Lowery on Texas

The piece in the link (if it's not behind a paywall) is difficult to read. Difficult emotionally; the prose itself is plainly written and more powerful because of that. It's an account, by many eyewitnesses, of the Texas church massacre last weekend. Wesley Lowery, the lead reporter, described it on Twitter this way: "We emptied our notebooks of every detail we have . . ."

I have recently finished Wesley Lowery's excellent book They Can't Kill Us All, and recommend it if you're interested in what's behind the movement(s) protesting police violence against unarmed black people. In addition to reporting on the crime scenes, Lowery takes the time to get to know the community leaders who dedicate time and energy to keeping these needless killings in the public eye.  One thing that becomes clear as you read the book is that reporting on these events takes a huge toll on the journalists who cover them. My second reaction on reading this piece is how devastating it must be just talking to people who have so recently gone through this, let alone actually being present during the killing.


https://www.washingtonpost.com/national/the-sound-of-hymns-drifted-from-the-country-church-then-came-gunfire/2017/11/08/4bd191b4-c4b7-11e7-aae0-cb18a8c29c65_story.html?utm_term=.d450c89e921e