By GERRICK D. LEWIS
UNITY News Online
Tuesday, I had the exciting opportunity to interview actor Wendell Pierce. See, when I’m not out reporting, I’m planted in front of a TV, catching up on my favorite shows, and Pierce just happens to star in one — the brilliant, but often ignored, “The Wire.”

The HBO drama, which aired its fifth and final season earlier this year, is often regarded as one of the best on television (Sen. Barack Obama even said so himself). With its rich and complex storytelling, the series was both eye-opening and thought-provoking — not bad for a show with an alcoholic detective and a drug kingpin as main characters. Unfortunately, the show was consistently overlooked each award season.

Pierce was in Chicago this week doing a voiceover for a new documentary about Renaissance Village, the largest FEMA trailer park set up after Hurricane Katrina. When I learned he was lending himself to another Katrina documentary, I was eager to hear more about his work in the efforts to rebuild New Orleans.

Anyone who saw Spike Lee’s excellent documentary, “When the Levees Broke: A Requiem in Four Acts,” couldn’t help but be moved when hearing Pierce’s firsthand account of how his parents lost their home. Observing the emotional stories had a lasting impact on me as a person of color and was a substantial reason that I wanted to take on the ambitious task of writing about New Orleans’ public school system for a different student project.

What I wasn’t prepared for was the impact Pierce would have on me as a journalist.

When the actor walked in the room and greeted the student reporters, Piece’s warmth and congeniality dissolved. As he answered questions about New Orleans, education and his efforts of rebuilding, his compassion became more and more apparent, but it was his thoughts on journalism that stood out to me.

While experts predict the gloom and doom that journalism is facing — even here at UNITY — it seemed ironic that I hear this from an actor:

“Journalism is the place where you can have an impact of making sure things of great importance get out to people. That’s a great responsibility you have as journalists.”

It’s not that his comment was particularly original, as J-school students have heard this same thing from professors, mentors, reporters and other editors. Yet, I was taken aback when I heard it from someone who doesn’t make a living in this profession. As uncertainty hangs over all of our heads I think it’s easy for us — especially those still aspiring to land that first job — to lose track of why we love this industry.

The UNITY News' Gerrick D. Lewis interviewing Pierce Wendell from HBO's

I’m curious to hear from you. What keeps you going in this profession?

Actor and journalism advocate Wendell Pierce spoke to UNITY student project participants about his work on the upcoming documentary, Renaissance Village. Students Irma Murillo and Gerrick Lewis reflect on their experiences interviewing Pierce and working at the convention.