For a travel writer who has been to four continents and 42 of our nation’s 50 states, it should say something that Greg Gross chooses to live in San Diego.

In a post on his blog imblacknitravel.com earlier this week, Gross urges America’s black press to come to this year’s convention July 28 to Aug. 1.

Usually, this is where I extol the virtues of going somewhere else. This time, I need you to think seriously about coming to my city, San Diego — especially if you’re an African-American journalist, thinking about becoming one or trying to remain one.

We don’t especially look forward to summer here, and why should we? We always have it!
So okay, nice weather…check. What else has San Diego got?
Miles of beaches. A picturesque bay — and if that’s not enough water for you, there’s the Pacific Ocean. A vibrant downtown, including a sweet new baseball stadium. Good food and good shopping. An expanding club and music scene.

Gross goes on to cite San Diego’s locality to Los Angeles and Mexico as well as the ocean, desert, mountains and everything in between, in a county which claims the greatest biodiversity of any in the United States.

But aside from the wonderful weather, attractions, networking or job opportunities, Gross said there’s another reason you need to be here, one that’s “less of an opportunity and more of a call to arms.”

The election of Barack Obama as America’s first president of African descent has touched America’s racial nerve like nothing else since the Civil Rights movement. It would be nice to think that that election signaled the end of racism in this country. Unfortunately, we’re not there yet. We still have work to do.

Whether as an individual or a member of the black press, the African-American journalist has navigated through similar stormy periods in our history, a beacon of knowledge and pride in the face of bigotry, and defiance to those who would seek to consign us forever to the status of second-class citizens.
The time has come to do so again — and San Diego is as good a place as any to “set it off.”
So if you’re thinking about coming to this year’s NABJ confab, stop thinking and register. You could do yourself, your people and your country a world of good.

Click here to register for this year’s convention.