In praise of Joseph Harker...and the Guardian

Submitted 3 Nov 2014 9:52am

News

Leadership is not what you do to elevate yourself, it’s what you do to use your position to both help change society and nurture other leaders too. As the Deputy Comments Editor for one of the best-read online newspapers in the world -The Guardian-, Joseph Harker has been doing both for many years. In a media industry that has less than a handful of Black and Minority Ethnic columnists, and only one Editor, the Independent’s Amol Rajan, there are few people, if at all any, who have done more than Harker to change the face of journalism.

Last week, on the last day of Black history month his paper made history: Every writer writing in the Comments pages, both in print and online were Black and minority ethnic -BME. Perhaps even more important than Harker’s attempt to unleash BME talent was it challenge to the stereotypical view that we can only write about BME issue.

Therefore, whilst all the writers care passionately about confronting race inequality, Harker insisted that race should not be the focus. Harker told me:

It sounds obvious but we need to show them all our skills, not just our passion for tackling race inequality."

So, future historians and social commentators will look back on last Friday's date and note that Black writers wrote incisively on banking , gender pay, politics, the arts, global poverty, class, and identity . So convincing and engaging were the articles, that until Harker pointed out -online- what the Guardian were doing, very few had even noticed.

Having convinced his bosses that the Guardian should make history, Harker had to commission dozen or so writers, many of whom rarely get a chance to write for a national newspaper. Harker’s approach to every writer experienced or otherwise, is the same: It’s a mixture, of encouragement, guidance and firmness. My own effort for this historic day underwent three total rewrites; ‘Simon, it’s good, but.’ Or ‘it’s too angry, not angry enough; give me more facts, anecdotes, illustrations‘. Every writer Harker takes under his wing ends up with a journey of development; more confident, toughened up for criticism and an ability to write quick.

Like Black Mistory Month itself, Harker hopes that many more BME writers are not confined to one date in the calendar. By giving so many writers unprecedented exposure in a global newspaper, Harker and the Guardian have shown what is true leadership. Let’s hope others can follow with similar projects of allowing talent to flourish, whilst confronting preconceived ideas about where insight and ideas come from.

Have a look and take you’re pick.

Simon Woolley

http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2014/oct/31/my-team-australia-would-put-the-fair-go-and-respect-for-evidence-first

http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2014/oct/31/i-want-the-true-law-that-brings-peace-and-harmony-five-questions-for-dianne-biritjalawuy-gondarra

http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2014/oct/31/nova-peris-is-too-successful-for-mainstream-australia-so-she-had-to-be-torn-down

http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2014/oct/31/female-sport-stars-male-prize-money

http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2014/oct/31/not-in-our-culture-open-hearts-helped-me-grow-up-indigenous-and-gay

http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2014/oct/31/how-i-fight-bigotry-minority-children-rich-ramilies

http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2014/oct/31/praise-classroom-teacher-reports-children

http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2014/oct/31/first-time-drag-found-myself-others-ugliness

http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2014/oct/31/tim-cook-igay-do-more-for-lgbt-rights

http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2014/oct/31/single-mothers-gillian-wearing-traditional-family-statue-birmingham