CELEBRITIES AND JOURNALISTS GOLF TO SUPPORT BLACK JOURNALISTS FELLOWSHIP PROGRAM

Orlando-Nearly 100 golfers participated in the second annual Institute for Advanced Journalism Studies (IFAJS) golf tournament held recently at Disney World’s Osprey Golf Course.  The event was a fund raiser for the IFAJS program that works to increase the number of African Americans working in journalism and to award fellowships to mid-career black journalists to keep them excited about the field.

IFAJS, lead by DeWayne Wickham, columnist with USA Today and the Gannett News Service, is based at North Carolina A&T University. IFAJS Fellows participate in research

and travel projects that chronicle the experiences of people of African descent throughout the American hemisphere.  This year the program also offers a boot camp for aspiring journalism students.

Participants in this year’s golf tournament included actor/ producer Tim Reid;Jacqueline London, news anchor, CBS affiliate WKMG TV 6; Bob Billingslea, the Disney Company's vice president for corporate and urban development; William L. Allen, Jr., senior vice president NCO Financial Systems, Inc.; Mark Russell, managing editor, Orlando Sentinel; and Monte Trammer, publisher, Elmira Star-Gazette; Morgan State University Hall of Fame golfer Al Wilson; Dwight Robinson, senior vice president Freddie Mac; and Darnell Williams, president, Urban League of Eastern Massachusetts.

IFAJS is the home of the Vernon Jarrett medal for Journalistic Excellence, which is given annually to broadcast and print journalists for outstanding coverage of issues that impact the lives of people of African descent.  Previous winners have included Byron Pitts, CBS National Correspondent; Les Payne, Newsday columnist; and Kevin Merida of the Washington Post.