NABJ, we’re on our way!

July 25, 2024July 25, 2024 / Bonnie Newman Davis

NABJ 2024 Convention & Career Fair
July 31-Aug. 4, 2024
Hilton Chicago
720 S Michigan Ave. Chicago, IL 60605

Courtesy: NABJ.org

Join us in Chi-Town for the #NABJ24 Convention & Career Fair!

#NABJ24 is the premier multi-day conference for journalism education, career development, networking, and innovation.

In 2023, more than 3,600 NABJ members and colleagues from across the industry connected at our annual convention.

Voted best big city in the U.S. seven years in a row (Condé Nast Traveler), the NABJ Family will gather in Chicago, July 31-Aug. 4, 2024, for our Annual Convention & Career Fair.

This year’s convention in the Windy City will attract industry leaders, innovators, and influencers in journalism, media, technology, business, government, community service, health, arts, entertainment, academia, and more.

Join us as thousands of the nation’s best and brightest journalists, media executives, journalism educators, communications and marketing professionals, and students unite in a vibrant city where the Black community has had a lasting impact on culture and history worldwide, including a legacy of thriving Black-owned businesses and cultural institutions.

Our #NABJ24 Career Fair is a can’t-miss opportunity that draws hundreds of recruiters from top media companies, businesses, and journalism schools from across the country and around the world.

Special guests and speakers have included then-Sen. (President) Barack Obama, President George W. Bush, President Bill Clinton, Former Vice President (President) Joseph R. Biden, Vice President Kamala D. Harris, U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton, U.S. Attorney General Loretta Lynch, U.S. Housing and Urban Development Secretary Julian Castro, U.S. Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre, U.S. Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona, Former RNC Chairs Michael Steele and Reince Priebus, Former United States Ambassador to the United Nations Andrew Young, Rev. Jesse Jackson, Rev. Al Sharpton, Attorney Ben Crump, Ava Duvernay, Tyler Perry, Chance the Rapper, Doug E. Fresh, Hill Harper, Ruth E. Carter, and Michael B. Jordan.

We invite you to experience innovative programs, expert presenters and networking opportunities as NABJ members, partners, colleagues, and supporters come together to uplift, empower and inspire one another.

All sessions, workshops, plenaries, forums, networking activities, meal events, and our high-demand career fair will be held on-site.

Follow NABJ on Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn, and Facebook for updates! Use #NABJ24 to join the conversation!

ABOUT CHICAGO

The City of Chicago covers an area of 60,000 hectares and sits 176 meters (578 feet) above sea level on the southwestern shore of Lake Michigan. At 190 km wide and 495 km long, it is the 5th largest body of fresh water in the world. The city is traversed by the Chicago and Calumet rivers. Chicago’s extensive parklands, including 3,000 hectares of city parks, attract an estimated 86 million visitors annually.

As a multicultural city that thrives on the harmony and diversity of its neighborhoods, Chicago today embodies the values of America’s Heartland-integrity, hard work and community, and reflects the ideals in the social fabric of its 77 distinct neighborhoods.

— Chicago.gov

FUN FACTS

Eight major league sports teams.
More than 200 theaters, 250 live music venues, and 200 professional dance companies.
More than 7,300 restaurants and over 160 breweries in the Chicagoland area.
59 historic districts and hundreds of historic landmarks.
More than 70 music festivals, 36 parades, and over 40 film festivals annually.

— ChooseChicago.com

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Dōgon by Kwame Onwuachi Partners with Derek Brown to create Craft Cocktail Program

July 25, 2024July 25, 2024 / Bonnie Newman Davis

Courtesy: Salamander Collections Communications Team

WASHINGTON, DC (July 25, 2024) – Dōgon by Kwame Onwuachi has partnered with nationally acclaimed mixologist Derek Brown to create its craft cocktail program. Brown is developing a series of signature drinks for the highly anticipated restaurant, which is scheduled to open late summer at Salamander Washington DC.

The announcement marks a double homecoming with Onwuachi returning to the nation’s capital for a culinary experience inspired by DC Surveyor Benjamin Banneker and his heritage to the West African Dogon tribe, while DC native Brown showcases his skills in the District for the first time since closing his famed Columbia Room bar in 2017. Pronounced “Doh-gon,” the restaurant will serve vibrant cuisine through an Afro-Caribbean lens and draw from Onwuachi’s unique Nigerian, Jamaican, Trinidadian and Creole background.

In addition to complementing the cuisine, DC’s heritage and Banneker’s inspiration, Brown and Onwuachi have collaborated to create a cocktail program that highlights Black- owned spirits and drinks. “I am so excited to finally collaborate with the great Derek Brown and tap him to create Dōgon’s cocktail program,” said Onwuachi. “Derek is celebrated for his ability to create drinks that combine seasonal ingredients, classic mixes and attention to craftsmanship. I can’t wait for people to pair his creations with Dōgon’s cuisine and celebrate all the cultures within DC’s four quadrants.”

Brown’s name is synonymous with exquisite cocktails and great drinking establishments in the nation’s capital. In addition to the Columbia Room, he also co-owned The Passenger, Mockingbird Hill, Eat the Rich, and Southern Efficiency, and was named Bartender of the Year by Imbibe magazine. Well-respected across the nation, he worked to help pass a proclamation with DC City Council to name the Rickey as the official cocktail of Washington, DC.

Brown is the founder of Positive Damage, Inc., a company dedicated to creating a culture of mindful drinking and making room for everyone at the bar, and was the Chief Spirits Advisor for the National Archives Foundation from 2015-2020. In 2019, (with Robert Yule) Brown published Spirits Sugar Water Bitters, and in 2022, he published Mindful Mixology: A Comprehensive Guide to No- and Low-Alcohol Cocktails with 60 Recipes, an outgrowth of his work advocating for mindful drinking by both workers and patrons in bars.

“I’ve been a huge fan of Kwame’s since his very first restaurant, which was located close to me in the Shaw neighborhood of DC,” said Brown. “For Dōgon, I took a backseat and listened to his vision so I could create a seamless experience. The quality of his food has driven my direction and I tried to utilize aspects of his culinary style alongside our shared love of Washington, DC.”

In addition to traditional bar seating, Dōgon will also feature a relaxing lounge in which guests can enjoy a drink and a full dining menu. Brown’s program will feature selections that are one-third high alcohol, one-third low alcohol and one-third no alcohol.

While the rest of the selections will be unveiled when the restaurant opens, a few notable creations include:

● Flower Pot Punch

According to Brown, this under-recognized classic cocktail was invented at the famed pre-Prohibition Hancock’s in DC by Black bartenders who historian Charles Wheeler noted practiced a “lost art.” While there is no known recipe from which to work, Brown features ingredients thought to be used including Ten-to-One Rum, fresh lemon and lime, Cane Collective Caribbean Spiced Pineapple Syrup and El Guapo Cajun Grenadine.

● Astronomer

Named in honor of Benjamin Banneker, whose brilliance in astronomy and mathematics led to his surveying the territory which became the District of Columbia, this non-alcoholic drink features Calabash Jasmine Jones Tea from the Black-owned tea house Calabash Tea & Tonic, also formerly in Shaw.

Additionally, it includes fresh lemon, El Guapo Creole Orgeat, Aquafaba and All the Bitter Lavender Bitters. Dōgon will be Onwuachi’s second restaurant opening in two years, following his highly acclaimed Tatiana in New York City. For the second year in a row, Tatiana was named the city’s best restaurant by the New York Times and rated one of the best new restaurants of the year by Esquire.

Forbes called it more than a restaurant and the “future of fine dining.” Onwuachi has also been a contestant and a judge on Bravo’s Top Chef. In 2019, he was acclaimed by Esquire as its Chef of the Year, recognized by FOOD & WINE as one of its Best New Chefs, and named by the James Beard Foundation as “Rising Star Chef of the Year.”

Dōgon’s opening brings Onwuachi together again with Sheila Johnson, founder and CEO of Salamander Collection, with whom he has built a special relationship. The pair created The Family Reunion, which has quickly become the premier gathering of culinary professionals of color in the country and takes place each August at Johnson’s Five-Star Salamander Middleburg resort in Virginia. Salamander Collection was voted Best Luxury Hotel Brand by readers of USA TODAY and is the largest Black-owned luxury hotel company in the United States. The launch of Dōgon is part of an overall property redesign at Salamander Washington DC, creating a warm and welcoming environment for which the company is renowned.

The enhancement project will showcase a brighter and more residential design, and include striking indoor and outdoor gathering spaces, an expanded two-story spa and modernly refreshed guest suites designed by Thomas Pheasant.

An exact opening date for Dōgon will be announced in the coming weeks. In the meantime, diners and those interested in exploring employment opportunities can sign up to receive updates at www.DogonDC.com and also follow on Instagram at @DogonDC.

HIRING EVENT

Dōgon is now hiring numerous positions ranging from hosts to line cooks, servers and executive positions. It will hold a hiring event on Saturday, July 27, the details of which are below.

● Date: Saturday, July 27 – Open to Public

● Time: 10:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m.

● Location: Salamander Washington DC – Philips Room To RSVP in advance for the hiring event, e-mail Jasmine Alexander at jalexander@salamanderdc.com.

Salamander Collection is privately owned and operated, and based in Middleburg, VA, just outside Washington, DC. Founded by entrepreneur Sheila Johnson, it has a luxury portfolio featuring the Forbes Five-Star Salamander Middleburg, an equestrian-inspired property in the Virginia countryside; Salamander Washington DC, an elegant hotel located along the capital’s vibrant Southwest waterfront; Half Moon, the storied resort in Montego Bay, Jamaica, featuring three distinct experiences including the acclaimed Eclipse; Aspen Meadows Resort, which features sweeping views on 40 beautiful acres in Aspen, CO’s west end and newly renovated Herbert Bayer-inspired accommodations and arrival experience; Hotel Bennett, a spectacular grand hotel in Charleston, SC, overlooking the city’s historic Marion Square; and Innisbrook Resort in the St. Petersburg/Clearwater area, which hosts the PGA TOUR’s Valspar Championship each year on its famed Copperhead Course. www.SalamanderHotels.com.

Public Relations-Salamander DC+Salamander Middleburg – Maurisa Potts, maurisa@spottedmp.com

Matt Owen, Vice President, Communications, mowen@salamanderhotels.com

Salamander’s 2024 Family Reunion

July 25, 2024July 25, 2024 / Bonnie Newman Davis

*Middleburg, VA – Aug*. 20, 2022: Day three of The Family Reunion at Salamander Resort &
*Spa, hosted by Kwame Onwuachi and Sheila Johnson.* Photos by Clay Williams.©

Sheila Johnson and Kwame Onwuachi are at it again with culturally rich events

Courtesy: Salamander Collections Communications Team

Middleburg, VA; July 17, 2024 – The Family Reunion, the country’s preeminent culinary celebration of color and excellence, has announced its slate of culturally rich programming for the inspiring and inclusive gathering next month.

The sold-out August 15-18 event is helmed by some of the industry’s top talent including Nyesha Arrington, Mashama Bailey, Rodney Scott, Carla Hall, Gregory Gourdet, Tavel Bristol-Joseph, Alexander Smalls and more. For 2024, The Family Reunion has a new charitable philanthropic beneficiary – the Culinary Institute of America, Onwuachi’s alma mater. The event has also attracted new and elevated sponsors for 2024, including Appleton Estate, Wells Fargo, Amazon, Lexus, United and Virginia Tourism Corporation.

Presented by Chef, Restaurateur and Author Kwame Onwuachi in collaboration with Sheila Johnson’s Salamander Collection and FOOD & WINE, the multi-day event crosses culinary boundaries and combines thought-provoking panel discussions, topical cooking demonstrations, inspiring recreational activities, daily “family” lunches, vibrant evening parties and late-night afterglows. Since being launched in 2021, The Family Reunion has become one of the nation’s premier and most-popular culinary events – quickly selling out with approximately 1,000 people attending each day.

‘Led by the industry’s top talent, this year’s programming is supported by new and returning partners, and features discussions on the legacy of rice, BBQ and jerk demonstrations, wine and spirit classes, family lunches and evening celebrations.‘

New this year, Appleton Estate, the premium spirit sponsor of The Family Reunion, will collaborate on a variety of programming designed to immerse guests in its rich Jamaican heritage, spotlight rum’s cultural relevance and educate on the important role rum plays in the country’s culinary history. Sessions, including the return of the popular breakout, ‘Jerk: The Dish That Freed a Nation’, will pair Appleton Estate Deputy Master Blender David Morrison with chefs Andre Fowles and Osei “Chef Picky” Blackett to lead guests through an in-depth tasting of special Appleton Estate expressions, cocktails and delicious jerk cuisine. Wells Fargo will spotlight the event’s legacy through a social media campaign featuring The Family Reunion’s Lifetime Achievement Award recipients, while United Airlines and Virginia Tourism Corporation will present the opening night cookout, showcasing legendary pitmaster chefs Bryan Furman, Rodney Scott, Kevin Bludso, and Virginia Ali/Ben’s Chili Bowl.

On day two, Amazon will present the Family-Style Lunch featuring award-winning restaurants Tatiana and Kann, and pastry chef Maya-Camille Broussard. Similarly, lunch on Saturday will feature Virtue, pastry chef Camari Mick and the unveiling of menu items from Dōgon, Kwame Onwuachi’s highly anticipated restaurant in Washington, D.C., opening later this summer.

Breakout sessions will again be varied and include A Noble Grain: The Legacy of Rice in America presented by FOOD & WINE, featuring a conversation with Alexander Smalls, George McCalman and Serigne Mbaye on the origins of rice in America. Favorite chef-led activities like ziplining and Family Field Day will be returning, as will the event’s version of the reality show Chopped, where teams will turn mystery ingredients into incredible dishes judged by celebrity judges. Saturday night’s Block Party finale, presented by Wells Fargo, will showcase a throwback 90s theme, while there will be a stellar lineup of surprise musical performances throughout the weekend. The Family Reunion concludes on Sunday, August 18 with an inspiring Sunday Service with Gospel Choir.

Supported by Salamander’s talented culinary team, The Family Reunion’s exceptional strong 2024 roster of talent includes: Virginia Ali, Nyesha Arrington, Mashama Bailey, Shorne Benjamin, Osei “Chef Picky” Blackett, Kevin Bludso, Tavel Bristol-Joseph, Maya-Camille Broussard, Damarr Brown, Adrienne Cheatham, Preston Clark, Tiffany Derry, Andre Fowles, Bryan Furman, Gregory Gourdet, Carla Hall, Jessica B. Harris, Brian Jupiter, Vallery Lomas, Serigne Mbaye, Mawa McQueen, Camari Mick, Charlie Mitchell, Lamar Moore, Nina Oduro, Kwame Onwuachi, Ken Pettus, Millie Peartree, Jamila Robinson, JR Robinson, Pierre Serrao, Rodney Scott, Alexander Smalls, David Thomas, Tonya Thomas, Georgiana Viou, Douglass Williams, Erick Williams and Melba Wilson.

The mission of The Family Reunion is to nurture, develop and celebrate racial and ethnic diversity within the next generation of hospitality professionals. The celebration takes place at Johnson’s Salamander Middleburg resort, which is one of only five properties in the USA and 13 worldwide to hold separate Forbes Five-Star ratings for accommodations, spa and dining. Experiences take place throughout Salamander’s 340 acres, including its Culinary Garden and Library. There is also a sweeping outdoor Grand Stage venue hosting a rotating lineup of meals and events.

The only African American woman to wholly own a Forbes Five-Star resort, Sheila Johnson is renowned for co-founding Black Entertainment Television. In addition to collaborating on The Family Reunion, Johnson and Kwame Onwuachi are also partnering to create a vibrant new restaurant, Dōgon, at Johnson’s Salamander Washington DC hotel. Onwuachi, who owns the acclaimed Tatiana in New York City, has penned multiple books like his successful memoir Notes from a Young Black Chef and the bestselling cookbook My America: Recipes from a Young Black Chef.

The 2024 Family Reunion event enjoys partnership support Salamander Collection, FOOD & WINE, Appleton Estate, Wells Fargo, Amazon, United Airlines, Virginia Tourism Corporation, Coca-Cola, Lexus, Toast, Ecolab, Select Events, Inspire, Zigma World, La Colombe, Visit Loudoun and AmaWaterways.

To see The Family Reunion schedule in its entirety,visit www.salamanderhotels.com/familyreunion and/orfollow along on Instagram at @salamanderresort, @salamanderhotels, @foodandwine and @chefkwameonwuachi.

Summer listens

July 24, 2024July 24, 2024 / Bonnie Newman Davis

By Bonnie Newman Davis

Between 2011 and 2023, many of my days were spent driving up and down the East Coast.

Atlanta, Baltimore, Charlotte, Chapel Hill, Greensboro, Lexington, Va., Myrtle Beach, Norfolk, Raleigh, Richmond and Washington, D.C.

My driving companions? Biographies and works of fiction, courtesy of Audible, that included best sellers by Barack and Michelle Obama, Heather McGee, Eddie S. Glaude Jr., Maggie Haberman, Clint Smith, Steven A. Smith, Will Smith, Sadeqa Johnson, Tabitha Brown, Isabel Wilkerson and more.

Covid-19, my own book project and a full-time job limited some of my highway travel in the past couple of years. I sighed as I ignored reminders that my Audible credits were piling up. I vowed to escape a world of meaningless chatter in favor of voices guaranteed to feed my mind and soul.

Now that it’s summer and my main commitments involve laundry, the dishwasher and lunch or dinner with friends, my Audible selections once more will keep me company in my car and also in my home. Below are a few titles I recently downloaded to enjoy during the remains of summer.

BND Media Camp 2024 begins with bang

July 18, 2024December 3, 2024 / Bonnie Newman Davis

Students absorb journalism basics and more

By Bonnie Newman Davis

BND Media Camp intern Mikayla Compere gives students some news writing tips on Day 2 of the summer camp at Second Baptist Church in Richmond’s West End.

First week highlights:

Andrea Long, a Second Baptist church member who was one of Richmond’s first Black TV reporters before becoming an attorney, provided media camp students a searing lecture about the upcoming presidential election and other vital issues. This after she worked long hours in Second Baptist Church’s (Idlewood) food pantry.

Second Baptist Church members have been exceedingly kind in accommodating our students and answering their questions about food insecurity. Another church member sent funds to support a child whose family is experiencing hardships.

A jovial, Will Smith-like father who admits that his son spends too much time playing video games, treated my campers to two huge pizzas and soft drinks today.

Students also heard from Monica Esparza, a Hemp farmer and ecologist, who explained the benefits and politics of hemp’s roots and political terrain.

**Monica Esparza’s farm and garden include basil, rosemary and hemp seeds.**

Two amazing college students/interns from Christopher Newport University and North Carolina A&T State University are masters in relating to our middle school campers. Thank you Mikayla Compere and Kamryn Jackson!!

It’s been a long, hot and humid week, with spotty Internet and no fancy tech apparatus or presentations. Yet, the first week of the BND Summer Media Camp has been filled with incredible and impactful learning done the old-fashioned way with paper, pens and brain power!