NABJ set to host their annual convention – and celebrate 50th anniversary – in Cleveland

By Elijah Qualls 
AFRO Intern 

Both Ken Lemon and Walter Smith Randolph agreed that this year is a special one for NABJ. One that no one will want to miss.

For 50 years, the National Association of Black Journalists (NABJ) has fought to increase the representation of Black voices in the newsroom and to create equitable environments and opportunities for Black journalists. From Aug. 6-10 the organization will celebrate that half-century legacy and more during its annual convention and career fair, which will be hosted in Cleveland this year. The event, leaders say, is not one to miss.

“For 50 years NABJ has been standing strong, advocating for our members of the Black press,” said Walter Smith Randolph, NABJ’s vice president of broadcast. “We are excited to honor our founders. We are excited to talk about our history and look to the next few years.” 

The convention will feature a wide array of exhibitors at the career fair, ranging from ESPN and FOX Corp. to Columbia Journalism School and USC Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism. Some of the highlighted events include professional development sessions, author showcases and book sales, and the Salute to Excellence Awards Gala. 

The purpose of NABJ has remained clear since their establishment in December 1975. 

“We’re under-represented in newsrooms,” said Randolph, the vice president of broadcast. “We’re often the only ones. As an organization, we advocate for fair portrayal of Black people in the media.” 

One of the ways NABJ supports the Black community is through their Thumbs Down Award, which criticizes journalists and stories that perpetuate Black stereotypes or falsely negative portrayals. 

In an article published by the AFRO on Aug. 26, 1989, NABJ was complemented for condemning columnist Patrick J. Buchanan, who wrote, “If a young Black or young white male sidles up to ask direction, and one of the two is a robber, rapist or killer, the odds are at least 11 – 1 it is the Black male.”

As questions of Black representation in the news abound, NABJ President Ken Lemon spoke with the AFRO about the increasing importance of young Black journalists in the current climate. 

“I say this not just for myself but for other veteran journalists. I want them to have the opportunity to learn the practice of finding and presenting the truth,” Lemon said. “What I don’t want is for them to give up the way that they see the world.”

According to NABJ’s website, there are over 80 student NABJ chapters across the country, including at Howard University, Morehouse College and UC Berkeley Graduate School of Journalism. Lemon said that NABJ provides many opportunities for young Black journalists to learn and train, but also be spotted by big name publications and corporations who partner with NABJ for this very reason. 

“At some point the need for journalism won’t change, but the deliverables will change and how we receive it will change,” Lemon said. “The people who are in the best place to understand what all that means, why it’s important, why we consume the way we consume, those individuals are the ones executives are trying to understand. That’s young journalists.”

For more information about NABJ, visit: https://nabjonline.org/. And for more information on the annual convention, visit: https://nabjonline.org/event/2025-nabj-convention-career-fair/.