FAMU’s School of Journalism & Graphic Communication Associate Professor Dr. Valerie White has been named as a fellow in the inaugural cohort for the Solutions Journalism HBCU/Black Press Academy + Lede Fellowship.
The cohort is comprised of historically Black college and university educators and newsroom leaders of the Black Press. The 14 fellows will spend the 2023-2024 academic year learning to incorporate solutions journalism methods into their coursework and newsroom operations.
This initiative deepens the Solutions Journalism Network’s relationship with “colleges and universities and builds on SJN’s commitment to renew and refresh journalism for historically under-served communities,” according to the SJN website.
The $7,500 grant will be used for support when reporting solutions stories and to host community engagement events.
As an HBCU fellow, White will study the Black church’s role in combating the attacks on Black history. To fulfill the requirements of the grant, she will teach her reporting students the solutions journalism method as they examine programs and events to counter the attack in Florida on Black history and Black culture.
“Historically, the Black church has been the catalyst for educating and advocating for the Black community,” White said. “In Tallahassee, there are programs that should be a national model for addressing some of these community ills. This project will examine these programs, both church- and community-based.”
Learn more about the Solutions Journalism HBCU/Black Press Academy + Lede Fellowship here.
