Errin Haines-Whack, Journalist
When I arrived at her and her husband’s apartment, Errin had been working on a story on Ralph Northam, the Virginia Governor whose med school yearbook page featured a photograph of a man in blackface (purportedly Northam) standing next to someone in Klan garb; as of this posting, Northam has yet to resign. Her husband Lee fried up some bacon as we spoke. Errin believes in the power of the press. She believes it has the potential to leverage the truth and fact in face of corrupt and unjust systems, and that shame can be a powerful force of change. The press gives the public and its representatives daily, or rather hourly, opportunities to reflect on their choices. To do this job, Errin confronts stories of injustice and their ensuing suffering just as often. Our visits, though, are never without laughter, and I always leave wondering how I, or how we got so lucky to have her.
