From Night Manager to Distinguished Speaker: Jelani Cobb’s Journey Back to I-House

The rumors are true: on his way to becoming an award-winning writer and producer, Jelani Cobb worked as a night manager at International House. Now Dean of Columbia Journalism School and a longtime writer for The New Yorker, Cobb returned to I-House on November 4, Election Day eve, to deliver a Distinguished Lecture Series talk in Davis Hall, where he discussed the election, political polarization, and the evolving role of journalism in America. 

But first, some memories. As Cobb was working toward his PhD in History, he staffed the Claremont reception, greeting residents as they came home, lending support to nighttime events, and showing up with keys when residents forgot theirs. He and his five-year-old daughter were also in Davis Hall for Nelson Mandela’s historic 75th anniversary I-House address in May 2000. And somehow, Cobb maneuvered a way through the crowds and security to have Mandela shake his daughter’s hand.

Shifting gears to the urgent matters of the day, Cobb, who is also an MSNBC political analyst, unpacked the Electoral College and underscored how the nation’s obsession with demography—who lives where—has shaped U.S. politics since its founding. He traced Black voter suppression from the Civil Rights era to current-day voter ID laws and polling-site limitations that disproportionately impact Black communities. A writer for the Peabody Award-winning 2020 film Whose Vote Counts?, Cobb addressed a pivotal issue from that year’s election: the contested results in Milwaukee, Detroit, Philadelphia, and Atlanta—demographically home to the highest numbers of African American voters in their states.

Cobb noted that journalism is the only profession explicitly protected by the Constitution, so reporters can hold leaders accountable and safeguard the public interest. However, he observed that today’s press increasingly mirrors the nation’s partisan divides, shaped by social media, financial pressures, and echo chambers. Despite these challenges, he urged journalism to pursue truth and embrace new technologies, like AI tools, to analyze data and enhance efficiency and accuracy.

I-House President Sebastian Fries welcomed Cobb and hosted the event. Maryam Rahaman, a resident and Columbia journalism student, moderated a Q&A with dozens of audience members standing to ask questions. After the post-event gathering, Cobb departed through the Claremont lobby, he shook hands with Public Safety Officer, Nathaniel Macklin, and remarked that the reception area looked “exactly the same” as when he worked there 30 years ago.