mf578016@ohio.edu
Earlier this morning, I attended Kyle Bowser's presentation, "Taking Alvin Adams Story to the Screen." This event was part of the Alvin Adams Symposium hosted by Scripps School of Journalism and Ohio University's Black Alumni Reunion. Bowser is a 1980 graduate of Ohio University's Scripps School of Journalism and producer for "Trial By Jury: The Case of the 'N' Word."
Kyle Bowser discussing Alvin Adams' impact on the Civil Rights Movement(Source: Madison Foulkes).
Bowser began by talking about one of his mother's friends, whom he called Aunt Edna, that lived in California. He briefly explained that it was his dream to meet Berry Gordy from Motown Records, but didn't tell his mother or her friend about this dream when the two of them went to visit Edna. After graduating from Ohio University, Bowser was offered a job in Los Angeles working for Fox. His mom encouraged him to call Edna when he was on the way to California. Bowser later found out that Edna had been an executive assistant for Berry Gordy for the past thirty years. Currently, Bowser lives and teaches in Los Angeles.
Bowser went on to discuss the communication model. He explained that in this model you must have a sender, receiver and communication channel. When pitching a story idea, it is imperative that you follow this model and give the receiver a reason that separates your story from the others. "I happen to believe storytelling spans all types of fields," Bowser said. "You don't have to be a writer or an artist. You could be a plumber and still be a storyteller." I think that this statement is valid and important, especially in a world where digital media is all around us.
In addition, media advocacy can be used as a tool for change. This is something that Bowser mentioned over and over throughout his presentation. Alvin Adams was a media advocate because he was able to take professional skills and apply them. Bowser used a strong analogy to prove his point. He said when Adams was covering media it was as if he was holding up a mirror to society and asking them, "'Look at yourselves. Do you like what you see?' And society would say, 'No, not really. We need to change this.'" His advocacy encouraged the society to look within and reflect on whether or not they liked the image that looked back at them.
After graduating from Ohio University in 1959, Alvin Adams had a difficult time finding a job. Majority of the newspapers at the time were made up of white people only. Adams eventually found a job at the Chicago Defender where he covered the March on Washington in 1963. Later, he worked for Jet magazine covering other influential stories throughout the Civil Rights Movement.
Kyle Bowser ended with an important statement. He said, "There is too much happening out here to post frivolous things on social media. Many of you have the capabilities to capture what is going on because it needs to change."
In conclusion, Bowser did a great job explaining the courageous story of Alvin Adams and his influence during the Civil Rights Movement. It was inspiring to hear the story of Adams, who was one of four African Americans to cover stories during this movement and who made such a powerful impact at Ohio University and throughout the country
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