About this episodeThis interview features Sonia Ross, a pioneering Black political journalist, recounting her experience coverin…AI summary
This interview features Sonia Ross, a pioneering Black political journalist, recounting her experience covering 9/11 from Air Force One with President George W. Bush. Ross details the transition from a mundane 'scrub trip' to a national crisis, highlighting the lack of information provided to the press pool and her use of observation skills to navigate uncertainty. She also discusses founding Black Women Unmuted to address media gaps regarding Black women's political engagement and shares the lasting emotional trauma associated with specific victims of the attacks.
Key takeaways 5
Sonia Ross spent 33 years at the Associated Press before launching Black Women Unmuted in 2019 to cover political stories about Black women that were being ignored by mainstream media.
On 9/11, Ross was on a 'scrub trip' to Florida with President George W. Bush, a trip considered boring and low-priority by the press corps, which she was initially annoyed about but later grateful for.
Ross experienced a three-hour period of uncertainty where Air Force One circled without landing, forcing her to use observation skills (seeing palm trees) to deduce they were in Louisiana rather than being told their location.
As a Black female journalist in a male-dominated press pool, Ross was conscious of being 'shouted down' and focused on professional excellence to avoid reinforcing negative stereotypes about women of color in high-pressure situations.
The emotional toll of 9/11 includes lasting trauma from specific images: a young Black woman covered in ash who later died of cancer, and DC schoolchildren who perished on the plane that hit the Pentagon.
Notable quotes 4AI-generated: wording and quote attribution may be wrong. Use the play link to verify.
“"I've got to take that off mute. And that is why Black Women Unmuted came about."”
▶ 1:41Explains the core motivation for founding her media platform.
“"They were not sharing our location with us. So I said, 'Well, how do we know we're not landing in Canada or Mexico... I see palm trees. Does this mean we're in Mexico?' But we were in Louisiana..."”
▶ 15:02Demonstrates critical thinking and observation skills used during the crisis when official information was withheld.
“"I didn't want my performance that day to become a statement about what people who look like me could do. I didn't want anybody to say, 'Well, that's Sonia Ross. She didn't handle it well.'"”
▶ 22:55Reveals the internal pressure and racial/gender dynamics faced by Black women journalists in high-stakes environments.
“"I have never been able to shake her... found out years later that she died of cancer, possibly caused by that exposure that day."”
▶ 24:19Highlights the long-term health consequences for victims and the lasting emotional impact on witnesses.
Chapters & Sections (11)▼
0:00Black Women Unmuted and 9/11 Air Force Onechapter2
2:02Air Force One Trip Context Before 9/11
4:27Pre-9/11 Air Force One Trip Plans
6:46Receiving News of Second Plane Strikechapter1
8:59President's Reaction to Second Plane Strike
11:48Air Force One Evacuation and Securitychapter2
14:31Air Force One Circling and Security Fears
16:12Communication and Fighter Escort
19:20Air Force One 9/11 Experience and Traumachapter2
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