By Bonnie Newman Davis

Written November 2023

 I love the feedback, speaking engagements and unexpected opportunities I continue to receive one year after the publication of my book, “Truth Tellers: The Power and Presence of Black Women Journalists Since 1960.” It always takes my breath away when I walk into the home of a family member or cherished friend and see my book on full display. Or when a longtime colleague who is an executive at an NPR news station orders nearly 200 copies of my books for a MEDIA LITERACY PROGRAM!

OR when the Dean of Morgan State University’s School of Global Journalism provided 25 copies of my book to students! OR when the former chairman of the journalism department at my alma mater, North Carolina A&T State University, whipped out a check (or was it cash?? Aggies got money, honey) and purchased a dozen books for students! OR when I am Invited to speak at two national journalism conferences and leave one with a national book award and leave the other with an armful of newfound colleagues and friends! But, GOD! There is no better feeling! 🙏🏾❤️What a ride it has been! J

I just received a text from a friend who is visiting Williamsburg. She said she saw a Black woman journalist named Barbara Ciara being interviewed on the area’s CBS station. “Ummmm, Barbie’s in my book,” I replied. “She is retiring after decades in broadcast television. Can’t wait for her next chapter, which includes a husband! 😂😂❤️🙏🏾!” 🙏🏾❤️🦮🍷hashtag#happyscrappy. hashtag#happywife! I truly thank everyone for your continued support! Buy my book on Amazon (or from me) and help enlighten someone this holiday season!🎄🎄

PS: Thanks also to Padilla and Jeff Wilson, APR and Barbara Hamm Lee Hamm of WHRO and Jason Roop Roop, guest host – WRVA for having me as a guest earlier this year, too! I look forward to speaking to students at the University of Richmond and Virginia Commonwealth University in the next several days!

Thank you to my beloved guardian angels on earth Erin Stanley, LCSW/LICSW Lisa Braxton Jeff Wilson, APR Kadeja Tyler Raina Fields, M.S., APR Fields, M.S., Vinara Mosby, Dr. Linnie S. Carter, Shelia Solomon, Marylinn Minor, Dr. Teshana Gipson, Sarah Glover, John Rich and Michael L. Harvey! I love you all dearly for your ongoing support! Whew!! A sista is tired, but happy!❤️🙏🏾🙂Happy Holidays

Truth Tellers Book Launch
Sunday, November 27, 2022
The Common House
Richmond, Va.
View Book Launch Slideshow

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Thursday, January 26, 2023
Libbie Mill Library, 6 pm- 8:30 pm

Thursday, February 16, 2023
Community Zoom, 10:30 am 
VCU Libraries, Richmond

Thursday, February 16, 2023
Bon Air Woman’s Club, 11:30 am 
Willow Oaks Country Club, Richmond

Friday, February 24, 2023
Norfolk State University
11 am

Sunday, February 26, 2023
Jackson Ward, Richmond, Va.
2 pm – 5 pm

Wednesday, March 1, 2023
North Carolina A&T State University
11 am

Thursday, March 2, 2023
Women’s History Month Kickoff, 6 p.m.
Hull Street Branch, Richmond Public Library

Friday, March 10, 2023
National Press Club, Washington, D.C.
2 pm – 5 pm

March 2, 2023
Women’s History Month Kickoff
Hull Street Branch, Richmond Public Library. 
Featured speaker along with Diane Walker

Friday, March 10, 2023
National Press Club, Washington, D.C.
Featured speaker with Dorothy Gilliam, Sonya Ross, Denise Bridges, and Marylinn Minor

April 1, 2023
The University of Maryland
Society of Professional Journalists Region 2 Conference
University of Maryland, Merrill Journalism Building
“Fighting to be Heard,” panel discussion with Bonnie Newman Davis, Deborah Heard, Yanick Rice Lamb, Marylinn Minor

May 4, 2023
Morgan State University
School of Global Journalism and Communication at Morgan State University
Baltimore, Md.

May 25-27, 2023
Dow Jones Newspaper Fund Minority Internship Class of 1979 reunion 
Philadelphia, Pa.

June 24, 2023
“Truth Tellers: The Power and Presence of Black Women Journalists Since 1960” Reception and Book Discussion featuring Bonnie Newman Davis, Fannie Flono, Mae Israel, and Patrice Gaines
Charlotte, N.C.

August 3, 2023
National Association of Black Journalists Annual Convention
Birmingham, Ala.

2023 NABJ Authors Showcase
Featuring Bonnie Newman Davis and Wayne Dawkins.

June 29, 2023
San Antonio Chapter, San Antonio, Texas (Zoom)
Featured guest speaker.

September 12, 2023
Black Authors Matter TV, National Black Book Festival, Houston, Texas. (Zoom)
Guest speaker

October 14, 2023
Journalism and Women’s Symposium (JAWS), Columbia College, Chicago, Ill.
Books and Browse Panelist with Brooke Kroeger, Rachel Louise Snyder, Mona Gable, and Diana B. Henriques.

October 26, 2023
Public Relations Society of America, Richmond Chapter.
Westwood Club, Richmond, Va.
Fall luncheon guest speaker, Topic. “Fighting to be heard.”

The University of Richmond

Nov. 30 and Dec. 5

Join us for an empowering event, Truth Tellers: The Power and Presence of Black Women Journalists, on Saturday, June 24th, 2023 at 1:00 PM EST. We’ll be gathering at 6300 Carnegie Boulevard, Charlotte, NC, 28211 for an in-person experience you won’t want to miss!

During this FREE event, we’ll be celebrating the incredible contributions of Black women journalists throughout history. From trailblazers such as Ida B. Wells and Nikole Hannah-Jones, we’ll explore the ways in which these women have used their voices to bring truth to light and effect real change in their communities.

Featuring a lineup of inspiring speakers and interactive activities, Truth Tellers is the perfect opportunity to connect with like-minded individuals and learn from some of the most influential voices in journalism today, including Charlotte’s Fanni Flono, Mae Israel and Patrice Gaines! So mark your calendars and get ready for an unforgettable afternoon filled with conversation, food and drinks!

Your Host:

The BND Institute of Media and Culture Inc.

RSVP REQUIRED: bonnienewmandavis@gmail.com or 804-683-7203

“Truth Tellers: The Power and Presence of Black Women Journalists Since 1960”

Available on Amazon

bonnienewmandavis.com

Our Sponsors:

M. L. Harvey, Founder/ CEO

www.mlhaccounting.com
MLH Assets Management, LPC

Mike’s Jazz Café’, LLC

Richmond, Va

Vinara Mosby

Maxamus Insurance Services, LLC

RICHMOND, VA 23230

The 1979 Dow Jones Minority Newspaper Fund Summer Interns meet and mentor 2023 Dow Jones interns at Temple University

By Bonnie Newman Davis

I can’t begin to say how wonderful it has been to reconnect with my class —-the FIRST group of DJ minority interns—after 44 years on May 25-27, 2023! Since 1979, our careers have taken us to news organizations in Richmond, Va, the Washington Post, New York Times, Houston, Dallas, Miami, Milwaukee, Chicago (Jet magazine), Los Angeles, Minneapolis, Boston, Baltimore, the Moscow Bureau of the Washington Post, Congressional Quarterly, Wall Street Journal, Columbia Law School, academia, and numerous other institutions and workplaces. There were 11 of us then, but just nine of us now. All nine of us are here in Philly. Despite the years gone by, we still recall the wonderful learning experience and bonding that took place for three weeks in Easton and Bethlehem, Pa.

And we have not missed a beat when it comes to cutting up and having a good time when class is dismissed!! Besides myself, we are Charles Mapson, Trudy Moore, Valerie Montague, Deborah Heard, Debra Ann Martine McGaughey, Ellyn Ferguson, Gary Lee and David Ysais. Thank you so much David Ysais and Shirley Carswell, the executive director of the Dow Jones News Fund, for making this reunion such a beautiful reality.

During our three days in Philadelphia, we were fortunate to meet and mentor 12 college students who have their own internships this summer. We wish them the best of luck and encourage them to stay as close as our class has done. I’ll always remember the words of our late mentor and professor Sam Adams who advised us to get to know one another because we will have to lean on each other as the years go by. #summerof79

Such a Class Act!
I can’t let another day go by without sharing how much I appreciate the SCHOOL of Global Journalism and Communication at Morgan State University for inviting me to speak with journalism/multimedia students about my book: “Truth Tellers: The Power and Presence of Black Women Journalists Since 1960.” From the moment I stepped into the SGJC’s building in Baltimore on May 4, I was welcomed by Dr. Janice Smith, interim chairman of the School’s strategic communication department, along with Associate Professor Wayne Dawkins, Journalism Department Chairman Benjamin Davis and Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist and journalism educator E. R. Shipp. And then there was my new friend, SGJC student Chase “like the bank” Gilliam, who believes that he is related to Dorothy Gilliam, one of the women in my book.

I felt so comfortable and at home while visiting WEAA, the NPR-affiliate radio station’s spacious floor and meeting administrators, staff and on-air personalities (including students) who ensure that the station runs smoothly each day. MSU truly is one of those HBCUs where everyone wears several hats and don’t mind doing so. The pride in every inch of the building was evident. SGJC is led by SGJC Dean Jackie Jones, a beloved administrator, academic and journalist who is continuing a legacy of excellence established by SGJC’s former dean, DeWayne Wickham. Dean Jones is mentioned several times in my book, and rightly so as someone who helped guide the careers of numerous Black women journalists.

Thank you again, Dean Jones!! (Former Dean Wickham, of course, is one of the lead endorsers of my book). When I entered the room where the book discussion was to take place, I nearly fainted! Spread out on a table were two dozen copies of my book, ready for me to sign for every student in attendance!! YES!! God is GOOD!! The discussion that followed was even better. The students were amazing. They listened, asked probing questions, shared some of their personal stories and more. But further validation of the excellence taking place at SGJC came when I received an email yesterday afternoon from my longtime colleague Wayne Dawkins containing an article that two students wrote about my visit, along with a photo taken by another student!

Talk about meeting a deadline! As often as the word “intentional” is used these days, I cannot think of a better word to describe SGJC’s faculty, staff and students regarding my visit. And EXCELLENCE! I am humbled, honored and blessed. Thank you, again, Morgan State University and the School of Global Journalism and Communication. Jackie Jones Wayne Dawkins DeWayne Wickham Janice E. Smith, Ph.D., APR
I LOVE this article! Please enjoy

By Bonnie Newman Davis

It was a Friday afternoon in the nation’s capital. Cold. Raining. Traffic. It didn’t matter. I felt good in the company of a friend and soror, Marylinn Minor, who drove with sleepy me to DC’s National Press Club. As I fumbled with my bags, a woman with a familiar brisk pace breezed past me. I heard her mention my book and I said, “that’s me.” She turned around and we screamed. Laverne McKay Henson, a dear high school and college classmate had driven from Northern Virginia for my book discussion!

We entered the NPC’s Fourth Estate Room where the employees and staff were extremely kind, helpful and attentive to all our needs. And why wouldn’t they be, I asked silently while reminding myself that world leaders and news media luminaries come through the NPC’s doors daily. Laverne did what friends do….grabbed everything out of my hands and started placing bookmarks and other items in the waiting seats.

More people trickled into the room. Dorothy Butler Gilliam, the beloved former Washington Post columnist and my Sheroe–the woman who read my clips 40+ years ago and saw promise in me. At 86 she’s still got it going on. Denise Bridges and her husband Jerome, who’ve been with me on every step of this book journey, came in next.

Then my girl Yolanda McCutchen of WABJ who helped round up DC journalists and others interested in learning more about what we do. Then Fateema Blackwell, my former VCU student who used to follow me around and continues to do so all these years later. Fateema is awesome, and as a multimedia journalist takes care of many of my technical needs.

They kept coming. Renowned freelance journalist Stephenie Overman who is bringing me back into the regional and national fold of the Society of Professional journalists (SPJ). Dorine Bethea, a tenacious journalist whom I once worked with at the Richmond Times-Dispatch. Dorine has a testimony that I hope she will share one day. She still rises, currently at the Washington Post. Bousaina Ibrahim, a young sister fresh out of Nebraska, came to learn how to further spread her wings in a business that is not for the faint of heart. Phil, a young brother from the Huffington Post. Slav who said he’s “from Ukraine and knows Joe Biden,” before asking about the U.S.’s relationship with Africa.

Dr. Sherri Williams, a journalist and journalism professor at American University who is so sharp and witty and focused that it makes my head spin. Sonya Ross, equally smart, strategic and funny is a former Associated Press reporter and one of the women featured in my book, “Truth Tellers: the Power and Presence of Black Women Journalists Since 1960.” Sonya shared with us what it was like to witness and record the George W. Bush administration’s response to 9-11 because she was part of the White House press pool in Florida that fateful day 22 years ago. Amazing as Sonya also details her heroic moment in my book!

Oh, did I mention that Virginia Congressman Robert “Bobby” Scott was in an adjourning room filled with Black historians? Or that Kemba Smith Pradia briefly stepped into my book event, nodded and smiled before disappearing, further signaling to me that God is Good. Thank you so much, Sonya Ross for suggesting that I host my book event at the NPC. We did that.

Special thanks to my sponsors: Dorothy B. Gilliam, Leigh Battle, Senior2Senior Health Plans & Retirement Planning Group LLC; Vinara Mosby, OWNER/AGENT AT MAXAMUS INSURANCE SERVICES LLC; BND Institute of Media and Culture Inc., MLH Assets Management, InfraPros, LLC.

Featuring Bonnie Newman Davis, author of “Truth Tellers” and Diane Walker, former NBC 12 news anchor

Truth Tellers: The Power and Presence of Black Women Journalists Since 1960

“The first Black woman to run for vice president of the United States was Charlotta Bass – a journalist. That happened 70 years ago.

For nearly four decades before her 1952 run for the vice presidency, Bass was the crusading editor and publisher of the California Eagle, the largest Black-owned newspaper on the West Coast. But those who write the history of that time have largely forgotten—or simply ignored—Bass.

Bonnie Newman Davis’ book, Truth Tellers: The Power and Presence of Black Women Journalists Since 1960, tells the stories of 24 Black women whose journalism careers spanned the last forty years of the 20th century. They are print and broadcast journalists and, like Bass, courageously bore the burden of being a Black person in America’s newsrooms.

Norma Adams-Wade to Lynne K. Varner, Wanda Lloyd to Barbara Ciara, and Patrice Gaines to Sandra Daye Hughes, the stories Davis tells are of Black women journalists who took on the challenges of being what W.E.B. DuBois called the “two-ness” of being an American and Black.

These women aren’t household names. This book, hopefully, will change

that.”

DeWayne Wickham Journalist, Columnist and Founding Dean School of Global Journalism & Communication Morgan State University

Style Magazine Reviews “Truth Tellers”!

More about the author: Bonnie Newman Davis

Details: Thu, January 26, 2023, 6:00 PM – 8:30 PM EST

Libbie Mill – Henrico County Public Library 2100 Libbie Lake East Street Richmond, VA 23230

*Light refreshments available!

Register on Eventbrite!!

How much do you know about Mount Kilimanjaro? I must admit, before last Thursday, I knew two things: 1-it’s in Africa; and, 2-it’s one of the highest mountains in the world. Thanks to the BND Institute of Media and Culture and the Black History Museum, we were able to spend ‘An Evening on Kilimanjaro,’ featuring a man I’m honored to call friend and a true Renaissance Man, Robert L. Dortch, Jr. Robert wowed us with his enlightening story of successfully reaching the peak of Mount Kilimanjaro. Moderated by the humorous Kym Grinnage, and featuring an introduction by my good friend and Tanzania-born and raised, Zarina Fazaldin, the event was simply inspirational. On average, only 50 percent of people who climb Mount Kilimanjaro reach the summit, and of that number, only 1percent are Black. And now all of Richmond can boast that we know someone in that 1percent!

Renee Walston Johnson

December12, 2022

Learn more about Mr. Dortch’s journey in this Nov. 3, 2022 Richmond Free Press article:

An Evening on Kilimanjaro: Richmond Free Press December 8, 2022.

Truth Tellers: The Power and Presence of Black Women
Journalists Since 1960

The first Black woman to run for vice president of the United States was Charlotta Bass—a journalist. That happened 70 years ago.

For nearly four decades before her 1952 run for the vice presidency, Bass was the crusading editor and publisher of the California Eagle, the largest Black-owned newspaper on the West Coast. But those who write the history of that time have largely forgotten—or simply ignored—Bass.

Bonnie Newman Davis’ book, Truth Tellers: The Power and Presence of Black Women Journalists Since 1960, tells the stories of 24 Black women whose journalism careers spanned the last forty years of the 20th century. They are print and broadcast journalists and, like Bass, courageously bore the burden of being a Black woman in America’s newsrooms.

“These women aren’t household names. This book, hopefully, will change that.”

– DeWayne Wickham, Journalist, Columnist and Founding Dean, School of
Global Journalism & Communication at Morgan State University

“While we have become accustomed to seeing Black women journalists on screen, there are so many who are lesser known and unsung, but who have paved important paths in the field. Bonnie Newman Davis lifts their names and tells their important stories. This is an important book for students and scholars who want (need) to know the full history of journalism.”

—Tamara Jeffries, Journalist, Former Executive Editor, Essence Magazine

 

 

ISBN: 978-0-578-29935-8
Size: 6 x 9 | 256 pages
Retail: $25.00

 

Other ways to purchase:

Paypal:  bonnienewmandavis@gmail.com

Zelle: 804 683-7203

Cashapp: $bonnienewmandavis

Checks or Money Orders: 

Bonnie Newman Davis

c/o Truth Tellers

P.O. Box 2444 

Mechanicsville, Va. 23116