“I have the best of both worlds. I teach what I do and do what I teach, to paraphrase a fellow professor. In the Department of Media, Journalism and Film, we tell stories. And we nurture those skills, and the theories behind them, across multimedia platforms in our students. We nurture them holistically, too, instilling that trademark sense of confidence steeped in history, legacy and purpose; that ability to walk on air. We help to prepare them for the good, the bad and the ugly so that they can rise above it.”

In March 1968, the National Advisory Commission on Civil Disorders concluded that the United States was “moving toward two societies, one Black, one White — separate and unequal.” After studying the causes of urban rebellions in 23 cities, the Kerner Commission, named for its chairman, Illinois Gov. Otto Kerner, blamed national ignorance on the news media for their unbalanced coverage and hiring practices. This article focuses on media reactions to the report and its 50^th anniversary. Among the issues that arose in the original reporting was the stance that President Lyndon B. Johnson took toward the findings.

Todd Shurn has had to learn how to bathe his 83-year-old mother, brush and floss her teeth, feed her, clothe her and comb her hair into something more or less presentable. Today, her silver locks are hidden beneath a gray flapper’s hat with a matching wool flower on the side. Dressed in gray pants with a red-orange sweater over a white turtleneck, she smiles adoringly whenever she glances over at her son next to her in the booth. Alice Shurn was diagnosed with Lewy body dementia, requiring round-the-clock care. “My life is dedicated to making her happy,” Shurn says. “The loss of my personal freedom — I’ve accepted that. I can’t do anything.”