Journalist Janai Norman Deserved More Than A Quiet Goodbye
- Janai Norman's consistent excellence as a journalist was not properly honored upon her departure from ABC.
- Black women's contributions are often overlooked, but they continue to uplift and celebrate each other.
- Even when a job is lost, the legacy of one's meaningful work remains and can be found in personal relationships.
Janai Norman didn’t get to say goodbye to the millions she has connected with over the years when her expiring contract was not renewed at ABC. Instead, she was separated from the people whom she comforted, educated, entertained, and laughed with as a news anchor without ceremony.
There were no announcements about a major switch-up that would see her leaving the network she dedicated 15 years to. Candles were not blown out. No balloons released.
A banner message didn’t crawl across the bottom of the ‘Good Morning America’ frame celebrating her accomplishments and displaying sincere well-wishes from faithful viewers.
She vanished from the line-up, instantly. The way she was abruptly taken off air did not reflect a tenure filled with consistent excellence.
But her impact didn’t disappear with her job title. The work she did matters, the work you do matters too, even if it isn’t honored the way that it should be.
Standing In The Work
Norman helped teach people about the shameful maternal health crisis plaguing our nation. She highlighted the severe healthcare disparities facing Black Americans. She produced deep dives into important subjects, balancing deeper topics with lighter, but equally important, topics.
Artists like Cynthia Erivo, Mary J. Blige, and Michael B. Jordan had their projects examined with thoughtfulness by the well-researched work Norman did. She shone as an example of a true journalist at a time where ill-informed randos with mini-mics give the impression that salacious soundbites are the only way to sell a project.
Related: Why Recent Job Loss Among Black Women Is Concerning
Norman showed up treating every segment like it might be her last. There was no lapse in quality for more than a decade. She dedicated herself to the work, not the job. Now that the job is gone, it’s the legacy of work that remains. Her absence might not have been announced, but it will be felt.
600,000 Black women have been pushed out of the workforce recently. Some were phased out, some were shoved out. The unceremonious ending of their positions will never loom louder than the lives they touched in their fields.
Being downsized doesn’t strip you of your dignity, just like being chosen for a position doesn’t give it to you.
Standing in Community
You don’t have to be on Good Morning America to be disappointed by your job. Black women from teachers to LPNs have their own version of the sign-off moment stolen from them in professional settings.
Losing the opportunity to have that iconic moment doesn’t mean that won’t get any recognition. It just might not look like you thought it would.
Thousands from people flooded the comments of Norman’s video reacting to being pulled off the air. They praised her poise, personality, and professionalism. Her colleagues chimed in too.
“Hope you’re feeling the love from everyone responding. You are a true gem and thoroughly enjoyed working with you. I treasure our friendship,” wrote Robin Roberts. This is another example of Black women continuing to clap for one another, no matter what the circumstances are.
The corporation might not have honored Norman’s contributions formally, but others opted to celebrate her in their own way. That kind of authentic acclaim is where real support is formed.
That’s when you know you’re making a real difference with what you’re doing.
Standing Amongst Family
Norman shared in an Instagram video that she was going to be spending more time with her children in the wake of her newfound free time.
“I have these three young kids, and I have worked weekends their whole lives,” she said. “So now, they get more of me, and that is worth everything.”
We’ll be sure to see her on screens again soon. Platforms are springing up daily for storytellers to create work and connect directly with their audiences. For now, she is getting some much-deserved rest.
Work matters, but the place where you are irreplaceable is home. No matter what your title is or what the visibility of your work is, sometimes we have to do the best we can in the moment, then punch out and go home knowing you did a job well done.
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