A Timeless Journey: Then, Now & Ahead

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.

Read more about the event and become a sponsor: nabj-philadelphia.org

Also check out other Arts events in Philadelphia, Literary Art events in Philadelphia, Business events in Philadelphia.