CLEVELAND — Greater Cleveland Association of Black Journalists has its first induction and awards ceremony planned this Saturday at Cleveland History Museum to honor your local black journalists.
“To be recognized by your peers, I think is really something special for the honorees and inductees,” said Greater Cleveland Association of Black Journalists President Rhonda Crowder.
The local chapter is a part of the National Association of Black Journalists, which was founded in 1975 to empower black journalists and media professionals.
Now, the organization has thousands of members and hundreds of local chapters like Cleveland doing exciting things, like this Hall of Fame Induction and Awards Ceremony, thanks to a dream Crowder said she’s been striving to make a reality.
“It was an idea that came up before COVID, so we were going to try to implement this before COVID. COVID happened. We couldn’t have an in-person event, and with the National Association of Black Journalists Convention and Career Fair coming this year, we thought that this was the perfect time,” said Crowder.
Tracie Potts, the organization’s Public Relations Chair, said she’s excited to experience the event at the same time as Black History Month.
“It just warms my heart that our President was like, "It’s time." We’re going to bring this to fruition, and the city of Cleveland gets the chance to see the talent that we have here,” said Potts.
A total of 12 black living and deceased inductees who have worked or are currently working in public relations, digital media, print, radio and television will be recognized.
“We see people like Leon Bibb, Harry Boomer and Dick Perry; people that we’ve grown up with that have a staple here in Cleveland and you don’t really see them get their flowers. But yet there out on the ground every day,” said Potts.
Even newer journalists like News 5’s own Maya Lockett have been nominated as one of the finalists for the organization’s Newcomer of the Year Award, in addition to Camryn Justice, who is a finalist for Sports Journalist of the Year.
“I think it is a very special occasion just to be able to honor some of the hardworking journalists as Tracy said that go unnoticed, that don’t always get recognition from major sources that recognize people in the city,” said Crowder.
Tickets for the event have closed, but the organization is still accepting donations to give back for student scholarships.
Click here to donate.
