Bankole thompson biography for kids

For inquiries contact Attorney Tina M. As a young journalist in his twenties, Bankole maintained the primary tenets of journaled truth and accuracy.

A nationally acclaimed journalist, author, and standard-bearer for racial and economic justice issues, Thompson is a member of the National Press Club of.

Thompson took on mayors, governors, and even a past employer in his quest for justice and editorial independence. Thompson delivers his perspective without fear or favor. He is the leading critic of the uneven economic recovery of Detroit in the mainstream media. Speaking truth to power is what he does. During the crucial presidential election, he provided important perspective on national television about the authentic Black experience, and how it relates to the undying issues of poverty affecting Black people.

Given his unique position as the foremost intellectual Black voice in the media on the issues affecting modern Detroit, Thompson, and David Axelrod, former senior adviser to President Barack Obama did a joint panel on CNN Inside Politics with host John King ahead of the July 29, , Democratic presidential debate in Detroit to highlight how urban America will shape the outcome of the election.

Because of his commitment for telling it like it is, Thompson, during the lead up to Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden selecting a vice presidential running mate in , made a strong case in his column for Biden to select a Black woman to be on the ticket. After Kamala Harris was named the VP candidate, Bankole Thompson was invited by CNN to appear on a panel to respond to the selection of Harris based on his column that strongly advocated for a diverse presidential ticket.

Late Detroit News publisher and editor and former Associated Press executive editor Jonathan Wolman, who personally recruited Thompson to join the newspaper stood firmly behind him. After an month legal tussle, the Michigan Court of Appeals, in a unanimous three-judge panel ruled in favor of Bankole Thompson and the newspaper, affirming that his columns were protected political speech, and as such the lawsuit against him had no merit.

The Appeals Court verdict which was a major First Amendment victory for journalists in the nation who have come under aggressive attack for their dogged coverage of the Trump era, was a published opinion, a very rare occurrence, setting precedent for the legal case about Bankole Thompson to be cited as legal authority by other courts, legal scholars, law students and practicing lawyers for generations to come.

Only a small percentage of cases result in published opinions. The ruling which is now case law in Michigan, unquestionably remains one of great national and historic significance in the Black community because it underscores the nexus between race and the First Amendment.