What is it about?
During the 1987 Thanksgiving weekend, teenager Tawana Brawley and family alleged the girl was raped and tortured by a handful of white law enforcement officials -- including the county prosecutor -- in a suburb north of New York City. The explosive claims ignited sensational media coverage, extended when Rev. Al Sharpton and lawyers C. Vernon Mason and Alton Maddox joined in as Brawley's advisers. The weekly City Sun of Brooklyn was a major media player.
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Why is it important?
The City Sun was at the peak of its influence as a weekly of local news, politics, arts & culture and sports. Three months before the Brawley incident, Publisher Andrew W Cooper was recognized as National Association of Black Journalists "Journalist of the Year," largely because of coverage of the landmark Daily News Four Trial, won by the plaintiffs. However, the Tawana Brawley story was the City Sun's "Vietnam," a quagmire that pulled the newspaper into a hole and blemished its credibility. The trio of Brawley advisers made outrageous allegations with little proof and often frustrated investigator's efforts to get to the truth. The City Sun reported it found proof that the teenager was sexually assaulted, however the newspaper misinterpreted medical data. "Confirmation bias" is the 21st century term for such a mistake. In the end the Brawley story turned out to be a hoax, a case of a wayward teen and her mother creating a cover story in order to avoid a stepfather's wrath. The smeared prosecutor successfully sued the Brawley advisers for defamation. Brawley still insists she told the truth, however has yet to offer proof.
Perspectives
Although blemished, the City Sun recovered and moved on to its next big crusade, the 1989 election of David Dinkins, New York City's first black mayor. The weekly newspaper remained a-larger-than life voice during a dynamic period in New York, the era of Ed Koch, Al Sharpton, Rudy Giuliani and Spike Lee. The City Son scored more exclusives and long-form investigations until bankruptcy forced it to closed its doors in 1996. Yet the paper lives on through the work of its journalists who still shine today, including Errol Louis [NY1 and CNN], Jerry Craft [graphic novelist], and Utrice Leid [radio host].
Wayne Dawkins
Morgan State University
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This page is a summary of: . Tawana Brawley, July 2012, University Press of Mississippi,
DOI: 10.14325/mississippi/9781617032585.003.0016.
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