Although Dr. Earnest Perry has moved from the classroom to administration at the Missouri School of Journalism, his concern for students remains strong. His commitment to research, particularly in civil rights and social justice, is one way he stays connected to students, even as associate dean for graduate studies.

We recently chatted by about the impetus of his work, his most recent research project, and how his research informs his teaching.

Q: What is your most recent historical research project?

A: I am currently working with Kim Mangun of Utah on the history of the National Newspaper Publishers Association, the trade association for the African-American press. We are examining how the organization came about and the significance of bringing those publishers together to act as a unified group to be a voice, for not only the press, but for the communities they served. We are looking at the organization’s struggles and those of member newspapers, particularly the economic struggles coming out of segregation and connecting to government for validation, to be seen as a viable press.

Q: How did you choose your area of scholarship?

A: Civil rights influenced me. I started as a journalism historian who specialized in the black press of the 1930s through the 1950s. As I have grown in scholarship, I now consider civil rights and how the black press was a major part of the long struggle for civil rights and social justice.

Now I am not confined to a specific timeframe. The terms change but the struggle is still the same. I try to make connections between the struggles of the past to today so we can talk about the possibilities of the future.

Q: What was the key moment or turning point when you decided on this approach to historical research?

A: I would say a summer National Endowment for the Humanities fellowship at Harvard in 2013 on civil rights with historians of various backgrounds. What changed for me was looking at the long struggle and how each social aspect connected with the others. It showed me how the role of the press affected and was affected by other aspects of society. It changed the way I viewed journalism, not only from a scholarly perspective but also from a teaching perspective.

Traditionally, I have taught journalism as the center of everything. But in reality, journalism has in many ways supported the status quo. Very seldom has the mainstream press gone against the status quo. Regarding civil rights, most of the press have been middle of the road or in support of government action.

I was already headed to a broader perspective, but the time at Harvard solidified it for me. The journalism part of me has helped me immensely to be a better historian. The history training has helped me see the long view.

Q: How does your research inform your teaching?

A: A good journalist or strategic communication person needs history. If students don’t have an understanding of history, they don’t have the context for their work. This is a problem if schools are not requiring students to get liberal arts training. Part of the problem is that we report in the now. For journalists, everything is a landmark or is groundbreaking. History gives us the context to realize everything isn’t groundbreaking.

Q: How does your research add to the AEJMC History Division’s diversity goal?

A: My research adds to the goal because it focuses on a constituency that has traditionally been marginalized within the organization. It also helps the history division to contribute to the overall organization in ways that help it to remember where it came from while also showing a path where it can go.

Q: What advice do you have for junior faculty?

A: Follow your passion and not the crowd from a scholarship perspective. Junior faculty have a tendency to try to locate their scholarship within the scope of the senior faculty. But if you follow your passion as a scholar, you are going to excel. Find a good mentor — someone you respect and will listen to, someone who will tell you the truth, even when you don’t want to hear it.

Interview Conducted By Vicki Knasel Brown, Ph.D. Candidate at Missouri’s School of Journalism.