KCABJ

KCABJ was founded on Dec. 5, 1981, celebrating its 25th anniversary as an organization of professional black journalists. Black journalists in Kansas City met in 1981 and forged an enduring organization that would enable members to come together for fellowship and to pool their resources to benefit themselves collectively and to better serve the community. The professional organization they created helped strengthen the ties among print, broadcast and electronic media journalists.
The Student Journalism Academy is one of the country's longest-running workshops for aspiring journalists. Many workshop graduates are established in the field or are pursuing careers in journalism. Students selected for the workshop will compete for scholarships offered by KCABJ.
For complete workshop information, including the 2005 Workshop Application, call Glenn Rice at 816-234-5908 or Lewis Diuguid at 816-234-4723.
Building Strength in the New Millennium
Through Membership & Community Service
Major Annual KCABJ Programs:
·Summer Student Journalism Workshop at Rockhurst University
·Community Workshops to Promote Media Access
·KCABJ Media Awards Ceremony
·Honoring the Best Enterprise Journalism About African Americans and Other People of Color
·Thumbs Down Award to the Media or Persons in the Media Who Have Damaged or Set Back the Image of African Americans or Other People of Color
·Scholarships Awarded to the Best of Our Journalism Workshop Graduates
Membership Requirements
KCABJ is open to working journalists involved in the gathering, dissemination and production of news through newspapers, television, radio, magazines, electronic media publishing firms and wire services. All membership applicants are subject to the review of KCABJ's executive board.
Membership Classifications
Full membership is extended to people working in the print, broadcast and the electronic (Internet) publishing media. Associate memberships are available to educators, students, public relations professionals, former working journalists, newsletter writers and editors, and free-lance journalists who spend more than 50 percent of their time producing the news. All members are required to pay dues.
National Association of Black Journalists
The Kansas City Association of Black Journalists is an affiliate of the NABJ, which is headquartered in the Washington, D.C. area. KCABJ also is a not-for-profit corporation registered in Missouri with the Office of the Secretary of State.
Our Goals
KCABJ's focus is on Greater Kansas City. The membership strives to:
Strengthen ties among African Americans in the media.
Sensitize the media to institutional racism in the news coverage and in employment practices.
Promote accurate, balanced, fair and complete coverage by the media of African Americans and other persons of color in Greater Kansas City.
Stand as an example of an exemplary group of professionals who represent excellence and promote outstanding achievements among all journalists.
Encourage journalism schools to hire, promote and grant tenure to African-American journalism professors.
Work with high schools and colleges to identify, encourage and guide potential journalists.
Encourage area media companies to develop, recruit, hire and promote African-American journalists.
Strive through continuing education to help prepare African-American journalists for managerial and supervisory positions.
Membership in KCABJ runs from January through December. Annual dues of $20 in the organization has not changed since 1981. It is the lowest of any of the affiliates of the National Association of Black Journalists.
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