The Washington Association of Black Journalists (WABJ) is thrilled to announce the inaugural recipients of The George E. Curry UJW Scholarship: Kaleb Anderson, a senior at Benjamin Banneker Academic High School, and Eve Ellis, a senior at Duke Ellington School of the Arts.
Kaleb and Eve, who will each receive $1,500 to cover college tuition costs, were among 12 students who recently participated in our Urban Journalism Workshop, an annual program for D.C. area high school students.
The WABJ board on Thursday, June 10 unanimously approved WABJ President Khorri Atkinson’s proposal to rename the program’s annual scholarship in honor of the late George E. Curry, a trailblazing journalist and a longtime champion of the Black press who started UJW in 1986. He died in August 2016 at the age of 69.
“As UJW celebrates its 35th year, it’s fitting that we honor Mr. Curry’s legacy as a pioneer and truth-teller,” Atkinson said. “I’m delighted to have received the heartfelt approval of Mr. Curry’s sister, Mrs. Susan Gandy, as well as UJW Coordinator Ms. Trina Williams, to honor his contributions to our industry and the lasting impact he’s left on WABJ.”
“I also would like to thank Ms. Williams, our amazing team of UJW mentors and sponsors — Gannet Foundation, NPR, American University, The Washington Post and The Washington Informer — who’ve made this year’s workshop a success,” Atkinson added.
“On behalf of the family and friends of Curry, we would like to thank WABJ for honoring him with the renaming of this scholarship. We would like to thank the leadership of WABJ and everyone that was involved in making this happen,” Mrs. Gandy said.
“We are so excited to see George’s vision manifested. He was truly a trailblazer for journalism. Congratulations are extended to all of the participants. We are elated that Kaleb Anderson and Eve Ellis are the history makers because they are the first to receive the scholarship in honor of Mr. Curry,” she added. “We are looking forward to the future as we support the vision of our beloved journalist and brother George Curry.”
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Founded in 1975, the Washington Association of Black Journalists is an organization for African-American journalists, journalism professors, public relations professionals and student journalists in the Washington, D.C., metro area. WABJ provides members with ongoing professional education opportunities and advocates for greater diversification of the profession.
