Saturday marks a big day for Black journalists in DFW as multiple events will showcase and celebrate the impact of these journalists in the metroplex and beyond. Starting close to home, Jill Darden of Fort Worth Black News celebrates 25 years of publication with a celebration and festival at the Forest Hill Civic Center. Darden has covered many important events in the city and has provided coverage of events and stories often skipped over by major publications and mainstream media outlets. Darden is one of the few remaining print publications in Fort Worth and copies of each month’s issue can be found at local churches and small businesses.
At the Black Academy of Arts and Letters, six Black journalists will come together to discuss their presence in mainstream media, the effects of their presence and the challenges that yet remain. Longtime writer for the Fort Worth Star-Telegram Bob Ray Sanders will be joined by media veterans Nada Ruddock (NBC/KXAS), Steve Pickett (KTVT), Cheryl Smith (Texas Metro News, NABJ, SPJ), Norma Adams-Wade (Dallas Morning News, NABJ co-founder) and Demond Fernandez (WFAA) for a roundtable talk about the current state of black media with a look back at the past.
One of the primary rules of journalism is for journalists to not become the story. When a successful journalist or PR professional is exceptional, their story or client remains in the forefront beyond the cycle of the story and Kayla Tucker Adams’ clients enjoy the notoriety certain few enjoy due to her steadfastness, diligence and professionalism in storytelling. Public relations expert Kayla Tucker Adams has been named Woman of the Year by the Greater North Dallas Business and Professional Women’s Club (GNDBPWC). Adams will be recognized at the club’s upcoming founders’ day and scholarship awards program, taking place virtually on Saturday, May 14. This year’s theme is “Black Women in Technology: Promoting Opportunities to Shine.”