share student experiences that they wouldn't feel comfortable sharing in other publications on campus. The university agreed with this perspective, otherwise they wouldn't have approved the magazine and in less than 24 hours back in 2020.
So honestly, Nineteen Fifty Six again, as the editor-in-chief of ALICE was saying, both of our publications are open to all students. They can all pick up a copy, they can all contribute. And we've had that happen when I was editor in chief and also through our current editor in chief.
And so for sure, there are plenty of stories that I believe students will not feel comfortable sharing in this new publication that the university is saying that they're going to launch next year. And that's the whole purpose of Nineteen Fifty-Six and ALICE.
BLACKWELL: Yes. The university said that they had a legal obligation to ensure that all members of the community feel welcome to participate in programs that receive university funding from the Office of Student Media.
Quickly to you, Gabrielle, your staff, was it exclusively female? Did you have a rule that banned male staff members or contributors?
GUNTER: No, sir. We have had a wide variety of people join our staff. Everyone is allowed to join, including paid staff. It's not exclusively women at all.
BLACKWELL: And Tionna, to you, was your staff and contributors exclusively black?
TAITE: No, not at all. I hired my staff based on their skills, experience and merit. In fact, when I was editor in chief, our photography editor was a white male and he served as editor for three years. We also had as my assistant editor in chief an Indian woman. So, not at any point was race a factor in hiring my staff.
BLACKWELL: Gabrielle, what do students lose now that ALICE and Nineteen Fifty-Six will not be on campus?
GUNTER: They lose the diverse perspectives that marginalized students can present in these magazines. They also lose paid opportunities. We're unsure if the new magazine is going to have the same amount of paid positions as ALICE and Nineteen Fifty-Six.
So I feel it's taking away positions from marginalized students. Yes, it's --
BLACKWELL: Yes. GUNTER: And also everyone is very upset about it. We all feel like we've lost something and it's very clear that the university is in the wrong.
BLACKWELL: All right, Gabrielle Gunter, Tionna Taite, thank you very much for your time.
Jeff Poor is the editor-in-chief of 1819 News and host of "The Jeff Poor Show," heard Monday-Friday, 9 a.m.-noon on Mobile's FM Talk 106.5. To connect or comment, email [email protected] or follow him on Twitter @jeff_poor.
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