NABJ Mourns the Loss of Member Lynne Duke, Washington Post Editor and Writer

WASHINGTON, D.C. (April 22, 2013) –The National Association of Black Journalists (NABJ) mourns the loss of  longtime member Lynne Duke.

Duke, who worked at The Washington Post from 1987 to 2008, died April 19 at her home in Silver Spring, MD. She was 56.

"Lynne was an exceptional journalist who covered some of the world’s most important stories, including Nelson Mandela’s release from prison after 27 years,” said NABJ President Gregory Lee, Jr. "We extend our prayers to Lynne’s husband and another longtime NABJ member Phil Dixon and their family.”

Ms. Duke began her career at the Miami Herald after graduating from Columbia University’s journalism school in 1985. She was a Pulitzer Prize finalist for a 1987 feature article about the violent fallout of crack cocaine and intransigent poverty at a Miami public housing project.

In addition to her husband of 13 years, Phillip Dixon, Ms. Duke’s survivors include her father, Herbert Duke, her mother, Constance Duke-Allston; a brother and two sisters.

NABJ offers its sincerest condolences to Ms. Duke’s family, as well as her many colleagues and friends.

An advocacy group established in 1975 in Washington, D.C., NABJ is the largest organization for journalists of color in the nation, and provides career development as well as educational and other support to its members worldwide. For more information, please visit www.nabj.org.