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Updated:
Friday, July 17, 2009
Posted: July 17, 2008 |
Contact:
NABJ Communications
(866) 479-NABJ
NABJ Congratulates NAACP on its 100th Anniversary Commemoration
Black Journalists’ Association Commends the Strength and Vitality of the Group Working on Behalf of People of Color
WASHINGTON, D.C. – July 17, 2009 – On the occasion of the 100th anniversary of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP), the National Association of Black Journalists, (NABJ) extends its congratulations and appreciation for the great work the organization has done to achieve a shared mission.
“Few organizations can achieve a centenarian milestone, fewer still can make such a broad and wide-ranging impact on the livelihood of African Americans and other people of color as the NAACP has,” said NABJ President Barbara Ciara. “One hundred years of fighting oppression is a long time; though the journey is not over, we praise the vitality and commitment of the NAACP leadership to confront a new era and new challenges facing people of color in America.”
The NAACP was founded in New York City in 1909 to ensure the political, educational, social, and economic equality of all citizens. In the decades that ensued, the organization has proven instrumental in breaking down barriers for African Americans. The organization celebrated its centennial Thursday evening with an address by the first African-American President of the United States, Barack Obama.
NABJ and the NAACP have an overlapping history that goes back to the founding of the NAACP by W.E. B. Du Bois, who disseminated the civil rights message in part through newspaper columns and by acting as editor-in-chief of the NAACP publication, The Crisis. W.E.B. Du Bois was a charter inductee to the NABJ Hall of Fame in 2004.
NABJ and the NAACP also share a mission to provide educational opportunities and enrichment to youth. This is reflected in the NAACP’s ACTO-SO (Afro-Academic, Cultural, Technological and Scientific Olympics), an academic enrichment program for high school students that was founded by NABJ President Vernon Jarrett in 1978.
“Each year, when NABJ honors trailblazing journalists among our ranks, we are giving a nod to the NAACP and its members for fighting the battles that created those opportunities,” said Ciara. “It is opportune that President Obama be present on the historic night to praise the NAACP, but remind us all that the work is not yet done.”
For 34 years, the National Association of Black Journalists has worked to create opportunities and equality for journalists of color through advocacy, education, scholarship and professional training opportunities. This year, NABJ continues in this tradition with the NABJ Annual Convention & Career Fair in Tampa, Fla. Aug. 5-9, the largest gathering of minority journalists in the country. For more information, go to: www.NABJ.org.
An advocacy group established in 1975 in Washington, D.C., NABJ is the largest organization of journalists of color in the nation, with more than 4,100 members, and provides educational, career development and support to black journalists worldwide.
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