“I received the Rubén Salazar scholarship award my final year of college in 2001. It wasn’t until after I received the award that I read Hunter S. Thompson’s Rolling Stone Magazine article, “Strange Rumblings in Aztlan.” The article recounts how Salazar’s life’s work and subsequent death impacted the Chicano Movement and Latino communities in Los Angeles and across the nation. A community activist quoted in the article explained of Salazar: ‘He wasn’t really with us, but at least he was interested… He was the only journalist with real influence who would come to a press conference in the barrio.’
“In the past several years, I've worked as a reporter in Texas and Phoenix, Ariz. I've found myself reflecting upon and drawing inspiration from this quote about Salazar often. It’s a reminder of the value in having journalists from a community cover that community. And while it’s essential to maintain our objectivity as journalists, it’s also our responsibility to make sure the stories of the people in our community are told, and that the injustices they face are not ignored.”
Graduated: Northwestern University (2002)
Currently: Freelance Reporter, KTVU (San Francisco, Calif.)
Alexandra Rasmus 2001 NAHJ Rubén Salazar Scholarship Recipient
