FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
DATE: Friday, October 10, 2025
PRESS CONTACT: Jai-Leen James
info@wabjdc.org
Washington Association of Black Journalists Announces 2025 Special Honors Award Recipients
The 50th Anniversary Gala will celebrate ten distinguished professionals and award scholarships to local college students on November 8.
WASHINGTON, D.C. — The Washington Association of Black Journalists (WABJ) today announced the recipients of its 2025 Special Honors Awards, recognizing excellence in journalism, communications, and community service. The honorees will be celebrated at the 4th Annual Special Honors & Scholarship Gala on Saturday, November 8, under the theme “Gold Standard: 50 Years of Excellence in Black Journalism.”
This year’s ten honorees were selected from a highly competitive pool of nominees and collectively represent decades of leadership, innovation, and impact across the media industry.
The 2025 honorees are:
- WABJ Lifetime Achievement Award: Michel Martin — Host, Morning Edition, NPR
- WABJ Legacy Award: Eugene Daniels and Jonathan Capehart — Co-Hosts, “The Weekend”, MSNBC
- WABJ Journalist of the Year: Geoff Bennett — Co-Anchor, PBS News Hour
- WABJ Young Journalist of Excellence Award: Jasper Smith — Reporter, The Chronicle of Higher Education
- WABJ Excellence in Communications Award: Natalie Wilson — Co-Founder and Director of Public Relations, Black and Missing Foundation
- Dorothy Butler Gilliam Trailblazer Award: John Yearwood — Editorial Director, Diversity & Culture, POLITICO
- Dr. Sheila Brooks Community Impact Award: Jonelle Henry — Director, University of Florida CJCxDC Student Immersion Program
- President’s Award: Doxie McCoy — Public Information Officer, Office of the People’s Counsel for the District of Columbia
- President’s Award in honor of the Freedom of Expression: Ron Moten — CEO and Founder, Go-Go Museum
“For 50 years, WABJ has remained dedicated to uplifting Black journalists, educators, communicators, and students throughout the D.C. region,” said WABJ President Phil Lewis. “As one of NABJ’s founding chapters, this milestone year allows us to honor the outstanding contributions of our peers while investing in the next generation through scholarships and training. We’re proud to celebrate five decades of service, advocacy, and journalistic excellence — and to look ahead to the next 50.”
The 50th Anniversary Gala will also include the presentation of $5,000 in scholarships to exceptional local college students. Proceeds from the event will directly support WABJ’s Urban Journalism Workshop, scholarship fund, and year-round professional development programs.
Since 1986, WABJ’s Urban Journalism Workshop has provided D.C.-area high school students with hands-on training, newsroom experience, and mentorship from leading journalists.
Individual tickets, tables, and sponsorship packages are available at www.wabjdc.org
Media Assets:
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About the WABJ Special Honors & Scholarship Gala
The Washington Association of Black Journalists (WABJ) Special Honors & Scholarship Gala is the organization’s signature annual fundraiser celebrating excellence in journalism, communications, and community service. The event recognizes outstanding Black media professionals and students for their achievements and contributions to the industry, while raising funds to support WABJ’s scholarships, the Urban Journalism Workshop, and year-round professional development programs.
About Washington Association of Black Journalists
Founded in 1975, the Washington Association of Black Journalists (WABJ) is an organization for Black 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.