A Righteous Anger: White House Correspondent Ebony McMorris Joins Lineup Of Journalists Who Are Being Hushed But Will Continue To Speak Truth To Power
First April Ryan.
Followed by Yamiche Alcindor.
Tiffany Cross.
Joy-Ann Reid.
Then Rachael Scott.
Then again with Karen Attiah.
NOW Ebony McMorris.
And the list continues.
Are you seeing the pattern?
There is a threat to silence Black women journalists and truthtellers.
Ebony McMorris is one of only a few Black women in the White House press pool.
It's her job to ask the President crucial questions regarding the country. For weeks, she has been ignored.
During Friday’s press pool, Ebony was more assertive to get her questions answered. “You’re being obnoxious — be quiet” is the response she received from the President.
She responded saying, “I’m not obnoxious, but I’m trying to ask you about your plans for Memphis.”
The intent is clear: silence Black women journalists and keep truthtellers hushed.
Let’s add another wrinkle in the silencing of our journalists. Comedians who use their platforms to speak out against government policies.
The recent dismissal of Jimmy Kimmel from ABC, a move that followed FCC threats regarding the network's broadcasting license, sparked a heated discussion: Was this an infringement on Kimmel's U.S. First Amendment rights?
The question arises whether government entities can use their authority to silence speech. Kimmel’s firing is an example of how the First Amendment is being rewritten.
Going back to Ebony, she was simply doing what every member of the press pool does, shout questions to get raw answers from the President. Nothing out of the ordinary. Except in this instance, the reporter refused to be quiet. This affects her Freedom of Press Rights, which is rooted in the U.S. Amendment Rights.
Things in the press pool have changed. The Trump Administration has controlled which outlets and journalists can be in the room. And I find it hard to believe she was called obnoxious and told to be quiet “just because.”
*takes deep breath* So now what?
Silenced Journalists. Controlled Narratives.
We’re watching reporters and journalists be silenced in real-time. It’s infuriating.
As a Publicist, we pitch daily to journalists to tell the truth about issues impacting ALL communities.
🚨EXCLUSIVE: Watch Ebony’s interview on “Inside the Issues” with Wilmer Leon on SiriusXM Urban View (CH 126) where she shared her thoughts and feelings about what happened in the press pool.
“I found myself having an out-loud conversation, expressing what I can only call righteous rage about what we're witnessing in this nation,” shared Ebony on Dr. Wilmer Leon’s Show on Sirius Urban View. “There are critical topics not being discussed, concrete questions that demand answers as we navigate the future of our democracy.”
The President silenced Ebony and she wasn’t able to ask about:
Deploying National Guards to Memphis and Chicago
Two Black men found hanged in Mississippi
HBCU’s threatened
Gerrymandering and voter suppression
Why the DOJ scrubbed a report on right-wing extremism from their website
(You know, pressing topics the American people need answers about.)
Instead, the President got stuck on the Memphis question.
Suppressing Our Black Journalists and Strategically Silencing Our Black Opinions
There she was the only Black reporter in the press pool that day. In spaces like that, you feel the weight of your Blackness.
This pattern extends beyond the press room.
Remember Karen Attiah from The Washington Post, who recently lost her position over a social media post? When you push back, the funding gets cut or you get removed entirely.
Why does it seem that Black women in the media, government, and corporations continue to face these attacks? It’s 2025…
Now more than ever, we desperately need brave, tenacious voices like Ebony, Joy, Karen, Yamiche and April, willing to speak truth to power.
In Jimmy Kimmel’s case, his fans and supporters voiced their opinions by canceling their Hulu and Disney+ subscriptions.
Disney, once the happiest place on earth, is learning the hard way that culture wars cost you billions.
And for Ebony - Thank you for doing your job with integrity. Thank you for being loud and #SoObnoxious in a room that seeks to silence dissent. Keep speaking your truth.
As for the rest of us, the pattern is clear. Our response must be equally clear: we will not be quiet and we must have a righteous anger.
This is the time to make our voices loud. Thank you!