Georgia Forewoman’s Big Mouth

Sometimes we get in arguments over good topics that are seen from different perspectives. Often the “legal” and constitutional views conflict with the lived experiences of especially but not exclusively Black people.

The jury forewoman from Georgia, Emily Kohrs, is the latest to cause friends and allies to argue from different perspectives.

Legal folk, journalists, scholars and political minded folk defend her based on legal, freedom of press, constitutional and state law reasons.

And they are right. Emily was chosen as the forewoman for the Georgia grand jury investigating former President Donald Trump’s widely known efforts to interfere with Georgia’s vote and “Finding him 11,000” votes so he could win the state during the last presidential election. While waiting for indictments, if any, Emily decided to visit — or tour — multiple cable and network news stations and offer her opinions while laughing, giggling and, frankly, acting weird.

Many Black folk — me included — see it differently because we know if she were a Black woman, the responses would be… different.

A lot different.

Because we know the same people defending her and her media tour would not have the same energy to defend a Black woman, or latina/Hispanic, or Asian woman. It is similar to how journalists’ repeatedly rally around corrupt and compromised Maggie Haberman and other bad-faith media darlings, but not April Ryan or other Black media personalities.