- January 8, 2025
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I am a retired deputy managing editor of news & sports at USA Today, where I helped start up the national newspaper in 1982 and worked there for 32 years before retiring. All total, my journalism career spanned 48 years, including eight as reporter and editor at the Gannett-owned Pensacola News-Journal and eight years with the American Bar Association in Washington, D.C. I’ve lived in Palm Coast since 2018.
I enjoy reading The Observer and find it informative on what’s happening in the local communities. However, I was thoroughly disappointed to pick up the January 2, 2025, Palm Coast edition and notice that not one person of color — or let me be more specific, African American — was included among the newspaper’s Standing O honorees. NOT ONE! And in the same edition were the Flagler County Teachers of the Year honorees. And while I know the newspaper did not select Teachers of the Year, again there was NOT ONE African American among the “best of the best.” The two features packaged together were a punch to the gut.
I am keenly aware that in today’s environment, diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives are met with skepticism and criticism. But in 2025, I find it hard to believe that NOT ONE African American citizen in Palm Coast or African American teacher in Flagler County is making a difference in the community and the classroom, or as your front page column headline read, “ . . . are doing the important work in our community.”
Robert Robinson
Palm Coast
Editor's Note: The Observer doesn’t choose the Standing O’s or the Teachers of the Year, but we noticed the same thing. We agree that it’s ideal to have these honorees more accurately reflect the community. But we also don’t feel it’s appropriate to tell the Standing O recipients that they must choose a person of color next year. And we don’t feel it’s appropriate to tell the school district that they must choose a teacher of color. So this is an issue that society has struggled with for ages, and we wish we had an answer. If you or anyone in the community has a suggestion for what to do, we would be happy to hear it.
