Announcing the 2021 PABJ Gala & Scholarship Award Honorees

FOR​ ​IMMEDIATE​ ​RELEASE 
September 27, 2021
CONTACT: Haniyyah Sharpe-Brown, Principal@onpointcomms.com, 267-324-8839

​The Philadelphia Association of Black Journalists (PABJ) will honor extraordinary journalism, communications and community standouts at its annual Awards​ ​and​ ​Scholarship​ ​Gala,​ ​Saturday​, November 13, 2021.

The awards for exemplary reporting, media management, and community activism will be presented by PABJ, the nation’s oldest association of journalists of color, during a gala ceremony at​ Quorum - University City Science Center at 3675 Market St STE 400, Philadelphia, PA 19104. The gala is from 6 to 10:00 p.m. with the reception beginning at 6. The award ceremony starts at 7:15​ ​p.m.​ 

PABJ​ ​welcomes​ ​news​ ​coverage. 

The 2021 PABJ Award honorees: 

WDAS FM Radio personality Patty Jackson is the recipient of the Lifetime Achievement Award. The South Philadelphia native and radio veteran is being honored for her legendary career in broadcasting and her extraordinary contribution to the enrichment, understanding and advancement of news coverage involving Black life and culture.

Bill Anderson will receive the 2021 Broadcast Journalist of the Year Award. As a reporter at FOX 29, Bill reports on the brighter side of life in his regular news series “For Goodness’ Sake.”   He is known for covering stories about the joy, success and achievements of African Americans in the Greater Philadelphia area. 

Cassie Owens, is the 2021 PABJ Print Journalist of the Year.  As Modern Life Reporter at the Philadelphia Inquirer, she has enterprised countless stories about Black social and cultural dynamics with a level of clarity, empathy and deep appreciation. She seeks out the unseen, underappreciated dynamics that make Black cultural traditions special -- and documents them with a lens that intentionally honors and serves Black Philadelphia.

Raishad Hardnett will receive the Visual Journalist of the Year Award.  As a videographer and video editor at the Philadelphia Inquirer, he has a heart for filmmaking that explores community, legacy, and culture. His visual storytelling not only reflects people’s beauty and power,  his stories break through the veneer of stereotype to reflect deeper, nuanced and complex truths in people’s lives and elevates the way Black people are seen in stories.

Dr. Ala Stanford is being honored with a PABJ Community Service Award for her life saving work as the founder of the Black Doctors Consortium. Dr. Stanford created pathways to give Black people in various marginalized communities access to COVID-19 testing and eventually vaccinations when city messaging, outreach, testing were missing people in Black communities. Her work made clear that her knowledge and vision make her someone who could/should be shaping the way the medical profession engages with Black and other marginalized communities of people. 

Terri Andrews will receive the Trailblazer Award for her pioneering work as the former director of newscasts at WCAU-TV, the Philadelphia NBC-owned and operated station. Prior to that, she worked ten years for WISH-TV in Indianapolis, where she made history as the area's first Black and first female director. Terri retired from NBC 10 at the end of 2020, however, she continued to contribute to the advancement of news coverage of issues involving African Americans, directing the morning newscasts during the pandemic. 

“This year’s honorees reflect a range of talent that covered both the gripling pandemic and the racial uprisings,” says PABJ President Ernest Owens. “After a year of industry challenges and grief, this year’s gala will be the well-deserved celebration of Black journalists and media professionals in our region.”

Gala​​ ​t​ickets​ ​are​ ​$75 for PABJ members, $125 for non-members and ​​student ​tickets​ ​are $50.​​ ​Donors​ ​may​ ​sponsor​ ​a​ ​student​ ​for​ ​$50.​ ​The​ ​evening​ will ​includes​ ​a​ ​delicious​ ​horderves,​ ​beverages,​ ​and​ ​the​ ​chance​ ​to​ ​meet​ ​and​ ​celebrate​ ​with​ ​our​ ​honorees.​ 

Gala proceeds support PABJ scholarships, professional journalism workshops and community programming.

Purchase​ ​PABJ​ ​2021​ ​Awards​ ​and​ ​Scholarship​ ​Gala​ ​tickets​ ​here​ ​at​ ​Eventbrite: PABJGALA2021.EVENTBRITE.COM