Support WABJ

Advocates for Media Diversity

Founded in 1975, the Washington Association of Black Journalists (WABJ) is an organization of more than 450 journalists, journalism professors, public relations professionals and student journalists in the Washington, D.C., metro area.

about WABJ
WABJ at NABJ 2025.JM2_5750 (hi res) © Jason Miccolo Johnson(1)
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About WABJ

Supporting Black media Professionals in the DC Metro Area

WABJ provides members ongoing professional education opportunities and advocates for greater diversification of the profession.

  • For Media Professionals
  • For Students
  • For Organizations
Read President's Message

 

WABJ is running for 2025 NABJ Chapter of the Year

WABJ champions Black voices, advances newsroom equity, and builds a thriving pipeline of student journalists. Since January 2025, the Washington Association of Black Journalists hit the ground running in its efforts to advocate for journalists in the D.C., Maryland and Virginia region.

In 2025, WABJ grew its membership base to over 500, operated its 39th annual Urban Journalism Workshop, awarded $19,000 in scholarships and hosted over 200 people in attendance for the Region I Conference.

Read more about our accomplishments here. 

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WABJ Special Honors Gala

 WABJ successfully hosted another sold-out Special Honors & Scholarship Gala on Saturday, Nov. 8, 2025.

The gala is WABJ’s largest annual fundraiser. It supports thousands in scholarships each year for local student journalists and year-round, volunteer-led professional development programming, including the Urban Journalism Workshop for local high school students, which will be in its 40th year in 2026.

We presented awards to 10 distinguished professionals for excellence in journalism, communications, newsroom leadership and community service. 

Many thanks to our sponsors, vendors, volunteers and guests!

WABJ News & Updates
2026

WABJ DC mayoral debate coverage in The AFRO

The Washington Informer teamed up with the D.C. Democratic Party (DC Dems), the Washington Association of Black Journalists (WABJ), the Greater Washington Black Chamber of Commerce (GWBCC) and the Greater Washington Urban League (GWUL) to host a debate for delegate and mayoral candidates in D.C. on May 2. The debate covered critical issues, including housing affordability and displacement, education outcomes and economic equity. Mayoral candidates debate how to balance growth with equity  The mayoral candidates included Councilman Vincent Orange, Councilwoman Janeese Lewis George, Gary Goodweather, Rini Sampath, and former at-large

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2026

WABJ in The Washington Informer

The Washington Informer, in partnership with the DC Democratic State Committee (DC Dems), the Washington Association of Black Journalists, the Greater Washington Black Chamber of Commerce, and the Greater Washington Urban League, hosted the DCision 2026 Delegate and Mayoral Debates at George Washington University’s Jack Morton Auditorium on Saturday, May 2, 2026. Watch the debate video recap on The Washington Informer.

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2026

WABJ in WTOP

The leading five Democratic candidates for D.C. mayor and congressional delegate faced off in back-to-back debates at George Washington University’s Jack Morton Auditorium Saturday. If you closed your eyes and just listened, the two debates may have sounded like a rerun. Over 75 minutes, candidates at both forums repeatedly returned to the same core themes: public safety, home rule, affordability and President Donald Trump. At the delegate debate, D.C. Councilmembers Robert White and Brooke Pinto were joined by former Democratic National Committee finance chair Kinney Zalesne, former U.S. Nuclear Regulatory

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