For 11 years Wendi C. Thomas was the metro columnist for the Memphis Commercial Appeal. Since leaving that job in 2014, she has completed a fellowship at Harvard and become a frequent contributor to the Christian Science Monitor and The Undefeated, ESPN's new site on sports, race, and culture. On the issues of race and justice, Wendi's voice is as distinct and clear as they come.

Before a live audience at an OAM Network fundraiser earlier this month, we discussed Wendi's latest project, MLK50: Justice Through Journalism, the future of news, and how she ended up as a journalist in the first place.