Hackney: Your voice will feed mine

Who is Suzette Hackney?

Let me stop right there. I promise this will be the last time I refer to myself in the third person. It agitates me when I hear athletes or entertainers do it. But for purposes of this column — to introduce myself to Star readers — I will break my own rule.

I'm a journalist who has spent more than two decades passionately reporting about cities and the people who live in them. I am just as enthusiastic about my craft today as I was when I started a neighborhood newspaper at age 12. And by the time you see this, I will be completing my first week as The Star's new community engagement editor and columnist.

I'm not from Indiana, though I spent one summer in Fort Wayne as a newspaper intern. I was born and raised in Toledo, Ohio. I am the daughter of a single mother — my parents divorced when I was 2, and my father checked out of our lives — who worked her butt off for 35 years as a Toledo Public Schools teacher to provide for my older sister and me. The importance of education was drilled into us, and I still believe it to be the cornerstone of success.

I am a Midwest girl who is a football fanatic, loves the taste of beer (though I've matured to wine) and can safely steer out of a snow squall. I am witty and sometimes a bit snarky. I'm obsessed with my two nephews, pop culture, travel, photography, reading and the Dave Matthews Band. I am a graduate of Michigan State University, and yes, Indiana, I definitely bleed green. I will certainly be a booster for the Hoosier state and its people, but don't expect me to adopt IU — I won't.

I spent 17 years as a reporter in Detroit, where I was deeply engaged in the community. I left the Motor City in 2012 to accept a fellowship at the University of Michigan (I didn't adopt UM either), where I studied emerging technology in journalism, social media and building community relationships online. Post-fellowship, I returned to my hometown to work as a columnist and editorial writer at The Blade.

As a journalist, I tend to gravitate toward urban issues such as crime, education, social justice, the plight of the poor and the role of local government. I'm politically progressive, but that doesn't mean I'm unwilling to listen to and consider other viewpoints. I love good debate, so bring it.

I won't apologize for my liberal leanings — I'm an African-American reporter who has seen from the street level the chokehold poverty has on many of America's urban centers, particularly when education and social-services funding have been decimated. I believe government — via all of us taxpayers — should give those in need a boost during their darkest times.

As a Star columnist, I want to tell interesting stories about your neighborhoods and schools, and the people who make Indianapolis what it is. I plan to write about weighty topics ranging from domestic politics to criminal justice issues, but I also want to celebrate all that is great about this region. I need to engage with readers, in print and digitally because your voice will feed mine. My job is to seek and encourage debate, analysis and diverse viewpoints about local, state and national issues.

As a member of The Star's Editorial Board, my intent is to offer a fresh perspective on issues affecting Central Indiana residents. Sometimes an outsider can offer insight that otherwise wouldn't be realized by those too close to the issues or to the players. I'm not one to preach, but I will challenge authority and call out leadership when they're falling down on the job. My professional mission is a serious one: to give voice to the marginalized, underprivileged or forgotten.

I see a lot to love about Indianapolis. I haven't been here long, but I already feel a great sense of community. Folks have been kind and welcoming — a waiter gave me an extra cup of coffee for the road just because, a woman ran over to help me when she saw me struggling to fit a piece of furniture in my car, strangers nod and smile — in a town where I could feel very isolated. I don't have much of a base here, but I'm confident that won't be the case for too much longer.

I'm on what I like to refer to as my Midwest swing: Ohio, Michigan, Ohio Part Deux and now Indiana. The Midwestern values and sensibilities I'm used to are palpable here. After all, community has always been at the heart of what I do as a journalist. I am fortunate to still be doing what I love: meeting people, telling stories and making a difference. I am eager to explore and capture the culture of the Indianapolis community — are you coming with me?

Suzette Hackney is community engagement editor, columnist and a member of The Star Editorial Board. Email her at Suzette.Hackney@indystar.com. Follow her on Twitter: @suzyscribe.