nabj-philadelphia inaugural meeting
Dec. 6, 2023

Our inaugural meeting felt right. It felt like the meetings Black journalists were accustomed to having: full of vigor, exciting ideas, camaraderie and an eagerness to act. Nearly three dozen Black media people turned out for NABJ-Philadelphia’s inaugural membership meeting Wednesday night, Dec. 6, 2023, to talk about what the organization will be, how to get there and who will take it there.

The “who” are all of us who believe that our job as journalists and media professionals is not over. The who at the meeting were a conglomerate of people of all ages. We were from mainstream media, the Black press, the Muslim press, internet radio, a community newspaper, legacy members, longtime journalists and media professionals, as well as retired journalists with a wealth of knowledge, experience and time.

Participants offered suggestions that were both traditional and expansive. One of our most important committees is one we call J-Life, which will produce programming focusing on life outside journalism – our leisure time. Its aim is to make Black media professionals whole and rounded through programming essential to their well-being. We’ll spend the next month working out the next steps based on the ideas from this meeting.

We are an open organization, and we invite all media professionals to join us as we embark on the important work ahead of us. You can join here: https://nabj-philadelphia.org/join-us/. The application includes a spot where you can choose a committee you’d like to work on or offer a suggestion for a new committee.

You can also purchase NABJ-Philadelphia T-shirts to show your support. You can order them at: https://www.customink.com/fundraising/support-nabj-philadelphia

We also invite you to our next meeting in January. Notices will be sent out well in advance. If you have any questions, please contact us at [email protected].