New column looks at perspectives

Readers might have noticed a new column that made its debut Monday on B1. The second piece was published Friday. The column is by Union-tribune staffer Charles T. Clark.

Clark’s column focuses on the ways we view problems and issues through our different identities and experiences. He said he will explore subjects on a personal level (he’s Black and 25 years old) and through the prism of others. Friday, for instance he wrote of his recollections of the Charlottesville protest and other events as they relate to President Joe Biden’s calls for national unity. Tuesday he will present the perspectives of women of color who have run for elected office or are serving in elected positions. He said he will confront serious issues but also get his arms around lighter subjects.

“I don’t want this to feel like an attacking column,” Clark said. “My intent is to have an honest conversation about what life is like for different segments of the San Diego community.”

The first column was published Monday to mark Martin Luther King Jr. Day. It addressed the effort in the 1980s for a San Diego roadway to be named after the civil rights leader, amid a backdrop of racism.

The column’s regular publishing days are Tuesdays and Fridays.

Clark graduated from Arizona State University with a bachelor’s in psychology and in journalism and mass communication. He worked at Bloomberg News covering corporate finance and then at The Day newspaper in New London, Conn., covering local government in two rural communities.

He came to the U-T in September 2018 to cover politics and county government.

The idea for the column came out of conversations with U-T Editor and Publisher Jeff Light. And it was inspired by an essay Clark wrote during the summer on George Floyd and his daughter, Gianna. The U-T editorial team decided to publish it, a rare move of running an opinion piece by a reporter.

Clark said it’s common for people to circulate within their own silos of thoughts and experiences. He would like to expand that world. He welcomes readers to share their take on the events of the day.

“I don’t know the answers,” he said. “I want to hear from readers about their perspectives.”

Clark’s email address is charles.clark@sduniontribune.com.