We love April Ryan. Like, love love. She’s a Blavity hero, and today, she got just what she deserved: an award for journalist of the year from the National Association of Black Journalists (NABJ), The Baltimore Sun reports.
Ryan has been on the White House beat for American Urban Radio Networks for the last 20 years. She has of late been in the news for her interactions with Trump administration officials; the president asked her to set up a meeting with the Congressional Black Caucus, presumably because she is black, and she reacted for all of us when Sean Spicer rebranded the Holocaust.
As an author, Ryan has won an NAACP Image Award, and has received glowing reviews for her newest book, At Mama’s Knee. She was also recently hired as a CNN analyst.
In announcing the award, NABJ president Sarah Glover said, “April Ryan is a true trailblazer and truth seeker. She’s dogged and unapologetic about her pursuit of the story. In the White House press corps circle, where too few black women have been given an opportunity to report, April has excelled and preserved in spite of the many obstacles she has confronted. Her work has risen to the top.”
Amen, President Glover, amen!
NABJ’s vice-president also added a few glowing and truthful words, noting, “Ryan is more than deserving of this award.”
As congratulations from her colleagues and admirers rolled in, Ryan was humbled. “It is wonderful to be honored by such an esteemed organization,” she said. She noted that she feels all of NABJ’s “journalists do important work,” making her “so thankful that they would think of me for this honor.”
Ryan also used this occasion to offer encouragement to black journalists and media professionals, like your friendly neighborhood Blavity writers. “We all have a job to do and some of the stories we are doing wouldn’t be told if it weren’t for us.”
And to all journalists, and really all Americans, she said, “We all need to keep pressing because the First Amendment is under attack.”
We will, April, we will. And all of us at Blavity would like to offer our congratulations on this well-deserved honor!
