A White Washington Post reporter's tweet about the sounds coming from Black sorority members at a book event for Sen. Kamala Harris (D-CA) has taught her and hopefully her employer a valuable lesson -- racial sensitivity and cultural awareness matters in the workplace. Harris is a graduate of DC-based Howard University and a member of the Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. (commonly known as the AKA's), the first Black sorority, which has chapters on both Black and White university campuses. The first chapter was founded at Howard.
The sound Chelsea Janes was referring to as a screech is "Skee Wee," a high pitched signature call that is distinct to the group. She wrote that she did not expect to hear that in a tweet she has since deleted. Janes apologized for referring the AKA call as a screech after a frenzy of complaints about her ignorance piled up online.
Let's keep the focus on the main thing for a moment. The main thing is that an journalist working for one of the most respected and recognized news organizations in the world should be educated, informed and well-rounded enough to respect the environment to which she was assigned to cover. In an area that is as culturally rich as DC, that also boasts an above average level of educated individuals, the comment was unexpected. The sorority has chapters on historically Black colleges like Howard University where Harris pledged and white universities throughout the nation.