National Association of Black Journalists facts for kids

The National Association of Black Journalists (NABJ) is a group for African-American journalists, students, and media professionals. It's a nonprofit organization, which means it works for a good cause, not for profit.

NABJ was started in 1975 in Washington, D.C., by 44 journalists. Their main goal is to offer great programs and support for Black journalists. They also work to increase the number of minority journalists in newsrooms across the country.

The main office for NABJ is at the University of Maryland, College Park. The current president is Ken Lemon, a reporter from Charlotte, North Carolina. Drew Berry is the executive director. NABJ has about 4,100 members. It is the largest group for journalists of color in the United States.

The group gives out "Salute to Excellence Awards" every year. These awards honor great news stories about African-American people and topics. Some famous journalists who have won awards include Lester Holt, Ed Bradley, Carole Simpson, and Gwen Ifill. NABJ also has a NABJ Hall of Fame to honor important Black journalists.

How NABJ Started

The National Association of Black Journalists held its first meeting on December 12, 1975. This meeting took place in Washington, D.C. Many local Black journalist groups helped organize this important event.

Journalists felt it was important to create NABJ because other professions like teachers and doctors had their own groups. They believed journalists were just as important. A report from 1968, called the Kerner Commission Report, showed that Black people had a very small role in the media. NABJ was founded to help more Black people get into mainstream media. It also aimed to change how Black people were shown in the news.

Who Started NABJ?

NABJ was founded by 44 dedicated journalists. These brave individuals wanted to make a difference in the world of news. They came from different news organizations across the country.

Annual Convention and Career Fair

NABJ holds a big journalism convention and career fair every summer. It's the largest event of its kind in the nation. At the convention, people can attend workshops and learn new skills.

Many important people have spoken at these conventions. This includes former U.S. Presidents like Barack Obama and George W. Bush. The convention also has a huge career fair. Hundreds of companies look for new talent there. It's a great place to find a job in journalism.

The NABJ Career Fair brings together top media companies. Recruiters from places like NBC News, CNN, Google, and The New York Times attend.

NABJ had its first convention in 1976 at Texas Southern University. This university was one of the first historically black colleges or universities to have a communications school.

Future conventions are planned in cities like Washington, D.C., Houston, and Chicago. In 2014, CNN stopped supporting the convention. This happened after NABJ said CNN needed more diversity on air.

Scholarships for Students

NABJ helps students who want to become journalists. They give out over $100,000 in scholarships each year. These scholarships go to African-American college journalism students.

NABJ also helps students get paid internships. They place 14-16 students in these jobs. They also offer short courses for students at historically black colleges and universities.

Special Task Forces

NABJ has different groups called "task forces." These groups focus on specific areas of journalism. They help members who work in those fields.

• Arts & Entertainment Task Forces - for members who cover movies, music, and art.
• Digital Journalism - for those working with online news and digital media.
• LGBT Taskforce - for lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender members.
• Sports Task Force - for sports reporters and analysts.
• Visual Task Force - for photojournalists and graphic designers.
• Young Journalists - for journalists who are just starting their careers.
• World Affairs - promotes news coverage from around the world.

NABJ Presidents

Many leaders have served as president of the National Association of Black Journalists. Here are some of them:

Awards Given by NABJ

NABJ gives out several important awards at its annual convention. These awards celebrate excellent work in journalism.

Journalist of the Year

This award honors a journalist who has done outstanding work in the past year.

• 1981 - Robert C. Maynard, Oakland Tribune, Max Robinson, ABC
• 1986 - Charlayne Hunter-Gault, PBS
• 1989 - Bernard Shaw, CNN
• 1993 - Bryant Gumbel, NBC Today
• 2005 - Andy Alford, Austin American-Statesman
• 2016 - Lester Holt, NBC Nightly News
• 2023 - Jim Trotter, The Athletic

Chuck Stone Lifetime Achievement Award

This award celebrates journalists who have had a long and amazing career. It's named after one of NABJ's founders.

• 1978 - Mal Goode, ABC News
• 1985 - Lu Palmer, Chicago Sun-Times
• 1987 - John H. Johnson, Johnson Publishing Co.
• 2005 - Ed Bradley, CBS News
• 2007 - Bernard Shaw, CNN
• 2011 - Acel Moore, NABJ Founder & Pulitzer Prize Winner
• 2023 - Marquita Pool-Eckert, CBS News

Emerging Journalist of the Year

This award recognizes talented journalists who are new to the field.

• 2007 - Mara Schiavocampo
• 2013 - Yamiche Alcindor, USA Today
• 2014 - Wesley Lowery, Washington Post
• 2021 – Malika Andrews, ESPN
• 2023 - Troy Closson, The New York Times

Student Journalist of the Year

This award honors a college student who shows great promise in journalism.

• 2010 - Philip Lucas, Howard University
• 2015 – Tierra Smith, Grambling State University
• 2023 - Jordan D. Brown, Morgan State University