A Shocked Nation Watches Minneapolis Killings: 'Something Needs to Change'
The New York Times
The day I decided to become a reporter was the day my Journalism 101 professor told us that a journalist’s job is to hold the power accountable and give voice to the citizenry. Reporting for this piece hit both goals but also tested my resolve and as I searched outside a Walmart and inside a shopping mall for Trump voters who would speak to The Times about an emotionally charged and partisan issue.
Daylight was waning, the temperature was around 12, and plenty of people turned me down. But I’m glad I persisted, because the four people who agreed to interviews greeted me with kindness, spoke with sincerity, and had thought a lot about the issue.
The last two, a husband and wife, had reached different conclusions but shared their thoughts with a respect for one another that felt so moving and rare.
Writer Dan Barry made them the final voices in this poignant piece.