FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Tuesday, October 17, 2023
PRESS CONTACT: Kenrick Thomas info@wabjdc.org
Washington, D.C. – Today, the Washington Association of Black Journalists (WABJ) announced that Phil Lewis, senior front page editor at the HuffPost, is the recipient of the 2023 WABJ Young Journalist of Excellence Award. This award recognizes a Washington D.C. area Black journalist age 35 or under who has produced a distinguished body of work and is committed to the mission of WABJ.
Lewis will be honored at the WABJ Special Honors & Scholarship Gala on Saturday, Dec. 2 at the Armour J. Blackburn University Center on the campus of Howard University. Tickets for the gala can be purchased here.
“Phil Lewis personifies Black excellence,” said the WABJ Awards Review Committee. “In addition to his role as a senior editor at HuffPost, Phil is perhaps best known for being the go-to source for reliable news, particularly among Black users on social media. He uses his massive platforms to spotlight stories that deserve attention, and this year launched his award-winning newsletter, What I’m Reading, as another avenue to share more important pieces about the Black experience in America.”
A native of Detroit, Lewis is a mentor and co-coordinator of WABJ’s Urban Journalism Workshop, an annual program that teaches D.C. area high school students journalism fundamentals. UJW is now in its 37th year.
He was also recognized earlier this year as the AAMBC Literary Awards’ editor of the year, and recently featured by Because of Them We Can for his work as “a reliable and trusted source for Black news.”
Lewis graduated from Michigan State University with a degree in sociology and is a proud member of the Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Incorporated.
WABJ congratulates Lewis on this well-deserved honor.
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Founded in 1975, the Washington Association of Black Journalists is an organization of more than 300 Black journalists, educators, public relations professionals and student journalists in the Washington, D.C., metro area. WABJ provides members with ongoing professional development opportunities and advocates for newsroom diversity, equity and inclusion. WABJ was named 2023 Professional Chapter of the Year by the National Association of Black Journalists. For more information, please visit www.wabjdc.org.
