NABJ Announces Finalists for Chapter of the Year

NABJ Announces Finalists for Chapter of the Year—Bay Area, Dallas- Forth Worth, and Detroit Compete for the Top Honor

WASHINGTON, DC, July 26, 2011 --Today, the National Association of Black Journalists (NABJ) announced its finalists for Chapter of the Year – The Bay Area Black Journalists Association (BABJA), Dallas- Fort Worth Association of Black Journalists (DFW-ABJ), and Detroit Chapter of the National Association of Black Journalists (DC- NABJ). The winner will be announced at the Opening Ceremony of NABJ's 36th Annual Convention and Career Fair in Philadelphia, the largest gathering of minority journalists in the country.

"We congratulate BABJA, DFW-ABJ, and DC-NABJ and we praise these chapters for being excellent models,” said NABJ President Kathy Y. Times. "Our professional chapters are the backbone of NABJ, without strong chapters, we cannot have as strong national organization. Kudos to these three local chapters for all that they do.”

BABJA exemplifies the very best qualities of NABJ. The Chapter hosts training workshops for professional and student journalists including a Healthy NABJ Media Institute and has paid all or part of expenses to send students and unemployed members to the annual NABJ Convention. In addition BABJA annually honors Bay Area black journalists and has awarded more than $30,000 in scholarships over the past 7 years. Michelle Fitzhugh–Craig is president of the chapter.

DFW-ABJ, is nearing the 30th anniversary of the founding of the chapter. The chapter has had a strong year after coming back from decertification and has quite an impressive history. The chapter that had hosted two national conventions, gained a reputation for being strong media monitors, conducted a successful urban journalism workshop that provided opportunities for aspiring journalists to learn more about NABJ, and consistently awarded $30,000-$45,000 annually in scholarships to aspiring journalists. Today the DFW-ABJ has almost 50 paid members with regular activities and members have worked tirelessly to fulfill their mission. Cheryl Smith is president of the Chapter.

DC-NABJ has for 29 years been one of NABJ’s most consistent professional chapters. In 2010 the chapter doubled its membership to 60 journalists and associates, The chapter hosted more than 11 events in 2010, including a photo auction that raised money for scholarships, an innovative, citywide community-based video project, a Congressional election debate and a fundraiser for unemployed journalists. Vickie Thomas is president of the chapter.

NABJ bases its Chapter of the Year award on accomplishments during the eligibility period. The criteria include but are not limited to the number of new members who joined the chapter and NABJ, and the chapter's community activities and programs.

NABJ's 36th Annual Convention and Career Fair will take place August 3^rd- 7^th in Philadelphia, PA. For additional information, ticket sales, registration, please visit us at www.nabj.org.

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