NABJ PHILLY CELEBRATES
Founders & Early Members of
the Association of Black Journalists – 1974
A CELEBRATION OF BLACK JOURNALISTS IN PHILADELPHIA
mAY 2-3, 2025
NABJ Philly honors Chuck Stone, Acel Moore, Claude Lewis, Reggie Bryant and the dozens of other men and women who bravely founded the Association of Black Journalists (ABJ) in 1974 and helped form the National Association of Black Journalists (NABJ) in 1975. We owe them loads of respect and admiration for the groundwork they laid in opening the door for Black journalists and providing better coverage of the community.
On May 2-3, 2025, NABJ Philly will honor their legacy by remembering what they accomplished and contemplating what the future holds for the media industry they fought to be a part of. The two-day FREE event is presented by the Philadelphia Foundation. It will be held at the African American Museum in Philadelphia, which is a Gold Sponsor. Visit Philadelphia is a Silver Sponsor.
NABJ Philly, founded in 2023 to continue the work of ABJ, is the one and only local chapter of NABJ in the region.
Friday night, May 2 will be a dressy, festive affair with big fun, great food, a timely speaker and wonderful memories from the people who were there. On Saturday morning, we will get serious with two consecutive panels discussing misinformation and non-traditional ways of providing local news coverage.
Friday, May 2
(Starts 6pm with food & mingling. Program starts 7p)
A guest speaker to be announced.
“Fireside Chat” on the founding of ABJ and why it was necessary.
Moderator – Elmer Smith, who was a reporter for the Philadelphia Bulletin and later became a columnist at the Philadelphia Daily News.
Panelists:
– Francine Cheeks, former vice president of ABJ and one of the few women in the organization at the time.
– Tyree Johnson, former president of ABJ who became an investigative reporter and later founded the Westside Weekly community newspaper.
– Joe Davidson, former president of ABJ, co-founder of NABJ and currently, a columnist at the Washington Post.
– Don Camp, who was a staff photographer at the Philadelphia Bulletin and is now a fine arts photographer.
SPECIAL FEATURE: PHOTO EXHIBIT & AUCTION
Saturday, May 3 – Panel Discussions
(Continental breakfast, 9am)
Panel 1: “Truth, Lies & Accuracy: Challenges of Journalism in a World of Misinformation”
(the effect on both journalists and the community at large)
(Starts 9:30am)
Moderator – Solomon Jones – morning host for WURD Radio.
Panelists:
– Irv Randolph, managing editor of The Philadelphia Tribune.
– Vanessa Williams, former political writer for the Washington Post and a former president of NABJ and the Philadelphia Association of Black Journalists.
– Michael Coard – attorney, host for WURD Radio and columnist for The Philadelphia Tribune.
– Danya Henninger, editorial director at Technical.ly, a local news outlet, who will discuss AI and its effect.
Panel 2: “Breaking the Mold: New Opportunities in Journalism”
(other avenues for covering local and community news)
(Starts 11am)
Moderator- Earl Hopkins, features reporter covering arts, entertainment and culture for The Philadelphia Inquirer.
Panelists:
– Akoto Ofori-Atta, co-founder of Capital B News Service based in New York.
– Shawn Mooring, head of Philadelphia Programs for the Lenfest Institute for Journalism, which funds community nonprofit local news organizations.
– Lara Witt, editor in chief of Prism, a local digital news platform.
NABJ will celebrate its 50th anniversary at its August convention in Cleveland and in the city of its founding, Washington, DC, in December. Watch a Teaser Video here.
A SPECIAL THANKS TO OUR sponsors
DIAMOND SPONSOR
GOLD SPONSOR
silver sponsor
You, too, can become a sponsor
We are seeking sponsors to ensure that we can celebrate and honor the founders and early members in the style they deserve. We’d like your help in becoming a sponsor or patron, and/or securing sponsors for this worthy event.
Click here for sponsorship package (PDF)
Click here to make donation as a patron
ABJ Founders & Early Members
(as recalled by some members & from 1970s banquet programs)
- Tyree Johnson
- Elmer Smith
- Don Camp
- Francine Cheeks
- Karen Warrington
- Joe Davidson (NABJ founder)
Sandra Dawson (Long Weaver) (NABJ founder) - Sam Pressley
- *Miller Parker
- George Strait
- Lamont B. Steptoe
- Harold Yates
- Paul Bennett
- *Chuck Stone (NABJ founder)
- *Acel Moore (NABJ founder)
- *Claude Lewis (NABJ founder)
* Deceased
- Linn Washington Jr.
- Harry Gould
- Charles B. Fancher
- Dwight Ott
- Garland L. Thompson Esq.
- Ewart Rouse
- Roger Witherspoon
- Vernon Odom Jr.
- Cynthia Tucker
- Laura Murray
- Maida Odom
- Harold W. McCoo Jr.
- Dave Valentine
- Teresa Brown
- *Michael Boyer
- *Reggie Bryant (NABJ founder)
- *Mal Johnson (NABJ founder)
- * Earl E. Davis Jr.
- Donnie Roberts
- Pamela Haynes
- Clay Dillon
- *Clarence Farmer Jr.
- James C. Johnson
- Artis Hall
- Carole Norris
- Jan Gorham
- Alphonso D. Brown Jr.
- Harry Amana
- Greg Morrison
- Eddie Stinson
- Kendall Harris
- Margo Downing
- Charles Barnes III
- Elaine Wells
- Michael Hobbs
- Vivian Aluko
- *J. Whyatt “Jerry” Mondesire
- *Edie Huggins
- *Trudy Haynes
- Annette Colston
- Lesley Crosson
- Duane Gray
- Charles Harmon
- Glendora Byrd
- Marilyn Darling (NABJ founder, joined ABJ later)
- Frank Scott
- Hank Brown
- Jon Miller
- Orville Steadman
- *Justine Rector
- Colmon Holmes
- Wayne Faircloth
- Thom Greer
- Gloria Easton
- Eugene McCurdy
- *Malcolm Poindexter Jr.
- Bill Peronneau
- *Bob Perkins
HELP US TO LOCATE THESE EARLY ABJ MEMBERS SO WE CAN INVITE THEM TO THIS REUNION.
- Dave Valentine
- Teresa Brown
- Pamela Haynes
- Clay Dillon
- James C. Johnson
- Artis Hall
- Carole Norris
- Jan Gorham
- Alphonso D. Brown Jr.
- Eddie Stinson
- Kendall Harris
- Margo Downing
- Charles Barnes III
- Elaine Wells
- Michael Hobbs
- Vivian Aluko
- Annette Colston
- Lesley Crosson
- Duane Gray
- Charles Harmon
- Harold W. McCoo Jr.
- Glendora Byrd
- Marilyn Darling
- Frank Scott
- Hank Brown
- Jon Miller
- Orville Steadman
- Colmon Holmes
- Wayne Faircloth
- Thom Greer
- Gloria Easton
- Eugene McCurdy
lookING back TO SEE AHEAD
The origin of the Association of Black Journalists dates to 1973 when Black journalists began meeting informally and commiserating about the conditions at the white newspapers, TV and radio stations where they worked. Soon, they began meeting for a purpose. In 1974, the journalists formally organized.
On Thursday, Oct. 31, 1974, they distributed press releases announcing the formation of the Association of Black Journalists (ABJ). “We considered it bold back then,” said founder Claude Lewis in a 2003 interview. “An association of BLACK journalists? Wow.”
Members of the board were President, Chuck Stone; Vice President, Pamela Haynes; Secretary, Sam Pressley; Treasurer, George Strait; Assistant Treasurer, James Johnson and Board chair, Claude Lewis. Others on the board were Francine Cheeks, Joe Donovan, Artis Hall and Carole Norris. Acel Moore was chair of the Equal Opportunity Committee that met with Temple University officials about employment issues.
ABJ was pivotal in the founding of the National Association of Black Journalists in 1975. Seven of its members were founders, the national used ABJ’s bylaws as the basis for its own, and Stone was elected president. He served a dual presidency of both organizations.
30th anniversary celebration - 2003
TO THosE WHO CAME BACK
BE AMONG THOSE WHO RETURN IN 2025!
READ ABOUT THE 2023 CELEBRATION
nabj philly
the only nabj chapter in the philadelphia region
Founded 2023
NABJ Philadelphia was born out of a need to ensure that Black journalists in Philadelphia maintained the journalistic integrity that had defined its predecessors. On Aug. 24, 2023, a core group of eight Black journalists agreed to form a new local chapter of the National Association of Black Journalists (NABJ).
We organized after the leadership of the Philadelphia Association of Black Journalists conflicted with the national organization and became un-affiliated with it. Our founders consisted of long-time officers and members of the local chapter who felt a strong kinship to NABJ and wanted to continue the connection.
On Oct. 27, 2023, the NABJ Board approved NABJ Philadelphia as its only affiliate in the region (#theoneandonly). In our first year, we received the NABJ President’s Award in a surprise presentation at the national convention in Chicago in August 2024. It was substantive endorsement of our organization.
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