The Power of Black Media: Why I Refused to Stop Asking

By Ronda Watson Barber

Publisher, OhioMBE
Ohio’s Largest Black-Owned Business Newspaper

For more than four months, one question stayed with me.

Why were Eastmoor Academy’s students expected to compete in conditions that no one else would accept?

It wasn’t about athletics.

It wasn’t about politics.

It wasn’t about proving someone wrong.

It was about our children.

Ironically, I wasn’t at Eastmoor as a reporter.

I was there as a USATF, AAU, and OHSAA-certified track and field official, working a track meet at Griffin Field.

As I walked through the stadium, I couldn’t ignore what was right in front of me. The deteriorating grandstands, aging infrastructure, and overall condition of the facility reflected years of neglect. It was impossible to overlook.

As I watched student-athletes compete, I couldn’t help but feel a profound sense of sadness.

Our students deserved better.

I found myself asking one simple question.

Who was advocating for them?

Who was making sure these young people had facilities that reflected their value instead of years of deferred maintenance?

I left that meet determined to find answers.

Those questions became emails.

The emails became more questions.

The questions became public records requests.

The public records became columns.

The columns became months of reporting.

And the reporting became advocacy.

I wasn’t looking for headlines.

I wasn’t trying to create controversy.

I simply wanted answers.

Over the next four months, I wrote multiple columns documenting the deteriorating condition of Griffin Field. I sent dozens of emails to district administrators, board members, and staff. I reviewed public records, compared district statements, questioned the lack of transparency surrounding facility priorities, and continued asking why Eastmoor students were expected to wait.

Every answer seemed to produce another question.

When responses didn’t make sense, I followed up.

When timelines changed, I documented them.

When explanations were incomplete, I kept asking.

Some people wondered why I wouldn’t let it go.

The answer was simple.

Children don’t get a second chance at their high school experience.

Every football or track season played in deteriorating conditions is a season those students never get back.

As the months passed, the conversation began to change.

What started as questions about neglected facilities eventually became questions about safety.

The district announced Griffin Field would be closed because of safety concerns.

Suddenly, the discussion was no longer about whether repairs were needed.

It became about how long the conditions had existed.

When district officials became aware of them.

And why the community hadn’t been informed sooner.

The grass was never the issue.

The issue was accountability.

The issue was whether Black students deserved the same urgency afforded to students in other parts of the district.

Columbus City Schools has announced approximately $2.5 million in renovations for Griffin Field. The project includes replacing the grandstands and press box, improving the playing surface, upgrading lighting, installing new fencing, and making other long-overdue improvements.

That is welcome news.

It is news every Eastmoor family deserves to celebrate.

But let’s also recognize something equally important.

This didn’t happen because someone suddenly discovered Griffin Field.

It happened because questions continued to be asked.

It happened because members of the community refused to remain silent.

It happened because advocates continued speaking up.

And yes, it happened because Black media refused to let the story disappear.

That is the power of journalism.

That is the power of advocacy.

That is the power of persistence.

And that is the power of Black media.

Far too often, Black-owned newspapers are underestimated.

People assume we’re simply reporting community events.

What they often fail to realize is that Black media has historically been the first to raise issues affecting our communities, long before they become front-page news elsewhere.

We tell stories that matter.

We amplify voices that too often go unheard.

We ask questions others may overlook.

And we stay with the story long after others have moved on.

This experience reminded me why OhioMBE exists.

Over the past several days, my phone has not stopped ringing.

My inbox has filled with emails.

My text messages have been filled with words of appreciation from parents, alumni, educators, coaches, community leaders, and people I have never met.

They weren’t thanking me for writing one article.

They were thanking me for refusing to stop.

Those messages have humbled me.

Because this was never about recognition.

It was about making sure someone was paying attention.

OhioMBE has always believed our responsibility extends beyond publishing headlines.

We exist to inform.

To educate.

To connect.

And when necessary, to hold public institutions accountable.

Whether the issue is supplier diversity, economic opportunity, education, or public spending, our responsibility remains the same.

Ask the questions.

Demand transparency.

Follow the facts.

Keep reporting.

Never stop advocating for the people we serve.

This victory belongs to every parent who spoke up.

Every alumnus who refused to let Eastmoor be forgotten.

Every community member who shared our reporting.

Every reader who forwarded an article.

Every person who sent an email.

Every person who believed our children deserved better.

And most of all, every Eastmoor student who simply wanted a safe place to compete.

The announcement of renovations is not the end of this story.

It’s the beginning of the next chapter.

The community deserves regular progress updates.

The community deserves transparency throughout construction.

The community deserves accountability until every promised improvement is complete.

I’ll continue asking those questions.

Because this was never just about a stadium.

It was about telling our children they matter.

It was about reminding public officials that every tax dollar carries a responsibility.

And it was about demonstrating that one newspaper, one publisher, one question, and one determined community can make a difference.

Never underestimate the power of asking one more question.

Never underestimate the power of persistence.

And never underestimate the power of Black media.

just my thoughts…rwb

About the Author

Ronda Watson Barber is the Publisher of OhioMBE, Ohio’s Largest Black-Owned Business Newspaper, and Founder of the Ohio Business Development Center. For more than 25 years, she has championed supplier diversity, economic opportunity, public accountability, and equitable investment in Ohio’s communities through journalism, advocacy, and entrepreneurship.