Baylor National Association of Black Journalists Year-in-Review
Baylor NABJ had a busy 2021-22 academic year filled with accomplishments and stellar programming.
The group helped host the “The Plight of the American Criminal Justice System” Symposium
along with the Department of Journalism, Public Relations & New Media. The symposium emphasized forgiveness, reconciliation, violence prevention and reform of the criminal justice system. It featured Anthony Charles Graves, Mark Osler, and Jeanne Bishop as the keynote speakers.
“We were so honored to be able to be a part of the Reconciliation Symposium co-sponsored by the Baylor Department of Journalism, Public Relations & New Media,” said Baylor NABJ President Madison Walkes. “It was an amazing experience to hear from our outstanding keynote speakers as they spoke on forgiveness, reconciliation and reform of the US criminal justice system.”
During Black history month, Baylor NABJ hosted Cafe Castellaw, a weekly event that allows faculty and students to discuss career trends, resumes and other topics. The event hosted by Baylor NABJ included refreshments and faculty, staff and student reflections about the history and importance of celebrating the holiday.
Also, during February, the group sponsored a Black History event titled, “The Black Gospel Restoration Project” which included a field trip to the exhibit and a special talk by BGRP founder Professor Bob Darden.
NABJ members and students in Dr. Brad Owen’s class learned more about the history of the restoration of Gospel Music with Baylor’s acclaimed Professor, Bob Darden. The Black Gospel Music Restoration Project is the world’s largest initiative to identify, acquire, digitize, categorize and make accessible gospel music from gospel’s Golden Age (1945-1970). It provides the gospel music for the Smithsonian’s new National Museum of African American History & Culture.
Other NABJ guest speakers for the year included Alexis Cubit, a JPR&NM alumna. Cubit, a Clemson sports reporter and charter president of the Baylor University Chapter of NABJ, shared tips on how to break into/ survive a career in the newspaper industry during the NABJ meeting.
Alumna Kennedy Dendy offered an open discussion about her experience working in the field and life after graduating from Baylor. Dendy recently won her first Emmy award as a reporter with KEZI 9 News in Eugene, OR. She, alongside members of her team, were recognized for their coverage of last year’s devastating Oregon wildfires.
Baylor JPR&NM alumnus Derwin Graham offered career advice during his keynote talk.
“Don’t just focus on your schoolwork,” he said. “Work on projects that will improve your portfolio.”
He added, “Baylor alumni look out for you like brothers and sisters. It doesn’t matter whether you are Black, White or gold. The person who got me a job at ESPN knew me from a group project we worked on in a class at Baylor.”
Graham encouraged students to advantage of the opportunities offered by NABJ, such as networking and going to conferences.
“Be a hard worker, have a good sense of time,” he said. “Try to pull the next person up. There is enough out there for everyone. Be kind. Treat people how you want to be treated.”
Graham graduated from Baylor University with a B.A. in Journalism New Media/PR and a minor in Film and Digital Media. He is an award-winning screenwriter in the feature-length screenplay category and recipient of the Award of Excellence at the 2018 BEA Festival of Media Arts in the feature length scriptwriting category and the Best Original Screenplay at the 2018 National Black Film Festival.
The group also sponsored a LinkedIn workshop featuring Amy Rylander, who shared tips on making the most of LinkedIn for the development of career opportunities.
For fun, Baylor NABJ had several celebrations throughout the semester to highlight milestones such as graduations, new jobs and holidays. The chapter’s adviser Dr. Mia Moody-Ramirez hosted three events for the group in her home—holiday celebration, movie night, and graduation celebration.
Students celebrated Dr. Moody-Ramirez’s 20th anniversary in the Baylor University Journalism Department. Students, faculty, staff and community members attended the event.
“I am thankful for the appreciation the students demonstrated throughout the semester,” Moody-Ramirez. “We have a hard-working chapter of NABJ at Baylor. I am proud to serve as their adviser.”
For added fun, the group participated in a 2021 Game Night. Activities included playing games, eating and fellowshipping joint game night. Later the group participated in a friendly competition of Family with Baylor’s chapter of Public Relations Student Society of America.
The chapter announced and celebrated the Moody-Ramirez Belden Endowed Scholarship for Diversity in Journalism. This scholarship is a collaborative effort between Tom Belden, Ella Prichard and Moody-Ramirez that they began discussing with Bob Darden in the fall of 2020. Moody-Ramirez provided funds for the scholarship after being awarded the Cornelia Marschall Smith Professor of the Year Award, which recognizes a Baylor faculty member who makes a superlative contribution to the learning environment at Baylor through teaching, research and service. The award comes with a $20,000 prize.
The three are excited to award the scholarship to students who are members of the Baylor National Association of Black Journalists (NABJ), which was reinstated in 2003 with Moody-Ramirez, Ph.D., serving as the adviser.
Recruitment efforts included serving as ambassadors at various events, including the department’s open house and homecoming. Members of Baylor NABJ also participated in Black Student Welcome, sponsored by Multicultural Affairs during Mosaic week, which allows students to meet one another and get connected with different cultural organizations, coalitions,students to meet one another and get connected with different cultural organizations, coalitions, and other departments on campus.
The hard work paid off. The group’s membership body increased by 20%, from eight to 12 members. Congratulations to our graduating E-board members Tori Coleman and Chine Okeke. Coleman plans to move to Dallas to pursue her master’s degree at Southern Methodist University. Okeke plans to move to Austin to work in marketing!
Congratulations to the chapter’s president and vice president for receiving departmental awards for their outstanding work with NABJ!
“Hats off to Baylor NABJ President Maddie Walkes and e-board on a job well done,” said Moody-Ramirez. “This was an incredibly busy year for the group. They did an outstanding job!”
The E-Board will remain the same for 2022-23:
Madison Walkes President
KJ Burkley Vice-President
Morgan Carter Secretary
Xavier Robinson Social Media chair
Year-in-review video: https://fb.watch/d6bPaLgjya/
Baylor University NABJ
Reinstated 2003
Chartered 2013
Baylor University NABJ Presidents
2003-2004 Tia Blackmon
2005-2006 Jennifer Simmons
2007-2008 Aleana Peoples
2008-2009 Korin Torrence
2009-2010 Giselle Estruch
2009-2010 Tramese Jones
2011-2012 Jocelyn Fowler
2013-2014 Alexis Cubit (year chartered)
2015-2016 Kianna Ford
2016-2017 Joy Moton
2017-2018 Tori Hasty
2018-2019 Savannah Cooper
2020-21 Maddie Walkes
Pictures from the Semester: